University president confident in COVID-19 response, happy about enrollment increase
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – For the University of Nebraska, this week has held good and bad news.
The good news is enrollment is up, in a year where most universities can’t say the same.
But the bad, is as of today, there are now 519 COVID-19 cases.
“Although these cases are higher than I’d like, they haven’t been totally unexpected.” University President Ted Carter said. “But we’ve been able to quarantine and isolate people, we’ve had plenty of room to do that.”
Carter said what’s more important than the total case number is that there’s only been one hospitalization and most of the spread is taking place off-campus.
Specifically, Greek housing has been a hot spot for cases, with six Greek groups currently suspended.
“How they live in the house is just different,” Carter said. “There’s learning to be done there, educating on how to be safe and enjoy college, there’s still a few things to learn but I have no doubt we’ll find our way.”
He said it’s hard to balance staying safe, while also providing students the traditional college experience.
“Even though we are doing the best of all Big 10 universities with 70 percent in-person classes and 30 percent remote, there’s still a lot that’s not exactly like it would be if we were not in a global pandemic but we’re doing the best we can,” Carter said.
Carter said right now, keeping classes in-person is their focus, even with other Big 10 schools shifting to remote learning.
“I feel bad for the other states where they don’t have a choice but to do remote learning, but that’s just a modality that won’t deliver a whole person experience.”
Carter said their plans for in-person learning wouldn’t change if the Lincoln COVID-19 risk dial shifted into the red.
Carter said the school year hasn’t brought just negatives.
He said the staff and faculty have been a big positive.
So have enrollment numbers.
Enrollment is up one percent across the university system, with about 500 additional students enrolled across five campuses and a significant increase in first general college students and students from minority groups.
Carter said this increase is great news for Nebraska because most universities are seeing a decline in enrollment.
“How goes the university, so goes the state,” Carter said. “So if we can grow and produce students who graduate and go into the workforce then Nebraska grows.”
UNL did see a one percent drop in enrollment but Carter said that’s largely due to a decrease in international programs and students.
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