By Maya Liquigan

July 30, 2024

The number of students enrolled in summer courses has decreased by 28.97% from summer 2023 to summer 2024. This is the highest decrease in student enrollment across all three semesters in the past three years. 

From spring 2023 to spring 2024, student enrollment decreased by only 2.7%. In the fall 2023 semester, student enrollment decreased by 1.76% from the previous year. The proportion of students in the fall and spring semesters averaged around 6,000 compared to 400 students in the summer semesters.

There are many possible contributing factors to the decline in registration during the summer, according to Greg Foster-Rice, associate provost for Student Retention Initiatives.

The decrease in enrollment after summer 2019 may be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From summer 2019 to summer 2020, enrollment decreased by 14.3%. 

Foster-Rice explained that students tend to want to work full-time over the summer or take less expensive community college courses, which may explain the decrease in enrollment. He described how colleges around the country have increased tuition rates due to inflation and that may be correlated to the decrease in summer enrollment. 

Foster-Rice provided data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a national tuition increase for higher education. College tuition and fees increased by 4.7% from February 2020 to February 2023. The financial strain may be a contributing factor to the decrease in students overall. 

Most summer classes are not covered by financial aid. Foster-Rice said that as an incentive to get students to enroll in summer courses, the college offers scholarship-eligible classes such as the “LGBTQ+ Social Health and Equality” course. 

The number of course sections offered each semester is based on a supply-demand need and fluctuates with the changes in student interest and professor availability. As the college restructures the core curriculum, summer courses will be evaluated, Foster-Rice said. 

“Summer offerings and enrollments are something that we will definitely be looking at under the new structures and leadership in the schools. And with the reductions in the core from 42 to 30, there may be some opportunity for offering more classes required for the major or within major programs in the summers. The challenge is always matching supply with demand,” Foster-Rice said. 

Lower enrollment does not mean that fewer course sections are offered. In summer 2022, 504 students were enrolled and 57 course sections were offered. In summer 2024, 353 students were enrolled and 55 course sections were offered. There are only 2 fewer course sections for 151 fewer students.  

Nathan Bakkum, senior associate provost, said that decisions about summer course offerings have historically been made by department chairs in collaboration with the deans’ offices. Courses that are taught are decided by several factors including student core requirements, faculty availability and external summer activities that offer immersive learning experiences such as Pride Month activities and study abroad programs. 

Although registration has decreased in the summer, course sections are mostly filled. Course sections have open seats varying from 10 to 25 students. This summer, 31 of the 55 course sections were over 50% filled. There were 5 hybrid courses, 25 in-person courses and 25 online courses with only two of them filling all open seats. In the past, department chairs and faculty made decisions on online and in-person offerings according to Bakkum. 

“While many of the disciplines offered at the college rely on significant in-person interaction, we have found that some online summer offerings allow students to participate from remote locations or more easily schedule around their work responsibilities,” Bakkum said. 

Although there seem to be a lot less students on campus, many students just prefer online courses. Michelle Yates, associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Histories and Social Sciences, taught a five-week online “Environmental Justice” course this summer. She explained how online courses are more convenient for some students in the summer. 

“I usually teach online and that gives students the benefit to pursue additional summer opportunities, even those outside of Chicago, while completing another class toward their degree,” Yates said.

Students like Eleanor Lusciatti, a transfer photojournalism major, used the summer semester to catch up on credits. Lusciatti took 3 courses this summer, two of which were online. The summer semester gave her a chance to advance her academic plan as a transfer student. 

She explained how summer classes have a more relaxed environment but her three-credit courses are “double the normal pace of fall and spring semesters classes.” 

“The quicker pace feels more productive at times but also can be overwhelming as I am taking more than just one course,” Lusciatti said. 

She enjoys the laid-back environment on campus in the summer but notes how empty the campus feels. The college anticipates having 1,000 fewer students in the fall, as the Chronicle previously reported. 

Although the summer semester has given her a chance to connect with professors and complete credit hours, she is excited to see more peers in the fall.

“The environment of the school building is a big change as they are empty outside of the actual classrooms. I enjoy the calmness at times while also missing the community that comes with being around a livelier campus in the fall and spring.”