Enrollment increase brings diversity to UF

International student enrollment increases 19 percent

By Mac Williams

On Tuesday, Jan. 26, Martyce Kimbrough walked through campus to his 9:30 a.m. class. On his way he noticed that there were more people on campus than usual for that time of day. Kimbrough brushed it off and thought that maybe there was an event going on at the time.

“Campus is pretty busy today,” Kimbrough said.

However, this is not outside the norm. The increase of students on campus is a daily occurrence due to the rising enrollment rate.

This fall The University of Findlay announced a 15.8 percent increase in student enrollment over the previous fall semester, according to Christopher Harris, director of admissions. With the increase in overall student enrollment, international student enrollment has increased as well.

According to the International Admissions and Services office, the University saw a 19 percent increase in international student enrollment since the fall of 2014.

In the fall of 2014 there were 510 international students enrolled at the University, but in the fall of 2015 that number rose to 607.

“Our marketing department has been doing some really great things when it comes to the internet marketing that we do, and I think that has certainly helped us get the word out more effectively,” said Harris. “We continue to see consistent enrollment growth, which is almost unheard of.”

The University currently enrolls students from Japan, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, India, and China among multiple other countries. The largest increase in students from a specific country came from Saudi Arabia with 166 students attending classes during the fall semester.

The increase in diversity has been noticed by some, including Kimbrough. Kimbrough is a sophomore transfer student from the University of Indianapolis and is a standout player for the men’s basketball team. Kimbrough is black and really enjoys seeing more diversity throughout the student body.

“I think having more minority and international students on campus will in turn draw more international students in the future,” said Kimbrough. “I think the University is very welcoming to minority and international students. In my personal experience I’ve always felt welcomed here.”

Kimbrough also explained that a main reason why UF is not as diverse as other schools is its location.

“The city of Findlay is not as diverse as the city of Indianapolis, so I think that plays a role in the diversity of campus,” said Kimbrough.

As a whole, the University currently enrolls 3,925 undergraduate and graduate students, excluding College Credit Plus high school students, according to the University’s website. Of the nearly 4,000 students enrolled at the University, 17 percent of those students are international students studying abroad. According to the International Admissions and Services office, this number is up from 14 percent in 2015, demonstrating the University’s consistent growth in all areas of student populations.

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