September 30, 1999 For Immediate Release

Student enrolment at the University of Northern British Columbia is currently 3350, up 6% over the enrolment in the fall semester last year.

The increase in student numbers is higher than the Provincial Government's projection for this year.The number of full-time students has risen nearly 10% and has pushed UNBC's "full-time equivalent"(fte) number to 2600. When the University was created by the BC Legislature in 1990, 2500fte was an important targetand UNBC has reached that number ahead of schedule. This milestone represents a coming of age for the University.

Some facts about this year's class:

• 3,000 of the students are undergraduates, taking courses leading to a bachelors degree or a certificate. 350 aregraduate students.
• The average entering grade for first-year students is about 80%. This year, the cut-off for the $3700 Raven Scholarships (awarded to the top first-year students) is 92%.
• The most popular course is Psychology 101 - Psychology as a Science - with 248 students.
• The Collaborative Nursing Program - offered in conjunction with the College of New Caledonia - is full for the firsttime with 36 first-year students. The program has a particular focus on nursing in northern and rural communities.
• Although it's still early for exact numbers, there are about 300 registrations for the close to 90 course offeringsin regional teaching centres: Moricetown, New Aiyansh, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, FortSt John, Quesnel, and Williams Lake.