The University of Notre Dame Australia Numbers Continue To Defy Trends

While many universities throughout Australia have experienced a decline in the number of commencing students enrolling in courses, The University of Notre Dame Australia has experienced yet another year of significant expansion and the trend looks set to continue. Notre Dame has exceeded its growth forecasts for 2006. Enrolments at Notre Dame are forecast to exceed 2005 figures by over 16% at the Fremantle Campus and 8% at the Broome Campus, while the opening of the Sydney Campus (in March this year) has also resulted in higher than expected demand for places. 2006 will see the Fremantle Campus enrolling over 5,200 students, surpassing the 5,000 mark for the first time. The new campus in Sydney, having set an initial target of 400 students, reached 450 students while the Broome Campus also passed targeted enrolments. Fremantle Campus: Manager of the Admissions Office, Mrs Rommie Masarei; Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Professor Simon Adams and lecturer, Dr Dylan Korczynskyj (seated) with new students on Enrolment Day. A major contributing factor to this impressive success is the level of conversions from applications to enrolments. Notre Dame’s unique admissions process requires prospective students to be interviewed by the Academic staff and to submit a 300 word statement outlining why they want to study at Notre Dame and how they believe they will contribute to their chosen profession and to the wider community on graduation. The admissions process is aimed at ensuring a high level of ‘student/course fit’. Fremantle Campus Admissions Manager, Mrs Rommie Masarei said, “The University considers a student’s personal qualities and motivation, their interview, the community service they have undertaken and their academic record which includes the results of the past two years of schooling not just their TER score. Academic record of all study undertaken since leaving school is required for a mature age student.” The Vice Chancellor, Dr Tannock, expressed delight with the achievement: “The total University enrolments for Semester 1, 2006, is a cause for celebration and reflects the level of commitment to each student by staff involved in our unique admissions process. Our challenge now is to maintain these enrolment figures by focusing on the needs of each student, through excellence in teaching and pastoral care.” For more information and statistics contact:Michelle Ebbs wk: 08 9433 0610mob: 0408 959 138email: mebbs@nd.edu.a