Natalie Lapsley/The Rider Graphic
UTRGV has a preliminary enrollment of 28,892 students this spring semester, according to a university official.
As of last Thursday, undergraduate enrollment totaled 23,661 students, followed by 5,009 students in the Graduate College and 222 in the UTRGV School of Medicine, according to Maggie Hinojosa, UTRGV’s senior vice president for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs.
The preliminary numbers for spring are lower than those of the Fall 2021 semester, but that is typical for institutions across the nation, according to Hinojosa.
“Typically, spring is about 90% of fall semester,” Hinojosa said. “Spring is never more than fall, and we are trending right now at about 91%. So, we’re trending how we should be for our fall comparison.”
Enrollment is higher in the fall because of incoming students. Last fall, the freshman class was 5,439, but in spring, UTRGV usually gets about 150 to 200 incoming freshmen.
“You’re going to have a lot of students who graduate from high school and you’re going to have a huge freshman class [in the fall],” Hinojosa said. “You may have some students … who graduated in May or June but didn’t come in the fall, who now come in the spring, but that number is very, very low.”
Hinojosa said UTRGV is doing everything it can to keep the campus community safe.
“The fact that we have a school of medicine is huge,” she said. “Our students, our faculty and our staff, have access to not just [COVID-19] testing, but more importantly, vaccinations.
“We’re really lucky to be at a place that is on the forefront of working on this pandemic and trying to do everything that we can to mitigate the spread.”
With the exception of the first two weeks, which will take place online, this semester’s course modalities are about 62% traditional, 24% online and 14% hybrid.
“We’ve already built in the flexibility,” Hinojosa said about course modalities. “Our faculty [and] deans, you know, have been looking at this and really working to ensure that we’re going to give our students the most appropriate form of how they should take their course.”
Biology senior Alberto Diaz said he does not mind starting the semester online.
“Honestly, it really doesn’t bother me,” Diaz said. “It saves me a lot on gas and, I think, as a biology major and medical student, that it’s the right choice, just to prevent [the spread of COVID-19].”
Diaz is registered for four classes this spring semester and said financial aid made it possible.
“There’s just so many pros and cons, especially with [COVID-19] going on,” he said. “My job has been difficult, especially with the hours, so financial aid has helped a lot, especially the grants.”
Cassandra Jimenez, a graduate student in agricultural, environmental, and sustainability sciences, started her master’s degree this semester.
“As long as people are safe and, like, social distancing, I think it’s fine,” Jimenez said. “It’s a group effort.”
The graduate student said she is enrolled in three classes this semester, and that starting instruction online is a smart idea.
“I think it’s a smart idea just because everyone’s coming back from the holidays and from home,” Jimenez said. “I think it will decrease the [COVID-19 case] numbers.”
Hinojosa encourages students to take advantage of the COVID-19 testing and vaccination services provided by the university.
“As always, stay vigilant,” she said. “Please take care of yourself. If you haven’t been vaccinated, we have options for you to be able to do that. … I want our students to have a successful semester.”
Hinojosa also asks students to reach out to someone if they are struggling with coursework or outside of the classroom.
“If it’s finances that a student needs help with, let’s talk through it,” she said. “If a student needs tutoring, our tutoring services are available. You know, there’s a lot of resources out there for our students. … If they’re just not sure where to go, our Dean of Students Office is that first step.”
