Subscribe
Follow Us
North Carolina Central University has seen a recent increase in enrollment as the school year is starting. But with more students coming to campus, the need for housing has also increased. According to the university, thirty-eight percent of students now have housing, which is ‘a big deal’ to the university.
“To be able to say that we are housing 38% of our students is a big deal for us,” said Dixon.
According to North Carolina Central Chancellor Dr. Karrie Dixon, enrollment is the highest to date, while online learning is up 22%. Last month, North Carolina Central announced its five-year strategic plan, which would prioritize housing solutions, research expansion, and enrollment growth. There are still issues, particularly in light of the cutbacks in government funding for higher education.
According to Dixon, the university is losing out on a little over $2 million. Fortunately, she added, the institution has been able to shift some staff roles and has not been significantly impacted by the job cuts. There have been some improvements in student housing during the summer, Dixon told ABC11. According to Dixon, the school upgraded housing facilities by investing $2.9 million in deferred maintenance, and staff members are still searching for additional options.
“We're very happy to see that,” said Dixon. “We still were able to maintain the talent and to keep some initiatives going forward.”
The university now has more students enrolled than the 29% UNC System average. Freshmen are guaranteed to receive housing. The university is still looking for housing for students who missed the deadline, but Dixon said all first-year students who made it by the May 30 deadline have a place to go.
“We have some partnerships in place that we were very aggressive in going out to local apartment complexes and building the partnerships so that those students have other options,” said Dixon.
