As students continue to adjust to college during a pandemic, UAB announces it’s fifth year of record enrollment.
Bradley Barnes, Ph.D. and vice provost for Enrollment Management, said UAB had a total enrollment increase of 2.2 percent, making this the fifth consecutive year of growth.
“It occurred in an increasingly competitive higher education environment,” Barnes said. “Also during a pandemic that has created challenges of keeping UAB students healthy and safe. We saw an increase across the board in undergraduate, graduate and professional school enrollment.”
Barnes said he believes there are a number of reasons for UAB’s record enrollment, including UAB’s diverse student body and opportunities for first generation college students.
“UAB continues to be one of the most diverse institutions in the country with 42 percent of the student body represented by minority populations,” Barnes said.
A.J. Jarman, senior in health care management, said that while this year has been different, he is beginning to adjust to the changes.
“The school year is going very well for me so far,” Jarman said. “Of course there are the obvious changes that we all had to make, but all of my classes, organizations and jobs on campus have found ways to navigate through these circumstances.”
Jarman said he agrees with UAB’s new health protocols that have been put in place for this unique school year.
“I think many smaller or rural universities have the luxury of “locking” themselves into their specific community,” Jarman said. “With us being in the heart of Birmingham we have to constantly think about how our actions impact the university, the hospital and the city of Birmingham, rather than just our university community.”
Baks Ali, graduate student in business administration, said this semester has been vastly different from past semesters.
“I am a student employee and (have) been working from home,” Ali said. “For me, not being able to come to campus and work is something that I really miss.”
Ali said he appreciates the new health precautions UAB is taking.
“UAB (has) done a relatively amazing job with health protocols for their students and staff,” Ali said. “The efforts of people in charge who make sure protocols are followed should be appreciated.”
Ali said that adapting to this semester’s changes has come with some challenges.
“It has been a little tough learning online, but I guess we live in times where everything is changing, and adapting to new ways is more important than before,” Ali said.
