UW-Green Bay still welcomes registrations for fall, but housing is full

With the beginning of fall semester 2012 a little more than one month away, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay reports it is still accepting new-student applications and course registrations.

Newcomers and late registrants hoping to live on campus, however, are encountering a “no vacancy” sign. The 2,100 available slots in the Residence Life complex have been spoken for since mid-June.

“We maxed out our capacity relatively early this year,” says Glenn Gray, director of housing and residence life. “The demand is there. It’s a very popular option, not only for new freshmen but also continuing students and transfers.”

About 100 individuals are currently on the housing waiting list. Gray says the University goes to extra lengths to find accommodations for new freshmen, in particular. Approximately 80 percent of fall 2012’s freshman class will live on campus.

“The national research is fairly convincing, and our experience here at UW-Green Bay has certainly confirmed this, that first-year students who live on campus are more likely to adjust to college more quickly, develop supportive relationships with faculty and staff, and get more involved in University programs and activities,” Gray says. “The result is often better grades and retention/graduation rates.”

Move-in day is Thursday, Aug. 30, for new freshmen. They arrive a few days before continuing students to get acclimated through participation in UW-Green Bay’s FOCUS orientation for new freshmen. Fall semester classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 4.

UW-Green Bay expects to enroll more than 900 new freshmen and exceed last year’s final count of 906, according to Debbie Furlong, director of institutional research. Preliminary numbers are positive, also, in terms of the academic qualifications of these freshmen; this year’s entering class should be comparable to last year’s in terms of average high school GPA (3.32) and ACT (22.9), which would again place UW-Green Bay well within the upper half of Wisconsin’s public institutions.

Overall, UW-Green Bay is projecting a total enrollment similar to last fall’s official headcount of 6,665. Officials say gains across a range of categories including new freshmen, online students and transfers, along with better year-to-year retention of continuing students, should offset a record number of graduation departures via May 2012 and December 2011 commencements.

The University continues to encourage local students, returning adults and transfer students — those whose enrollment decisions don’t depend on landing a spot in UW-Green Bay campus housing — to apply and enroll for fall semester 2012 by contacting the Admissions Office at (920) 465-2111 or UWGB@uwgb.edu.