Enrollment is on the up and up this spring 2002 term at Teachers College. The combination of successful summer and fall recruitment, students returning from last year, and the recent economic decline are each playing a role to increase the number of students at TC.

"Spring 2002 enrollment has increased by over 100 students compared to last spring. New student applications for the term were up 22 percent, from 438 to 534," said Scott Schnackenberg, Director of Institutional Studies, "and new student enrollment climbed 23 percent, from 172 to 212 this spring."

Although it was expected to decrease this year---based on significant national and regional declines in applications to teacher education programs that were evident last spring-enrollment has increased.

One reason is the introduction of alternative routes to teacher certification like the New York City Teaching Fellows program, said Schnackenberg. This program, that includes 60 of TC's new students from the fall, offers mid-career professionals and recent college graduates the opportunity to get into the classroom while earning their Master's degree over two years.

In a recent New York Times article, Christine Persico, Executive Director for Enrollment Services, said the applicants included more people than usual with advanced degrees, including Wall Street executives who wanted to be principals or superintendents.

"Some are saying they lost their job or anticipate losing their job," Persico said. "They might have had a penchant for a service-oriented job like teaching before but had a career opportunity in the business world or elsewhere that they felt they couldn't pass up.

Published Sunday, May. 19, 2002