Five years after opening its doors, the University of North Georgia's Cumming Campus has reached an enrollment milestone.
"We have surpassed 1,000 undergrad students," said Jason Pruitt, executive director of the UNG Cumming Campus. "Our total enrollment (including graduate students) is more than 1,100."
Pruitt credits the increase to offering more courses in English, math, history, psychology, and political science.
"The academic offerings allow students to take more courses and progress in their degree programs without having to go to another campus," Pruitt said. "And the ultimate goal is for students to persist and progress and graduate."
The faculty and staff have worked diligently to expand on students' educational experience with tutorial services and activities on campus.
"For students to be involved is critical because it is a component of retention," Pruitt said. "The more the students are involved and the more they feel connected to the university and campus, the more likely they are to do better academically."
The Cumming Campus also gives high school students the opportunity for a free college education with its dual-enrollment program, which allows juniors and seniors to take college-credit courses. On the Cumming Campus, 239 students are satisfying their high school and college requirements with one or more classes, said Charles Bell, dual enrollment coordinator at UNG.
"Last year we had seven students earn their associate degree before they received their high school diploma," he said.
Bell and Pruitt attributed that program's success to the active participation of Forsyth County Schools.
