University Of North Alabama Sees Immediate Student Success With "finish In Four" And New Winter Session
Dec. 12, 2018
Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033
By Bryan Rachal
University Communications
FLORENCE, Ala.- Officials with the University of North Alabama are celebrating thanks to larger than expected Winter Session enrollment numbers and overwhelming student response.
Initially expected to bring in 250-300 students, the University's inaugural Winter Session's enrollment is currently more than 750 students.
Dr. Ross Alexander, vice president for Academic Affairs and provost, said the University plans to expand the Winter Session next year to include more classes and major-level options.
"Winter Session is exceeding all expectations largely through the leadership of Dr. Amber Paulk, who is coordinating the effort," said Alexander. "The positive response from students has been overwhelming."
The Winter Session is one of the major components of UNA's "Finish in Four" initiative, which provides incentives for students to graduate in four years. An integral piece is banded tuition, where the University charges one rate for 12-18 credit hours, rather than charging per credit hour.
Officials said banded tuition has resulted in a 19 percent increase in the number of students taking 15 or more credit hours this fall, compared to the same time last year.
According to Alexander, this is a direct result of the banded tuition implementation, which helps students maintain a timely progress towards graduation, while also reducing student debt.
"I applaud and commend the Board of Trustees for their commitment to student success by approving the new banded tuition model for UNA," Alexander said. "The University is committed to student success, reduction of student debt, and increasing both retention and graduation rates-and these initiatives are integral to those commitments."
For more information on UNA's "Finish in Four" Initiative:https://www.una.edu/finish-in-4/index.html
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programsthrough the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business,Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions.Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. UNA Athletics, a renownedcollegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I's ASUN and Big South Conferences.The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age or national origin.