Fleming College sets enrolment record thanks to influx of new students

Fleming College says it’s experiencing “unprecedented growth” thanks to an influx of new students this winter semester.

After a strike by Ontario college faculty in the fall shortened the semester, Fleming has rebounded in January with more than 2,000 new students.

That bumps the total enrolment to 6,855 full-time students across Fleming’s campuses in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. That total surpasses the previous record of 6,275 students last fall.

The college credits much of the growth to the fact twice as many international students accepted offers than was anticipated.

“While international students account for the greatest enrolment growth, Fleming also exceeded its enrolment targets for domestic students,” the college stated.

“The growth was spread across all academic areas within the college.”

Fleming admits the growth surge has presented some challenges since space is currently limited due to ongoing renovations at the Sutherland (Peterborough) and Frost (Lindsay) campuses.

A tight rental market is also making the search for off-campus housing difficult, the college noted.

“While growth and internationalization are in many ways good for the college and our communities, this exceptional pace in growth is presenting challenges for us,” said Fleming president Dr. Tony Tilly.

“I want to commend our Fleming employees and our many community partners for going above and beyond to welcome and accommodate all of our students. Our Fleming faculty, staff and leaders are working to provide the best quality education and experience for each student. It is more difficult to do that with an intake that is larger than we anticipated.”

The college says it has worked to mitigate these issues by hiring new faculty and modifying classroom spaces. As well, the college has partnered with local hotels to provide temporary accommodation for students seeking rental housing.

Tilly said the college has two immediate challenges: meeting the needs for this semester and ensuring more sustainable growth levels for the summer and fall intakes.