While Grand Valley State University has seen an overall increase in enrollment over the past few years, enrollment on its satellite campuses has been decreasing or remaining relatively steady, which is largely due to the change in online enrollment.

The need for the extra campuses has not diminished with the population, though. Gayle Davis, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at GVSU, said the satellite campuses in Holland, Muskegon and Traverse City are beneficial to the university as a whole.

“The satellite campuses are established to make it more convenient for students who can’t relocate or commute to Grand Rapids to take our classes,” Davis said. “We offer classes in agreement with a community college or university center to offer upper division classes that the college or center needs in order for students to progress in academic degree programs.”

Both the Holland and Muskegon satellite campuses have seen a steady decrease in enrollment since 2010, according to GVSU’s Institutional Analysis. Enrollment on the Holland Campus fell by about 37 percent between fall 2010 and winter 2013, while enrollment on the Muskegon Campus dropped about 21 percent.

Davis said the credit hours taken at the Holland Campus have dwindled from 4,430 during the 2009-2010 school year to 2,286 during the 2012-2013 year. However, credit hours in Muskegon actually increased from 219 to 578 during the same period.

“It is possible for the number of students to decrease while the credit hour increases,” said Simone Jonaitis, executive director at the Center for Adult and Continuing Studies. “It’s a matter of how many classes one individual student is taking. In the case of Muskegon, it’s likely the students have increased the number of classes they are taking.”

Jonaitis said enrollment is the total number of students who are in a class or the individual headcount for one class. If students take multiple classes, it counts as multiple enrollments.

She added that many of the students who enroll at these locations are non-traditional, which includes adults who are working, taking care of a family or returning to college.

“This population of individuals has multiple demands on their time and seeks alternative formats to delivery of their programs,” she said. “Students do take classes both online, hybrid and at multiple campuses. They are not exclusive to one location.”

Jonaitis said the increasing numbers of students enrolling in online or hybrid classes has impacted the enrollment of satellite campuses. According to data collected by Institutional Analysis, online enrollment rose about 16 percent between 2010 and 2012.

The office also found that enrollment has been steady at the Traverse City regional center, with a 13 percent increase from 2010 to 2011 and a 7 percent decrease from 2011 to 2012—an overall growth of 16 students.

Though the growth is small, Jonaitis said the Traverse City location is expanding for several reasons. First, the liberal studies program has been gaining students recently.

“This program is very popular among students who have multiple interests, as this program is interdisciplinary and students can focus on areas they find of particular interest,” Jonaitis said. “Also, many of our students complete their degree in liberal studies and go on to graduate programs.”

Graduate programs are also contributing to the survival of the satellite campuses. Jonaitis said the graduate education program “engages students from all over northern Michigan” because many of its programs are offered online and in hybrid formats.

More information regarding GVSU’s satellite campuses can be found on the university’s website at www.gvsu.edu.

[email protected]