Summer enrollment at Elizabeth City State University is down for the first time since 2004, officials reported. At the same time, officials say because of soaring gas prices they are seeing an uptick in the number of students taking online courses.

The number of total students enrolled this summer at ECSU is 1,064, down slightly from summer 2007 when enrollment reached a decade high of 1,112 students. Of the total number students enrolled this summer, 1,020 are undergraduate students and 44 are graduate students.

Staff file photo by justin falls (ENLARGE)

Mashawn Scott, 22, (left) a student at Elizabeth City State University and a member of the Vikings Assisting New Students, provides a tour of the ECSU campus to prospective students, Saturday, April 14.

Until this year, summer enrollment had risen steadily from 763 students in 2004 to 890 students in 2005 and 949 students in 2006.

One of this summer's undergraduate students is Alan Larkin, who said he was willing to sacrifice part of his vacation if it meant completing his degree faster.

Larkin, a junior business administration and accounting major, is currently taking biology and pre-calculus. As Larkin explained, there are advantages to attending summer school.

"Not only are the classes smaller, but they are a little longer," he said.

Meanwhile, the number of students taking courses online, however, has increased substantially. According to ECSU officials, 432 students — about 40 percent the students enrolled this summer — are taking courses online. This is more than a tenfold increase from 2006, when 40 students enrolled in online courses.

Warren Poole, ECSU's interim summer school director, said an economic downturn is driving the increase in online classes, as well as the slight dropoff in summer enrollment. In the past, students may have been inclined to take online courses because of the convenience of the Internet, he said. But that's not the case anymore.

"This year, obviously the gas crunch has made it more economical," Poole said.

ECSU offers more than 200 courses during its six-week summer session, which ends July 16. The summer course offering includes 74 online courses.

ECSU will begin offering two five-week sessions next summer, Poole said. The second session will benefit recent high school graduates by allowing them to enroll early in summer courses, he said.

At College of The Albemarle, summer enrollment is virtually unchanged from last year. This summer 564 students are taking summer classes, compared to 566 in 2007. The enrollment totals include students who are taking online classes. Approximately 60 courses are offered during COA's 10-week summer semester. The semester ends July 28 and a summer commencement will be held July 30.

Contact Zac Goldstein at

zgoldstein@coxnc.com