Prospectus

Issue date: 7/1/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Don Smith, The Record Rafael Juliano, pictured June 6, 2009, is taking a summer class to finish his associate's degree at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey. He's going to Brown in the fall.

HACKENSACK, N.J.-Summer session-once a relatively small piece of the academic calendar-is now a full-blown term for most colleges and universities, with more offerings, more students and more of an expectation that you can't graduate in a timely manner without it.

At Rutgers University's flagship campus in New Brunswick/Piscataway, N.J., there are more than 13,500 students signed up for 1,315 courses that run over three summer sessions from late May to the middle of August, said Liz Hough, director of the summer sessions.

The state university has one of the biggest summer schedules in the country and it has many permutations-three-week, four-week, six-week and 12-week courses. Some classes meet every weekday for three weeks; others meet every Saturday for 12 weeks. There are hybrid classes-a mix of online and traditional teaching.

About two-thirds of Rutgers students will take at least one summer course by the time they graduate, said Hough. "A lot of our students are working at least part time. So taking courses in the summer and winter help them keep on track," Hough said.

The summer and, to a lesser extent, winter sessions also help schools keep up with the demands of a population bulge that has swelled enrollment and often made it difficult for students to register for the courses they need. New Jersey schools, for example, mostly enroll their own students at summer break, but also host some state residents who attend school out of state and want to catch up while home.

Even with the summer sessions, a minority of students are able to graduate in four years-only about a third nationally.

This year-with joblessness running high-more students have opted to stay in school over the summer break.

At Montclair State University, enrollment in graduate courses is up 8 percent-usually a sign of a bad economy that either has people retraining or unable to enter the job market. Rutgers has seen a jump this summer in the number of business professionals signing up for its mini-MBA programs, said Sandy Lanman, spokeswoman for the school. The students earn graduate certificates in areas such as bio-pharma.

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