As new initiatives at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh seek to draw students to campus, the school has reported record enrollment for the spring semester.

The spring enrollment, which now stands at 11,600 students, coincides with a comprehensive initiative to target in-demand jobs and integrate new faculty into important areas of the curriculum.

Between the fall semesters of 2000 and 2010, UW-Oshkosh has seen a jump of 1,318 students — an increase of 11.3 percent, Jeanette De Diemar, spokesperson for UW-Oshkosh said.

University of Wisconsin-Madison experienced a seasonal downward change for the spring semester.

According to Phil Hull, institutional reporting specialist for UW, fall enrollment at UW was 42,099. The current enrollment for spring semester for UW is 39,908.

December graduation for graduate schools accounts for a large portion of the decrease, which is a common seasonal change, he said.

“[Large attendance] shows confidence in higher education and the role that higher education plays in changing and adding to the quality of life,” De Diemar said.

Because of the high quality, affordability and accessibility, the enrollment for UW-Oshkosh is growing, she said.

While UW-Oshkosh is able to endure steady increases of students and faculty, Chancellor Richard Wells noted a substantial portion of the enrollment included new or transfer students who have home residences located near campus.

In the last decade, transfer student enrollment has increased 39.8 percent, according to the UW-Oshkosh website.

To accommodate the new students, 37 tenure-track faculty members were added over an eight-year period, Wells said.

“We’ve been working hard with our faculty, staff and students over several years to make sure our menu and curriculum of majors is aligned with the needs and demands of students, with future economy and workforce,” Wells said.

Other occupations have grown into more dynamic programs at UW-Oshkosh, such as the Bachelor of Nursing degree.

Wells indicated the inclusion of the Bachelor of Nursing degree encouraged a larger overall enrollment.

“[The degree] added 300 more BSN graduates in the last three years, with 100 percent [of them] passing licensing exams,” he said.

Additionally, UW-Oshkosh is also offering a degree in Bachelor of Applied Studies, which fosters leadership and organization skills, Wells said.

He noted the degree is geared toward technical college associate’s degree-holders wishing to advance their education.

“We are working hard to make our education affordable. We’ve got a federal grant that resulted in [our school] receiving 125 $10,000 scholarships for students,” Wells said.

The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarships are given to students with a BA degree who would not otherwise have the means for becoming a certified teacher in the departments of science, engineering, technology and math.

Enrollment sizes for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh were at historically high levels for the fall 2009 semester, with an enrollment of 13,002 students.

UW-Oshkosh is currently the third largest university in Wisconsin.