Western’s first winter term hasn’t started yet, and it’s already more popular with students than the May term.

There are 1,935 students registered for 172 winter term classes taking place from Jan. 2-20.

The participation from students and faculty was higher than expected, said Beth Laves, assistant to the dean of the Division of Extended Learning and Outreach.

In an online survey of about 2,300 students in August, most students said they wanted to take classes during winter term to graduate sooner, Laves said. Students were also interested in reducing the number of spring classes and getting general education classes out of the way.

“We were really concerned with what people’s reactions would be,” she said. “I think over 1,900 students taking courses is just amazing.”

The enrollment for winter term is higher than the enrollment of the last May term, which was about 1,800, Laves said.

The planning for the new class session has gone smoothly, Laves said. Most students have already registered for their classes, and the process of placing students in dorms and distributing financial aid is under way.

More than 1,000 juniors and seniors and 289 graduate students are registered for winter term, along with more than 500 freshmen and sophomores.

“We thought there would be 30 to 60. We didn’t expect 500,” Laves said.

Western’s winter term is more popular than the one to which administrators looked to for inspiration.

The University of Kentucky will begin its second winter term this January. There are about 300 students enrolled in it, said Sarah Sizemore, summer school and winter intersession coordinator for UK.

There are 26,440 students enrolled at UK this semester.

Sizemore said UK is offering about 24 courses, mostly general education and some graduate classes.

Laves said she expects more students to take classes during winter term next year.

Glasgow senior Ashley Bowman is taking an online consumer and family class over winter break. She is a public relations major and needs the course to graduate, she said.

She said she is taking the class to graduate on time and plans on doing the work from Glasgow and an apartment in Bowling Green.

Students aren’t the only ones who want to participate in classes during the break.

Faculty members have been very positive and enthusiastic about the new term, Laves said.

There are 168 faculty members participating in the winter term, she said.

The classes that are being offered don’t follow any specific pattern, Laves said. There are upper-level and general education courses that departments have decided to put on the schedule.

Departments will be evaluating winter term classes the week of Dec. 12 to decide if they have enough people to be offered. Some of the classes will still be offered even if the enrollment is low, Laves said.

Assistant English Professor Walker Rutledge is teaching an elective course about reading the Bible as literature. He said he likes to teach three-week courses, and he thinks some subjects are better taught in that time frame.

“I find that students are more focused and learn more in a three-week concentrated course than they do in a semester,” he said.

Assistant Psychology Professor Marty Bink also said the class he was teaching, History of Psychology, would be interesting to teach in a short, intensive period of time.

Professors may be interested in teaching a class during winter to make extra money, he said.

Professors have to teach a certain amount of classes during the academic year, but teaching in summer and winter is optional.

The type of classes offered contributed to the high student interest, Bink said. The classes offered in the psychology department are ones students have to take or would want to take.

Reach Samantha Hupman at news@wkuherald.com.