NEWS RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2009 FOR USE: Now CONTACT: Steve Quakenbush
GCCC LOGS ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT
Full-time equivalency grows by 7.9 percent for college’s 90th consecutive fall term
For Garden City Community College’s 90th fall semester, enrollment is up by as much as 7.9 percent.
That’s the word from Registrar Nancy Unruh, who issued an official enrollment count for the new term on Wednesday, showing a total of 2,054 students attending 20,922 credit hours of classes. That’s up by 70 students – the equivalent of two to three classrooms -- from the count of 1,984 recorded at the same point last year, when total credit hours reached 19,389.
The added enrollment represents an increase of 7.9 percent in the official full-time equivalency count, known as FTE, and an increase of 3.5 percent in the total student count. The spike in credit hour enrollment is parallel to the FTE figure, at 7.9 percent.
FTE is determined by dividing total student credit hours by 15, according to a state-mandated formula. GCCC’s FTE now stands at 1,394.8 students, up from 1,292.6 at the same point a year ago.
Official college and university tallies are taken on the 20th day of classes, also according to state mandate, and completed after each class roster is certified.
GCCC officials were expecting enrollment to be up, since FTE has been running as much as nine percent higher than last year for several months. The college also logged a similar boost in registration for the 2009 spring term.
Even though the official fall counts are now complete, registration will continue to grow throughout the semester, according to the registrar. That’s due in part to on-site and online classes scheduled to begin later in the term.
No analysis of the enrollment growth has been completed yet, but likely factors include rising tuition rates at the state universities, and an increase in Southwest Kansans seeking job and career education because of economic conditions. GCCC charges $43 per credit hour for in-state student tuition, while the corresponding rates at the state universities range from $98 to $218.
“In addition to affordability and the fact that we’re close to home, I think our well-qualified faculty and the attention we offer students makes GCCC the best place to find a high-quality education,” said Dr. Carol Ballantyne, GCCC president. “When we see enrollment increases like this one, I think more people are realizing that.”
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