By Benjamin Allen | Observer Contributor
At MWCC, enrollment rates are down 3.8% in the 2011 fall semester after several years of continuous increases. You can see the changes in enrollment rates in the chart above.
The associate VP of enrollment management and student financial aid, Ryan Forsythe, attributed the decrease to a change in the economic situation and people with less of a need to go to school. The decline is also caused by smaller high school graduating class sizes and a change in demographics in the community. Forsythe also noted that these enrollment rates are fluctuating around the area with many other colleges seeing changes in their enrollment rates.
Forsythe said that the change in enrollment numbers was worked into to the budget and semester plans. Class sizes and course offerings have not been affected, nor have there been any faculty adjustments. The administration also noted that it was too early to speculate on upcoming growth or decline.
Forsythe also said that previous years of enrollment growth was caused by new academic programs, marketing and recruitment efforts, community service projects completed by the college and a declining economy.
Forsythe reported that his role as Associate Vice-President of Enrollment Management is a new position created by the college with the hope of addressing these enrollment changes; the previous position was called the Director of Admissions. The new position was also created to help leverage financial aid to improve enrollment numbers.
MWCC is planning to combat the declining enrollment rate with new marketing and recruitment techniques. Staff has been setting up information centers at local high schools and will continue to do so in the future. The college has also been recruiting at new places, such as local business and Chambers of Commerce.
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