News

Board told enrollment down 11 students

At the MCCC Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 26, they announced enrollment is only down 11 students from last fall.

Mark Hall, director of Admissions and Guidance Services, credits the leveled enrollment to the Direct College classes that were established this year in five high schools and the Board of Trustees Merit Scholarship program.  

The board meeting also included a detailed HVAC update by Jack Burns, director of Campus Planning & Facilities, and a millage update from President Kojo Quartey.  

Faculty members lined the entrance of the door in continued protest over no faculty contract and attended the meeting in silence.  

The initial headcount for Fall 2016 enrollment was down 1½ percent from the previous fall, but many of the students enrolled through Direct College classes were not counted because they started school a week after the count day.  

The high school students filled the gap in headcount and billable contact hours, Hall said. 

Hall said the count of first-time students is up 11 percent and transfer students are up 8 percent.  

There are 615 dual-enrolled students on campus this fall, which is 127 more than last fall.  

Seventy percent of students are enrolled part-time this semester, which is the highest percentage of part-time students since the fall of 2000.  

Hall said the Direct College classes and the dual-enrollment program contribute to the increase in part-time students. 

The number of returning students is down 6 percent, so Hall said the college continues to work on retention. 

Hall believes the Board of Trustees Merit Scholarship program will have a bigger impact next year.  

Once students understand the program and receive its benefits, they will tell people about it, he said.  

“Word of mouth spreads, and it tends to have a lasting impact,” Hall said. “I look forward to spreading the wealth around to other students and increasing our enrollment.”  

Burns said the HVAC project is 75 percent complete. 

The second transformer will be delivered and installed on Sept. 27, and the first transformer was delivered on Sept. 26.   

The East and West Tech buildings and the CTC building have been completed. The A building is in its final stages.  

During construction, 50 to 60 percent of asbestos on campus was removed, Burns said.  

The work will slow down during the winter, and the L building will be finished in the spring, he said. 

Quartey informed the board that he was going door-to-door informing the community about the millage and its benefits.  

He recognized and thanked several people who have helped him.  

Student Gunner Badillo attended the meeting to be recognized for his work and attest to the positive feedback their efforts have made in the community. 

“It’s impacting so many people,” Badillo said. “As soon as they hear about it, they are on board because they want a successful community – where to get a successful community more than the spot where we are educating our people.” 

Badillo said he believes this millage will pass, and he is excited to see its impact in the community. 

The next board meeting will be Monday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in the La-Z-Boy Center.