MCCC President Kojo Quartey is optimistic about this semester’s enrollment numbers.
“New students are up by almost 10 percent, while total enrollment is down by less than one percent,” Quartey said.
“Which is good news! Last year we were down 8 percent,” he said.
A look at student retention efforts.
The campus has experienced a steady enrollment decline since 2010, but the headcount for this semester is 3,144, which is only 48 students fewer than last year.
Mark Hall, director of Admissions and Guidance Services, said the turnaround is primarily due to new students.
“We are up in new students and slightly down in continuing students,” he said.
Quartey commended all the staff at MCCC, especially the efforts of the Admissions Office and Marketing Team, for this semester’s enrollment turnout.
“Joe Verkennes, the director of Marketing and Communications, has been getting the information out there,” Quartey said.
“Social media marketing has been huge, along with the mailings to potential students and former students, and people in the community.”
Quartey also noted the efforts of Mark Hall and his team at the Admissions Office.
“Everyone has done a great job!”
Hall said several other factors helped with the enrollment numbers.
“The factors for improved enrollment numbers are The Board of Trustees Merit Scholarship, increased dual-enrollment, increased Direct College courses, and extending the date to set up a payment plan to the day classes start,” Hall said.
The Board of Trustees Merit Scholarship has helped by automatically offering scholarships to students based on their SAT or ACT scores.
The Direct College courses are taught on-site at the participating high schools, including Monroe, Erie Mason, Britton-Deerfield, Whiteford, and the newly added Gibraltar Carlson.
“Gibraltar Carlson’s add-on brought an additional 26 students,” Quartey said.
The campus is up 90 students in dual-enrollment this semester.
“We have the highest number of dual-enrolled students in our history,” Quartey added.
MCCC’s biggest hurdle with enrollment is student retention.
“That’s the challenge. Students who start and don’t stay. They move on or go somewhere else,” Quartey said.
MCCC has a Retention Committee to help jump over these hurdles.
“The Committee will meet and strategize around efforts to keep more students here,” Quartey said.