Merced College enrollment trending upward

The headline of your recent article, “Merced College projected to miss growth goal,” is a bit premature and deserves further comment. Our current enrollment numbers are actually trending upward (we are slightly ahead of last year’s enrollment at this time), and we expect to take full advantage of the growth funding the state has provided for the 2014-15 school year.

We have several strategies to accomplish this, including providing a strong schedule of midterm classes that further accommodates students’ busy lives and offering a wide range of support services to ensure their success.

It’s simply too early to conclude that we’ll miss our enrollment goals. At this point, our spring 2015 enrollment indicates we are on track for a slight increase. We consider this a strong start to the semester. Receipts of enrollment fees, for example, are up by 5 percent compared to last year at this time. We hope the trend continues.

Increasing enrollment at community colleges, after years of budget cuts, can be achieved by providing more opportunities for students to take the classes they need. In fact, Merced College has restored many of the class sections that were eliminated during the worst of the economic downturn.

Classes are available, but what happens to our students once they’ve successfully enrolled? We recognize that our students need a robust student services support system to keep them in class. With our Student Success program providing additional counseling, educational planning, workshops and peer tutoring – and with additional state funding to support these and other programs – we will retain students who may otherwise drop out of college.

The key to enrollment growth is providing classes that students need, and following up with the personal and professional attention to help them succeed once they are in class.

Opportunities abound at Merced College. Our faculty and support staff are dedicated to helping each student achieve his or her dreams. Your future begins by calling (209) 384-6000 or by visiting www.mccd.edu.

This story was originally published January 23, 2015 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Merced College enrollment trending upward."