A boost in enrollment at Lane Community College this year mirrors a statewide increase in enrollment at colleges and universities, which experts are attributing to the strength of the economy, dual-enrollment programs and new technology.
Lane Community College has grown in overall enrollment by 10 percent since last fall, leaving some to wonder if this could mean a future boost in enrollment at the University.
“We have seen an increase in enrollment in full-time equivalent students, which went up 4.5 percent, and in the overall headcount, which increased to 17,500,” said Marie Matson, LCC community vice president for college operations.
According to Matson, about one-third of LCC’s enrollment population is in lower-division transfer courses, but even though a large number of students are working toward their transfer degrees, they may not choose to transfer to the University.
“It would not necessarily impact the University,” Matson said.
A number of students who attend LCC are working toward specialized programs.
“A lot of students are not on typical tracks. There are many professional and vocational tracks,” Matson said.
The programs students pick will ultimately determine if more students from LCC will come to the University.
“It certainly could impact the University if students enrolled in transfer programs [at LCC] continue their education at U of O,” said Martha Pitts, University director of admissions.
The University has recorded an increase of about 400 students this fall compared to last fall.
One factor that may contribute to the rise in enrollment at both LCC and the University is dual enrollment, where students register at both the University and at LCC, Matson said.
While many students may be taking classes at both LCC and the University, the exact numbers are not available.
“What we are working to do now is to have a better opportunity to track dual students through a formal program,” Pitts said.
The presence of dual admission programs is also believed by University officials to be a factor for the jump in enrollment at other schools around the state.
Bruce Clemetsen, enrollment director at Linn-Benton Community College, said their site grew more than 8 percent this year.
“We suspect a lot of it has to do with dual admissions programs with Oregon State,” he said.
Linn-Benton has seen the number of full-time applicants increase by almost 300 since last year.
Clemetsen also attributes the growth in the number of high school-age demographics.
The strength of the economy and the shift to a more technologically-driven society are two forces Matson said could be contributing to the rise in college institutions. These two forces require people to update their skills more often, she said.
“Enrollment in community colleges in the past usually goes up when the economy is down, because many people are training for jobs. We are seeing the opposite in the economy,” Matson said.
The rise in relative wages for those who are college educated could also be a contributing factor, said Scott Merryman, a graduate student in economics.
“One study [Kane and Rouse (1993)] found evidence that enrollment in a two-year or four-year college program increases earnings by 5 to 8 percent per year of college credits, whether or not a degree is earned,” he said. “These results hold for returning adults as well as continuing high school graduates.”
Experts attribute enrollment boom to economy
Daily Emerald
October 16, 2000
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