College head count increases 11 percent
Flathead Valley Community College's third-week enrollment report confirmed robust growth in course enrollments as well as student numbers.
Faith Hodges, director of enrollment planning and research, told the board of trustees Monday that course enrollment, expressed as full-time-equivalent students, grew by almost 18 percent to 1,434. The actual head count on campus jumped by more than 11 percent to 2,320.
Hodges expects these numbers to continue going up due to a substantial number of classes scheduled to start on March 16. The college added the courses to help dislocated workers who didn't have time to apply and register by the Jan. 19 semester start.
"We do have an opportunity to do a late-starting report," Hodges said.
The FTE count is crucial because it usually forms the basis for distribution of state education dollars to the college. At the third-week count, there were 218 more FTE and 236 more students than last spring.
According to Hodges, the Senior Institute attracted 225 older adults to campus. She said student ages this spring range from three 15-year-old high school students in Running Start to four people over 90 taking Senior Institute classes.
"The oldest is 95," Hodges said.
In response to a question from trustee Bob Nystuen, FVCC President Jane Karas said the flood of students has presented challenges, particularly with regard to heavy equipment for occupational-trades classes. She said the college was looking for resources to buy more.
She said the campus also could use additional shop space for occupational trades students.
During the president's report portion of the agenda, Karas expanded on the efforts the college has made for dislocated workers. She said that late-starting classes were designed to save people laid off from jobs from losing a semester of course work.
"Anyone who hasn't been able to enroll still has time to enroll for the whole semester," Karas said.
The classes that start on March 16 finish in time for students to take summer session courses.
According to Karas, staff members continue to work with the job service on several fronts, including going to job sites where layoffs have been announced to provide information about education and training at the community college.
The college computer lab was used to help Plum Creek Timber Co. and Semitool Inc. workers sign up for benefits when the job service lost Internet service.
"We're doing anything we can for the community to help people get the service they need," Karas said.
In spite of the large increase in students, questions remain whether the college can expect additional funding from the state in the next fiscal year.
Karas expressed some frustration with Montana legislative discussions exploring ways to cope with declining revenue for the budget. She said the college may not receive money based on enrollment just as the numbers peak.
Karas offered hope of a better outcome based on the response to presentations the college made in Helena.
"We had a lot of support for the community college," she said. "All the local legislators are 100 percent behind us."
State revenue projections continue to change, consistently in a downward direction, Karas said. As a result, the main budget bill holds education dollars at fiscal 2008 levels.
"That's quite a challenge for everybody," she said.
Karas said another bill may appropriate federal stimulus dollars to help educational institutions and others struggling to bridge the budget shortfalls. She said no one knows any details yet, but a public hearing on potential projects is scheduled on Tuesday.
"That should be quite an event - an open hearing on all the needs for dollars," she said. "I'm planning on being there with our list."
Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com