College enrollment increases finally hit plateau

For the first time in about three years, Flathead Valley Community College’s spring enrollment declined slightly.

Brad Eldredge, executive director of research, assessment and planning, said enrollment has hit a plateau after several years of displaced workers pumping up student body numbers.

“We’re starting to see trends to what was normal a few years ago,” he said.

Presenting the 15-day enrollment numbers at the February board of trustees meeting, Eldredge reported a decrease of 1.2 percent in full-time equivalents. The head count of actual students increased by .7 percent.

There were 1,699 full-time equivalents this semester compared to 1,721 in spring 2010. The total head count at the college is 2,611 compared to 2,582 a year ago.

In-district student numbers increased by 29 and out-of-state students went up by 10. The report showed 17 fewer out-of-district students.

Community college students are enrolled in an average of 9.84 credits compared to 10.9 credits in spring 2010 for a 1.9 percent decline.

A leveling-off of the steep jumps in enrollment was reflected in the fall 2010 enrollment that increased by 4.2 percent in contrast to fall 2009, when the college had a record-breaking 38 percent boost in FTE numbers.

Eldredge said the spring numbers showed 139 fewer freshmen enrolled. He said this was tied to the displaced workers taking classes with the Trade Adjustment Assistance program dollars.

“You can kind of see them working their way through the system,” he said.

In other trends, Eldredge said the college counted 107 more part-time students and fewer male students.

In response to a trustee question, college President Jane Karas said the decrease does not put the college in jeopardy of having to repay state education dollars. She said the college still has several hundred more students than the number used to calculate the state budget amount for the biennium.

Separately, the college received a rave review for its accounting for state and other funds handled by its administrative staff. Members of the finance committee met with the auditor to discuss the recently complete review of accounts including federal dollars.

“According to the auditor, we have a fantastic business services and financial group,” trustee Tom Harding said.

Trustee Mark Holston quoted the auditor as saying it was the best audit of more than 3,000 he had performed in his career. Trustee Bob Nystuen, president of Glacier Bank, concurred.

“It’s so unusual to get this kind of report — it’s spectacular,” he said. “It’s a credit to you, Jane, and your entire team.”

Karas said the auditor selected Cynthia Kiefer, director of student financial aid, for special recognition for keeping up with federal regulations on financial assistance.

In other action at the Monday meeting, trustees passed a resolution calling for a trustee election on May 3 to fill one Flathead/Glacier High School District position and two in the Columbia Falls, Bigfork and Whitefish high school districts. Nystuen holds the Flathead/Glacier position while Harding and John Phelps hold the other two seats.

A second resolution approved filling the remain two years in the term of John Engebretson in the May 3 school election. Engebretson recently resigned his seat representing the Flathead/Glacier High School District. Trustees will interview candidates at 3:45 p.m. March 14 as part of the process to fill the seat until the election.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.