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A little procrastination on the part of students and a lot of hard work on the part of Gulf Coast employees pushed the college over the 11,000 student benchmark at the end late registration for the fall semester. On Aug. 27, enrollment was up 375 students compared to the same time last year with 11,293 credit students registered. Colleen Hartfield, vice president for Institutional Relations, says the 11,000 student goal was within reach the first day of class. “We had 10,891 students start the semester with a week of late registration to go. Our front-line employees working registration and in all areas of Student Services are so important to our enrollment goals. Even with the ease of online registration, it is the personal attention and good customer service that pushes the college toward record enrollment,” she said. This is the fourth-straight fall semester enrollment has increased at Gulf Coast, ensuring the college remains the largest community college in Mississippi. Most of the growth is being seen in academic classes with an 8.2 percent increase (629 students more than last year). Core academic classes are in the most demand, since three out of four Gulf Coast students plan to transfer to a four-year university. Technical enrollment was down 174 students.
Dr. Mary Graham, vice president of the Perkinston Campus, points to several possible factors for Perk’s growth – population growth in southern Stone County and northern Harrison County and the Associate Degree Nursing program now being offered at Perk. Another important area of growth is at the college’s George County Center in Lucedale. The center’s enrollment is up 25 percent, an increase of 56 students. During the past several years, the college has steadily increased the number and type of academic evening and weekend courses taught at the center. When it began offering more than 50 percent of the courses needed for a two-year Associate of Arts degree, the college asked its accrediting agency (SACS) for permission to offer this degree in Lucedale. That permission was granted in August. The Jackson County Campus received a bump in enrollment after special registration at Northrop-Grumman for the new Logistics Technology program. More than 50 employees have enrolled in the program this fall. Dr. Willis Lott, Gulf Coast president, said, “More students are choosing the community college because it offers an affordable higher education option and the convenience of multiple locations, online courses and flexible schedules. Our employees are working hard to attract students to the college, to provide a reasonably convenient registration process, and to keep students enrolled so they can achieve their goals and improve their lives.” Fall 2004 Enrollment: Fast Facts
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 © 2003 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Last Modified: September 3, 2004 3:00 PM Email Webmaster: keith.lee@mgccc.edu |
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The
Jefferson Davis and Perkinston campuses have the largest increases of
students this semester. The JD Campus is up 4.7 percent and the Perkinston
Campus is up an impressive 14 percent. JD Campus enrollment passed 5,000
this fall, while the JC Campus hit the 4,000 student mark.