Nicole Sanchez, of St. Martin, talks with Lane Hoggard, a counselor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus, about her class schedule during orientation.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has the highest enrollment numbers since Hurricane Katrina, with 9,549 academic students enrolled in classes at its eight campuses and centers. That number still falls short of the record-breaking pre-Katrina enrollment numbers by almost 1,500. Those numbers made Gulf Coast the largest community college in the state, a goal the college is pushing to reach again.
“The continual increase in student enrollment mirrors the recovery of the region,” said Dr. Willis Lott, president of Gulf Coast. “We’re making steady progress toward our goals. Our faculty and staff have worked hard to help students and to let the community know that our college is here to serve.”
Gulf Coast is experiencing enrollment increases throughout its four-county district, with the exceptions of the George County Center in Lucedale and the West Harrison County Center in Long Beach. Those centers are short of the 2007 enrollment numbers by less than 60 students. The Perkinston Campus, the college’s original campus in Stone County and the only location with residence halls, has experienced growth over the record-setting pre-Katrina numbers. That campus has almost 150 more students now than it did for fall semester 2004.
Lott said Gulf Coast is striving for growth on all campuses. “At Gulf Coast, our goal is to meet the educational demands of South Mississippi,” Lott said. “By offering flexible class schedules, including online classes, we intend to make college convenient for all residents in our district. Tuition costs at Gulf Coast have remained the most affordable compared to other colleges in the state. In fact, Gulf Coast is the only institution in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana to be named in Community College Week magazine’s list of top 100 associate-degree producers in the nation.”
For more information about Gulf Coast, visit www.mgccc.edu, or call toll-free, 1-866-735-1122.
