GCC breaks enrollment records

Genesee Community College's enrollment has hit five new records, College President Stuart Steiner and Vice President for Student Services George W. Walker reported to the Board of Trustees.

Overall fall semester applications from prospective full-time students totaled 2,505, up 7.5 percent from the 2,331 applications received prior to the Fall 2001 semester. Fall credit enrollment stood at 3,619 as of September 10. This includes 2,447 full-time students, up 11.4 percent from the 2,196 full-time students enrolled a year ago. When the college finishes its fall enrollment, including enrollment of Advanced Studies students, enrollment is projected to be higher than the 4,809-student record of Fall 2001. It is projected that fall enrollment will exceed 5,000 students for the first time, Dr. Steiner told the Board.

The college's five Campus Centers - in Albion, Lakeville, Warsaw, Arcade and Dansville - have attracted 1,363 course registrations, up 11.1 percent from 1,227 registrations in 2001.

Distance learning courses, which enable students to complete their course work at home through study guides, videos, and online resources, have attracted 777 registrations as of September 1, up 10 percent from the 706 registrations a year ago.

The college's preliminary summer 2002 statistics show that enrollment exceeded 1,150 students and the full-time equivalent enrollment is up almost 15 percent. Students from at least 44 colleges and universities attended classes during the summer at GCC.

During the 2001-2002 academic year, the college registered 3,293 "full-time equivalents," up 5 percent from the 3,135 full-time equivalents registered during the 2000-2001 year. A "full-time equivalent" is a statistical measure of enrollment, reflecting thirty credit hours of study.

The enrollment surge reflects growing public awareness of the value of community college education in general, and the exceptional quality of education at Genesee, Dr. Steiner said.

In other enrollment-related news, Vice President for Student Services George W. Walker reported that seventy-eight international students are currently attending Genesee, up from the 66 international students enrolled during the Spring 2002 semester. "This is a record high for international student enrollment," he said. "These are students who chose to travel thousands of miles, to a distant country, to receive education from us. The growing numbers of international students are testament to the outstanding education we offer."