2008 Woodie Awards
Valley, District Enrollment Down
Scheduling blamed for lower enrollment.
LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 10/12/05 Section: News
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Enrollment at Valley College and Los Angeles Community College District is down for the third consecutive semester.
With 16,238 students enrolled this semester, Valley's student population decreased by 4 percent compared to last fall. Valley assembled the Enrollment and Marketing Task Force to figure out why enrollment fell this semester.
"If we had a schedule of classes that met the students' needs then we would have higher enrollment," said Tino Manzano, dean of admission and records, and task force chair.
Manzano and the task force are planning marketing strategies to increase enrollment for the spring 2006 semester. Valley plans to reschedule class times and offer more night classes, all to accommodate students' busy schedules. More English and math classes will also be added to the schedule because of the high demand for those courses. The task force will also mail mini class schedules to local residents.
The district, which is experiencing a 1 percent overall student decrease this year, is offering 3 percent more classes this fall than last, which LACCD Chancellor Darroch "Rocky" Young expected would have boosted district enrollment. The district also advertised more heavily than in past years.
Community college enrollment is down statewide as well as district-wide. Manzano blames lack of demand for the staggering numbers, saying that when the economy does well more people flock to the job market rather than taking classes. Valley President Tyree Wieder is focusing on serving students once they get here, as well as building numbers.
"We're now taking a look at how we can improve class schedules, marketing and advertising," said Wieder. "We're also making sure that once we get students here we meet their needs."
Of the nine colleges in the district, five have higher enrollment compared to last fall, with the other four registering drops of 1 to 6 percent. Valley, which has one of the four largest student populations in the district, was on a steady increase from 1995 to 2002, but started to dip the following year. Since 2003 Valley's enrollment numbers have steadily decreased.
Manzano said that the decrease is disappointing and though it's only 4 percent, Valley would ideally be growing, with an enrollment increase of 8 or 9 percent per semester.
With 16,238 students enrolled this semester, Valley's student population decreased by 4 percent compared to last fall. Valley assembled the Enrollment and Marketing Task Force to figure out why enrollment fell this semester.
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"If we had a schedule of classes that met the students' needs then we would have higher enrollment," said Tino Manzano, dean of admission and records, and task force chair.
Manzano and the task force are planning marketing strategies to increase enrollment for the spring 2006 semester. Valley plans to reschedule class times and offer more night classes, all to accommodate students' busy schedules. More English and math classes will also be added to the schedule because of the high demand for those courses. The task force will also mail mini class schedules to local residents.
The district, which is experiencing a 1 percent overall student decrease this year, is offering 3 percent more classes this fall than last, which LACCD Chancellor Darroch "Rocky" Young expected would have boosted district enrollment. The district also advertised more heavily than in past years.
Community college enrollment is down statewide as well as district-wide. Manzano blames lack of demand for the staggering numbers, saying that when the economy does well more people flock to the job market rather than taking classes. Valley President Tyree Wieder is focusing on serving students once they get here, as well as building numbers.
"We're now taking a look at how we can improve class schedules, marketing and advertising," said Wieder. "We're also making sure that once we get students here we meet their needs."
Of the nine colleges in the district, five have higher enrollment compared to last fall, with the other four registering drops of 1 to 6 percent. Valley, which has one of the four largest student populations in the district, was on a steady increase from 1995 to 2002, but started to dip the following year. Since 2003 Valley's enrollment numbers have steadily decreased.
Manzano said that the decrease is disappointing and though it's only 4 percent, Valley would ideally be growing, with an enrollment increase of 8 or 9 percent per semester.
