2008 Woodie Awards
College Struggles to Attract Students
School must meet enrollment-increase goals by summer or lose funds.
LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 11/9/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
To hold on to $1.3 million in state funding, Valley College administrators are combating the decreasing enrollment with two upcoming events. Monarch Day (Dec. 14) will assist continuing students with enrolling in the right classes and Welcome Day (Jan. 11) will introduce new students to the various services available on campus, including financial aid and counseling.
Enrollment dropped 4 percent this semester, which marked three consecutive years that that figure has dropped. The $1.3 million was given to Valley this semester to boost enrollment by 3.4 percent by the first summer session of 2006 to meet that increase.
Registration for winter session recently began. Tino Manzano, dean of enrollment, said the numbers look promising, although he declined to give specific numbers.
"We're making a big effort to let our students know when they can register," Manzano said. "It's too early to tell, [but] we've done all we can do."
Manzano also said that students can expect to receive their spring registration dates before Thanksgiving break, which starts Nov. 24.
After careful analysis of the schedule of classes, Manzano's Enrollment Task Force, along with Cherine Trombley, dean of research and planning, is now inquiring of department chairs what changes would make the schedule more student-friendly.
"We looked at the schedule of classes primarily because that's what draws students to a campus," said Valley President Tyree Wieder.
The group's analysis found that there were major flaws in the types of classes being offered and the time slots that in which they were available. Wieder noted that there were too many afternoon classes and not enough evening classes, in addition to a lack of classes meeting graduation and transfer requirements.
A large part of the reason that the numbers are dropping is because of the campus' failure to persuade students to return, according to Wieder, but she is hopeful that Monarch Day will attract interest.
Valley's goal is to increase the spring 2006 enrollment to 5,565 from 2005's 5,128 students. In her State of the Campus address two weeks ago, Wieder focused on ways to boost enrollment. Other than the revised schedule of classes and in-reach efforts, proposals included increased marketing.
However, if the campus fails to attract the additional 13,359 students by summer and is forced to return the full $1.3 million in state funds, administrators will face a shortfall. Perhaps anticipating that, administrators have already started to institute budget cuts, including a hiring freeze and program and supply cuts.
"To this point we have not had to reduce staffing as five of the nine colleges [in the Los Angeles Community College District] have done over the past few years," said Vice-President of Student Services Yasmin Delahoussaye in a memo. "But that may be our next step."
Enrollment dropped 4 percent this semester, which marked three consecutive years that that figure has dropped. The $1.3 million was given to Valley this semester to boost enrollment by 3.4 percent by the first summer session of 2006 to meet that increase.
Registration for winter session recently began. Tino Manzano, dean of enrollment, said the numbers look promising, although he declined to give specific numbers.
"We're making a big effort to let our students know when they can register," Manzano said. "It's too early to tell, [but] we've done all we can do."
Manzano also said that students can expect to receive their spring registration dates before Thanksgiving break, which starts Nov. 24.
After careful analysis of the schedule of classes, Manzano's Enrollment Task Force, along with Cherine Trombley, dean of research and planning, is now inquiring of department chairs what changes would make the schedule more student-friendly.
"We looked at the schedule of classes primarily because that's what draws students to a campus," said Valley President Tyree Wieder.
The group's analysis found that there were major flaws in the types of classes being offered and the time slots that in which they were available. Wieder noted that there were too many afternoon classes and not enough evening classes, in addition to a lack of classes meeting graduation and transfer requirements.
A large part of the reason that the numbers are dropping is because of the campus' failure to persuade students to return, according to Wieder, but she is hopeful that Monarch Day will attract interest.
Valley's goal is to increase the spring 2006 enrollment to 5,565 from 2005's 5,128 students. In her State of the Campus address two weeks ago, Wieder focused on ways to boost enrollment. Other than the revised schedule of classes and in-reach efforts, proposals included increased marketing.
However, if the campus fails to attract the additional 13,359 students by summer and is forced to return the full $1.3 million in state funds, administrators will face a shortfall. Perhaps anticipating that, administrators have already started to institute budget cuts, including a hiring freeze and program and supply cuts.
"To this point we have not had to reduce staffing as five of the nine colleges [in the Los Angeles Community College District] have done over the past few years," said Vice-President of Student Services Yasmin Delahoussaye in a memo. "But that may be our next step."
