J.C. Derrick
Executive Editor
A year after topping 5,000 registered students for the first time in school history, KC shattered the 6,000 mark at the end of registration Wednesday night. “It’s extremely exciting,” said Staci Martin, registrar. “It’s been more than I expected. I expected we would reach 6,000, but not go this much over it.”
Online registration continued through Wednesday at midnight, after which Martin said the final number landed at 6,249. She said that number will be adjusted once classes are dropped for non-paying students and dual credit registrations are completed. Martin estimated current dual credit numbers at around 900, an increase of about 200 over last year. “We still have more dual credit to enroll, so we expect that number to go over 1,000,” Martin said.
Overall enrollment surged 14 percent this year, more than double the growth rate experienced in 2008. Martin said 5,473 students were enrolled at the end of registration last year.“It’s a lot of hard work on the part of a lot of people to get this many students enrolled and registered,” Martin said. “I really appreciate all their efforts to accommodate this many students.”
Dr. Bill Holda, KC president, attributes the growth to two primary areas. “Of the 21 percent increase in contact hours in the biennium, fully half of those came from workforce development and continuing education. That was Martha Woodruff’s group,” Holda said. “With the other half, a chunk of that was dual credit growth.”Holda also cited the poor economy, and specifically the unemployed going back to school for re-training, as other contributing factors to the growth.
“My guess is that we’ve done a better job of marketing, we’re offering more services, we’re doing more dual credit (and) we’re offering more technical training for the workforce,” Holda said. “All of that coupled with the economy, university pricing, dual credit and workforce training. .. That’s where that’s coming from.”
This is a non-base year, which means KC will not receive any additional funds for the influx of new students. Base years take place in even-numbered years in preparation of the convening of the State Legislature in odd-numbered years.
“We don’t know if that growth will be sustained,” Holda said. “This is a non-base year, so our goal is to get the growth this year and hang on to it.”
Cartoon by Clint Fultner
Wow, this site is wicked awesome!
The amount of students at KC this semester is ridiculous.
What a story!
i think that more students are attending college due to the fact of the economy.
wow that’s a lot of people!
If only we had 6,249 parking spaces as well.