7,040 students taking classes; strong enrollments also indicated for Fall 2009
The parking lots and classrooms at Kirkwood Community College were noticeably busier this summer. Officials at Kirkwood report a nine percent increase in college credit enrollments for the 2009 summer session.
Official enrollment was marked at 7,040 credit students, an increase of 561 from the official count of summer 2008. The college offers classes in first, second and summer-long sessions and noted the official count in mid-July.
Enrollment administrators note a large number of “reverse transfer” students in attendance this summer, taking one or more classes that they will apply to college degree studies at other colleges and universities in the coming years.
Many students also took classes via Kirkwood’s Web-based and county center-based Distance Learning options. Enrollment in those flexible classes was up more than 15 percent, according to college officials.
Vice President of Enrollment Services, Kristie Fisher said those and other factors “all came together for a busy summer” at Kirkwood.
“As we took a look at enrollment activity and interest, we saw increases in a majority of our offerings and services. The key for many students is flexibility, and that reflected in the strong Distance Learning options. Plus, we heard from many students who are pursuing degrees at our Regents partner universities and private colleges who picked up those credits to keep their graduation plans on track. We are glad to provide the quality classes to make sure they can continue on to those goals,” Fisher said.
Another big set of factors in enrollments and interest in Kirkwood are economic and job conditions. Admissions, advising and enrollment staff have seen an increase in interest, registrations and enrollments for both summer and fall among “non-traditional” and older populations.
“For our summer classes, we found a noticeable increase in students taking classes with ages above the traditional ages of 18 to 22. In fact, our summer student population included more than 40 percent above that age range. Many people are looking to us to consider new careers or build skills for new roles at their current jobs,” Fisher added.
Kirkwood registrations for Fall 2009 classes also show an increase, with numbers running well over 1,000 above same-day figures in 2008. “We appreciate the interest and activity on our campus this summer and are helping students get ready for their college experience,” Fisher said. “We have nearby housing units that filled to capacity several weeks ahead of the same level in 2008. We also have seen a marked increase in student interest from outside Iowa. Our out-of-state enrollments are more than double the same point in 2008. We are focused on delivering quality education that is affordable for our students and their families and will continue to do so.”
Kirkwood Community College will begin its 44th year of fall classes on August 24. In its founding year, Kirkwood enrolled just 199 students in 1966-67.