December 6 , 2005
NEWSRegistration decrease
Recent drop in numbers has administration asking questionsWith a reported decrease of more than 300 registered students this fall semester of 2005, Mesa Community College officials are curious to know why students are choosing not to register for classes.
“It comes to a point when we need to re-evaluate our methods,” said Carol Petersen, director of admissions and records at the Southern and Dobson campus.
Officials are most worried about the decrease in registered students because of the effect it has in how many Full Time Student Equivalents (FTSE) MCC receives from the government.On the forty-fifth day of every fall semester, MCC officials take a head count of how many students are enrolled in classes and how many credit hours they are taking. For every 15 credit-hours MCC reports, the state of Arizona will assign one FTSE. The total amount of FTSE then determines how much money the state gives the school to help with operations.
Since MCC brings in 25 percent of the Maricopa Community College District’s FTSE, officials are searching for answers.
“There’s lots of discussion and speculation right now,” said Sonia Filan, director of institutional advancement at MCC.
Petersen believes the decrease in registration could have many reasons. The first is the economy. “When the economy is good, students go to work to earn money, Petersen said. “It has been that way for years.”
Amy Heinecke, a former MCC student, chose not to attend the fall semester so she could work. “I just didn’t have the money,” Heinecke said. She is now saving money for the fall semester in 2006.
Petersen also suggested competition as a reason for the registration drop. As more community colleges are expanding and offering more courses at convenient times, students are branching out and leaving MCC. “There’s more options,” Petersen said.
The University of Phoenix announced a two-year degree program recently and local community colleges are also growing in the amount of students and courses offered. Chandler/Gilbert Community College (CGCC), for example, reported an increase of about six percent in registration, while most other Maricopa Colleges reported, on average, a 2.5 percent decrease in registration.
Robert Rogers, an MCC student, said some of his friends have transferred to CGCC because of the relaxed atmosphere and location. He said some students have problems with the MCC teachers and CGCC is closer and more convenient.
The largest drop in registration was not at MCC’s Southern and Dobson campus, though.
Spencer Peterson, Director of Enrollment Services at Red Mountain, reported a 6.89 percent decrease in registration for fall 2005 and a 4.27 percent decrease in FTSE. Peterson cites similar reasons for the decrease: economy and competition.
He also mentioned that at the Red Mountain campus, only general education classes are offered. There are no specialized training programs like those found at other community colleges.
Petersen is contemplating many techniques to change Red Mountain’s registration numbers. “It’s too early to tell what effect they will have,” Petersen said.