Contact Kathi Slaughter

Iowa Dept. of Education

515/281-5651

kathi.slaughter@iowa.gov

 

 

 

 

Community college enrollment continues upward trend

Strategic plan focuses on recruitment and retention of diverse students

 

(Des Moines, Iowa) – December 8, 2005 – Enrollment at Iowa’s 15 community colleges was 82,499 students for the fall 2005 semester, a 0.85 percent increase of 696 students, the Iowa Department of Education reported today in its Fall 2005 Credit Student Enrollment Report. Community college enrollment has steadily increased for the past several years, with a 20 percent increase in fall credit enrollment since 2001.

 

A majority of the students, 93.7 percent, are from the state of Iowa, the report shows. The data also shows that 10 percent of the students are minorities, a 6.13 percent increase in minority enrollment over the past year, and a 47 percent increase since 2001. 

 

“Students recognize the quality, accessibility, and comparative affordability of a community college education,” said Jan Friedel, Administrator of the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation in the Iowa Department of Education.  “Students and their families know that community college classes will be small, they will receive the support services they need, and that credits transfer to four-year colleges and universities. It is a great place to begin and to excel.”

 

Recruitment focuses on diversity

State Board of Education President Gene Vincent noted that Iowa’s community colleges have specific goals to recruit and retain minority and under-represented students in all programs offered by the colleges.

 

“Each community college has specific programs and strategies in place to reach out to all students,” Vincent said. “Our goal is to encourage more across-the-board diversity in a wide range of careers and job skills.”

 

In addition to recruiting ethnic minorities, for instance, community colleges specifically recruit females to enter programs such as agriculture science that are traditionally dominated by males. Diversity goals and strategies are outlined in the Shaping the Future: A Five-Year Plan for Iowa's System of Community Colleges document located on the Dept. of Education website at http://www.iowa.gov/educate/ccwp/cc/shapefuture.html. Examples of diversity strategies and programs include:

 

Des Moines Area Community College (Contact 515/964-6200):

·         Participates in Partners in Economic Progress (PEP), along with area businesses and other K-16 educational entities, to improve college awareness and career opportunities among 8-12 graders.

·         Students in non-credit programs such as ELL, GED, or programs for at-risk students are encouraged and supported to continue their education with credit-courses that will lead to a career certification or AA degree.

·         Outreach to males encouraging them to seek careers in health, traditionally a female dominated field.

 

Eastern Iowa Community College District (Contact 563/336-3304):

·         Bridge program encourages ELL students to enroll in credit courses.

·         Staff volunteers on community advisory committees that service minority populations.

·         Partner with and offer college visits to minority programs at nearby school districts.

 

Hawkeye Community College (Contact 319/296-2320):

·         Student program TRUTH (Trust, Respect, and Unity Teaches Honor) provides supports such as mentoring to students to improve their success and retention.

·         Minority Recruitment and Retention Grant, to reach out and provide career exploration to middle school, high school, and HCC students undecided about their degree.

 

Indian Hills Community College (Contact 641/683-5185):

·         Hosts a monthly meeting of international students and community members.

·         Hosted a health occupations camp for 4th-6th graders to encourage their career exploration.

 

Iowa Central Community College (Contact 515/576-7201):

·         The Student Senate has increased participation in community organizations and events that improve diversity awareness and respect.

·         Partnered with Iowa State University to recruit females to the Computer Aided Drafting program.

 

Iowa Lakes Community College (Contact 712/362-0435):

·         Career Camp for area students to explore careers through job shadowing and business exploration.

·         Minority Recruitment and Retention Grant, to study barriers to higher education and provide supports for achievement.

 

Iowa Valley Community College District (Contact 641/752-4643):

·         Targeted training for faculty to become inclusive in their instructional approaches, and increase student achievement and retention.

·         Partners with local businesses to provide scholarships to students to explore nontraditional careers to help them attain skills necessary to replace the retiring workforce in the area.

 

Iowa Western Community College (Contact 712/325-3200):

·         Hosts an ELL summer camp for local high school ELL educators and guidance counselors.

·         Ticket to Work program recruits students with disabilities.

 

Kirkwood Community College (Contact 319/398-5501):

·         Membership in Professional/Technical Diversity Network, allowing staff to conduct focus groups at businesses within the Economic Development Corridor in order to identify careers and needs in the recruiting and retention of a diverse workforce. This effort is in concert with Priority One, the Cedar Rapids Economic Development group.

·         Female faculty conduct presentations to high school classes on courses such as engineering that are traditionally male dominated.

 

 

Northeast Iowa Community College (Contact 563/562-3263):

·         Targeted support services are provided to low-income and first-generation students.

·         Diversity Committee offers a mentoring and outreach program specifically to incoming international students.

 

North Iowa Area Community College (Contact 641/423-1264):

·         Career day and college fair events promoted nontraditional careers to more than 1,300 area high school students.

·         Outreach to area high school staff to encourage them to recruit for gender equity in all courses.

 

Northwest Iowa Community College (Contact 712/324-5066):

·         Target marketing to females to attract them to the automotive programs.

·         Hosted a Career Day for middle school students to increase awareness about career opportunities and encourage students to begin exploration early.

 

Southeastern Community College (Contact 319/752-2731):

·         Provides five full-tuition scholarships each year to minority high school students from Area 16.

·         Hosts non-traditional employees from area businesses to speak to local K-12 teachers.

·         Gender equity has been expanded to student services such as intramural sports.

 

Southwestern Community College (Contact 641/782-7081):

·         Nontraditional Career Conferences reach out to more than 500 area students to provide them career exploration with area business and industry.

·         Sponsored a College Transition Day for students in alternative programs and special education to increase awareness of the opportunities available to them. 

 

Western Iowa Tech Community College (Contact 712/274-6400):

·         Outreach to area businesses by providing on-site workplace Spanish classes to area hospitals, grocery stores, and faith-based groups.

·         Partners with Morningside College and Briar Cliff University to sponsor WINGS (Young Women Investigating Mathematics and Science).

 

Additional demographic highlights from the enrollment data include:

 

Most of the state’s community college students, 57.22 percent, are pursuing an Arts & Sciences program major, which provides core educational requirements that the student may transfer to a four-year college or university. Career Technical enrollment decreased slightly to 35.42 percent of students, and College Parallel/Career Option (preparation for a vocation and transfer to a four-year institution) enrollment is 6.46 percent.

 

Full-time students slightly outnumbered part-time students statewide, 50.22 percent to 49.78 percent. Indian Hills Community College had the highest percentage of full-time students at 65.49 percent.

 

Credit enrollment includes the students who are earning college credits toward a degree; it does not include students enrolled in other programs, such as adult literacy, GED or certificate programs.

 

 

Iowa Community Colleges Credit Student Enrollment

Fall 2001, Fall 2002, Fall 2003, Fall 2004, and Fall 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community

Fall 2001

Fall 2002

Fall 2003

Fall 2004

Fall 2005

College

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

(CC)

Students

Students

Students

Students

Students

Northeast Iowa CC

          3,612

          4,156

          4,710

          4,856

       4,811

North Iowa Area CC

          2,722

          2,777

          2,836

          3,004

3,136

Iowa Lakes CC

          2,711

          2,895

          2,993

          3,158

3,085

Northwest Iowa CC

          1,016

          1,018

          1,079

          1,081

1,082

Iowa Central CC

          4,567

          4,847

          5,163

          5,312

5,352

Iowa Valley CC

          2,016

          2,090

          2,335

          2,601

2,600

Hawkeye CC

          4,456

          4,956

          5,310

          5,374

5,360

Eastern Iowa CC

          6,331

          6,820

          7,118

          7,275

7,243

Kirkwood CC

        12,555

        13,961

        15,047

        15,480

15,109

Des Moines Area CC

        11,886

        13,206

        13,719

        15,256

16,046

Western Iowa Tech CC

          4,920

          5,132

          5,238

          5,370

5,343

Iowa Western CC

          4,300

          4,123

          4,438

          4,844

5,092

Southwestern CC

          1,200

          1,298

          1,355

          1,253

1,325

Indian Hills CC

          3,674

          3,693

          3,783

          3,812

3,677

Southeastern CC

          2,824

          2,975

          3,157

          3,127

3,238

TOTAL

        68,790

        73,947

        78,281

        81,803

82,499

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Iowa Community College Fall Credit Enrollments

Fall 2002 to Fall 2005

Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education.

 

 

The complete Credit Student Enrollment Report is available online at http://www.state.ia.us/educate/ccwp/cc/reports/cser05.pdf

 

 

 

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