OTTUMWA —
It may be misleading to simply say community college enrollments are dropping. Or that the change is a bad thing.
An Associated Press review of data provided by the colleges shows the state’s 15 community colleges enrolled about 100,500 students this fall, down by 5,500 students from a year ago. That’s two years in a row the schools have seen numbers drop.
However, Jim Lindenmayer, president of Indian Hills Community College, wants the community to understand that statistically, two-year colleges in Iowa are doing great.
“I just finished showing the board a growth chart,” he said Friday during a board of trustees seminar. “Starting in about 2000, we began to grow anywhere from about 3-6 percent per year despite a declining population in our region.”
Skipping ahead from the year 2000 to 2012, that growth has continued at a steady pace. In between those years were some wild numbers.
“In 2009, we jumped up 20 percent,” Lindenmayer said. “I don’t know that we’ve ever seen a 20 percent increase in enrollment.”
Enrollment rose another 8 percent in 2010. Now that people are getting back to work in 2011 and 2012, it’d be a bit misleading to simply say enrollment has dropped at community colleges, he said.
“Those [unusual statistical] spikes are now correcting to [more realistic] numbers,” Lindenmayer said.
Several officials told the Associated Press the correction should be seen as a positive sign. During the recession, community colleges saw more 25- to 49-year-olds who were learning new skills when they were unable to find work, the AP reported.
“When the economy improves, people that were going to school go back to work,” said M.J. Dolan, executive director of the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees.
There’s still plenty of work for the schools, educators say.
“We continue to get the message from our business and industry partners that they have job openings that require a skill set we can provide, ” said Tom Rubel, an executive dean at IHCC. “We are encouraged by the big increases we have seen [this fall] in some of our technology programs.”
Study of Health Occupations like nursing saw increases in enrollment this fall as well, according to a release from IHCC.
In fact, employers need workers in skilled positions right now.
“There are still jobs out there,” said Lindenmayer. “About 200 of them in our region.”
Education
November 17, 2012
Improving economy means fewer students
Community college numbers getting back to normal
- Education
-
- Governor says Iowa school start rules are too lax DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says the rules governing school start dates in Iowa are "too lax." Branstad told reporters Monday that the existing policy hurts summer tourism in the state and that he expects to see some changes made by t
-
Loosen up, help a student graduate
OTTUMWA -- Students in the massage therapy program at Indian Hills Community College are almost ready to graduate. They just need a little help from the community to complete their requirements. The 14 students in the program each need to clock 200 h
-
Working, learning and earning
OTTUMWA — School may be out for summer, but at least 30 young people spent the morning in a classroom learning. But the training was on something they could see the relevance of: getting a job. "We're using communication skills," said Grace Smith, 18
- Easing a school's congestion OTTUMWA — Despite objections by neighbors, parents at Evans Middle School will get their easier student pickup and drop-off plan. The Ottumwa Zoning Board of Adjustment allowed debate on changes to a permit the school uses for moving buses and paren
- OHS dress code lengthens OTTUMWA — School is an inappropriate place to don your butt-hugging, skin-baring clothing, Ottumwa school administrators say. The OHS dress code has been updated with eight new rules for the upcoming school year, clarifying those that were enacted in
-
$500,000 donation for sustainable agriculture
The recent announcement of a significant donation from philanthropist Morgan E. Cline is generating more good news for Centerville and Appanoose County. Cline's gift of $500,000 to Indian Hills Community College will facilitate the creation of what
- Branstad to name 2 new regents DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is releasing the names of two people he's appointing to the Iowa Board of Regents. Branstad says he's decided to announce the new appointments on Tuesday in advance of the next regents meeting schedule
- Branstad set to name 2 new regents in a few weeks DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he expects to appoint two new members to the Iowa Board of Regents in the next couple of weeks in response to the Iowa Senate declining to confirm his nominees. The Senate in April didn't g
-
Teacher sentenced to state prison
BLOOMFIELD — A former teacher convicted of improper conduct with a student and with a minor has been sentenced to state prison. Ryan Grinstead, a math teacher at Davis County High School, had been charged with lascivious conduct with a minor, a serio
- Gifts from Ottumwa to Oklahoma OTTUMWA — It's one thing to send a check to help the population of Moore, Okla. It's far more rewarding to hand a toy to a child there who has nothing. “This couple from our church tries to volunteer at any disaster, and they’re going to Oklahoma," s
- More Education Headlines
