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CVCC enrollment numbers up; another jump expected

‘We probably won’t see a spike in enrollment until next fall’

Robert C. Reed

Cathy Bitsche, director of respiratory therapy at Catawba Valley Community College, answers questions during class on Friday.

SPRING 2009 PROGRAMS SHOWING THE MOST INCREASE

• Criminal justice • Health services • Automotive systems technology • Welding technology • Electronics and mechanical engineering technologies • Cosmetology • Internet / Web technologies • Furniture upholstery Bill Dulin, vice president of student and technology services for CVCC, said some of these programs have always been popular, like health services. Others, like the criminal justice program, are new. “We have new programs, like cyber crime, that students are becoming interested in,” he said. “With furniture upholstery, we still have a strong business in cutting and sewing here.” Ultimately, though, students will go wherever they see good job opportunities, Dulin said.

BY THE NUMBERS

5,001 - CVCC students fall 2008
4,703 - CVCC students spring 2008
298 - CVCC new students 2008

By Sarah Newell Williamson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: January 27, 2009

HICKORY - It was easy for Megan Hudson to find a parking space at Catawba Valley Community College last semester.

That is not the case this semester.

Hudson said she can see the difference in the number of people who have enrolled at the college and that has made finding a parking space a lot more difficult.

The 19-year-old is working toward her associate's degree and eventually plans to become a psychologist. Hudson said this semester, the parking lot is jam-packed and there are a larger number of students in classes.

"Last year, we had enough seats in our classes," Hudson said. "In my psychology class, there are 15 people with no seats, and we have to bring seats in for them every day. We're trying to find a larger classroom, but I don't think there is one."

In 2007, CVCC's spring enrollment increased nearly 3 percent from the previous year, said Bill Dulin, vice president of student and technology services at CVCC.

In spring 2008, enrollment increased another 3 percent, to 4,703 students. Dulin said 5,001 students enrolled at CVCC for fall 2008. He still doesn't think the college has seen the full affect of the people who have been laid off from their jobs.

"We probably won't see a spike in the enrollment until next fall," Dulin said.

And while more students are enrolling in classes, CVCC has had to cut its budget like every other state-funded agency in North Carolina.

Unlike other state-funded agencies, CVCC's customer base is growing.

"Currently, CVCC is looking at a 5 percent budget cut, which is about $1.1 million," said Garrett Hinshaw, president of CVCC. "The last two years are indicators of unemployment on the rise, with our enrollment increasing."

The North Carolina budget office required all state-funded departments to return money because of a lack of revenue raised and collected by the state.

Dulin said the college is making the cuts required by the state without cutting classes.

"We're not making any equipment purchases, like computer upgrades, there's been a freeze on hiring full-time positions, we're restricting travel and we're not purchasing supplies," he said. "We've made every effort to ensure the budget cuts haven't impacted our class offerings or the quality of our academic services."

Hinshaw said the school has added a few more seats to some of the classes, but has limited the number of students per class.

"We're usually able to add more sections, but we can't this year because of budget cutbacks," he said. "We have added a few more seats to some classes, but we don't want to add too many because it diminishes the quality of the education."

To compensate for the larger student body, Hinshaw said CVCC has had to get creative.

"We've ended registration earlier than other community colleges and we've incorporated more mid-semester classes so we don't have all the growth at the start of the semester," he said.

Hudson said she's noticed some classes are harder to get into these days.

"A lot of the Englishes fill up really fast," she said, adding that if you don't register early, your only chance of getting in is if someone else drops the class.

Dulin said other popular classes that fill up quickly include math, science, social science and humanities, because they're general education requirements for academic programs.

Tim Jones, 40, attends CVCC. He worked in the furniture industry for more than 20 years. In October 2007, he lost his job. He decided to go back to school to get his degree in heating, ventilating and air conditioning.

"I wanted to get involved in a trade that will be around awhile," Jones said. "I had a family member who did HVAC, and I helped him a little and I enjoyed it."

He said CVCC is a great place for going back to school because the teachers are very accommodating and work with you if you need additional help outside of class.

Dulin said Jones is not alone. The people who have been laid off in the past few months will continue to come to CVCC to train for new jobs.

"I think we're going to continue to see the impact of the economy," Dulin said. "A lot of the impact of the economy occurred late in the last quarter of 2008. I expect it to have an impact in the summer and next fall."