News Release 08-052-D

Student numbers up nearly 12% in fall term of 2008

	News Release 08-052-D	For more information:
	Release date: 10/31/08	Bentley Gilbert
	For immediate release	(541) 440-7747
	http://www.umpqua.edu/ 

Winchester — Umpqua Community College reported fall 2008 enrollment growth of nearly 12% over the start of the same term last year.

Total fulltime equivalent students grew by 11.96% over the fall of 2007. That’s about 85 students. This is on top of 3.92% growth in the fall 2007, compared with 2006; a decline of 4.72% in the fall of 2006, after a 14.1% increase in the fall of 2005, compared with the fall of 2004.

Anecdotally, the College has had to search for classroom space to accommodate its burgeoning courses, and parking spaces are hard to find or distant. Frequently, community colleges see significant enrollment growth at times of economic downturn as workers take advantage of a layoff to find new skills and others seek to up-date themselves in their trades.

“I believe our enrollment increase is a result of several factors,” said UCC President Blaine Nisson, “including our efforts to better serve the community and the general condition of the economy:

“Over the past four years, the College has worked hard to create new and expanded opportunities to serve members of our service district by launching 10 new instructional programs, enhancing our transfer program through articulation agreements with five colleges and universities, dramatically expanding our distance education offerings from 250 student enrollments in 2004 to more than 3,000 in 2007 and extending our services and hours of operation to better meet the needs of the public.”

A similar surge is seen in the requests for financial aid. “Our financial aid requests are up over 29% from this same time last year,” said Laurie Spangenburg, UCC’s director of financial aid.

In addition to the viticulture program, UCC has also launched a dental hygiene program this, offered in cooperation with Lane Community College. In the past four years, UCC has launched 10 new academic programs.

“We are very excited about the increased number of students we have that are coming to our institution,” said Dr. Lynn Moore, UCC’s vice president for student development. “We are dedicated to providing the best service and educational opportunities possible for our community.”