OCCC students older, more diverse

By Chris Lusk, Editor

OCCC students are a few months older and more ethnically diverse compared to last year, college statistics show. Many also are returning for additional semesters.

Enrollment numbers show the average age of students has risen from 25.4 to 26, while the number of returning students has increased by 2.7 percent.

After a small increase last fall, enrollment has slightly decreased this spring.

Preliminary numbers show a 1.0 percent decrease from spring 2007. Total students went from 11,391 to 11,274 this semester.

Total credit hours scheduled fell 0.5 percent, from 98,742 to 98,216.

Executive Director of Planning Stu Harvey said that enrollment has been on an overall decline the past few years.

“We have seen figures stay flat or slightly decline over the last two or three years,” he said.

Harvey said that could change if economic conditions worsen. Typically, he said, when the local and national economies slow down, enrollment increases — especially in older students.

“Although our numbers showed a slight decrease, we do show an older student body,” Harvey said. “This indicates an increase in older student enrollment.”

A big reason for the enrollment slowdown can be attributed to a large decrease in new student enrollment, Harvey said.

College statistics show an 18 percent decrease in the number of new student enrollments from spring 2007, from 2,028 to 1,662 this semester.

Harvey said a number of factors can explain the sharp decline, including local demographics.

“We have actually planned on a decrease in new student enrollment,” he said. “Statistics show that there will be fewer high school graduates over the next decade, purely based on the fact that there just aren’t as many kids right now as there have been.”

Harvey noted the college’s emphasis in retaining students.

At the same time, forecasts show a large increase in older students should be expected over the next 10 years, Harvey said.

The college also experienced an increase in minority enrollment, Harvey said.

More than 30 percent of OCCC’s students represent racial and ethnic minorities, he said.

The data showed Asian student numbers rose 4.4 percent, from 789 to 824. African-American numbers dropped 0.3 percent, from 997 to 994. Native American students increased 8.1 percent, from 614 to 664.

Hispanic students increased 4.3 percent, from 828 to 864.

“Usually, the college’s Hispanic population is the largest growing,” Harvey said.

“We saw a small growth this semester, but not as large as in the past.

“This can probably be attributed to House Bill 1804, among other things.”

HB1804 is an immigration reform bill that went into effect Nov. 1 of last year. He said at last check, the college had approximately 150 to 200 undocumented students.

Although there was change among the minority numbers, gender numbers remained relatively consistent.

Female enrollment numbers rose 0.3 percent, while male numbers declined 3.2 percent.

Fifty seven percent of OCCC’s enrollment is female.

Online enrollment also increased 15 percent, Har-vey said.

He said the federal government estimates online courses will grow 10 times faster than all other college courses.

“[Online enrollment] continues to grow,” he said. “More and more students are discovering that they can take college classes while balancing all the other areas of their life with ease through our online courses.

“It’s an extremely important part of this college.”

Editor Chris Lusk can be reached at editor@occc.edu.

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