Community College Fall Enrollment Up

07.31.2009 by Elizabeth Ziegler

(KCPW News) Enrollment at Salt Lake Community College for the fall semester is up 33 percent from this time last year as the economy drives both mid-career workers and high school graduates to try to improve their resumes and start working toward a college diploma. Deneece Huftalin, vice president for student services, says classes are filling up earlier than the usual back-to-school enrollment crunch.

“They are filling quickly,” Huftalin says. “In fact, when you look at some of our real primary core courses that a lot of students have to take, in some cases they’re over 90 to 100 percent filled.”

Huftalin says enrollment usually starts climbing in mid-August. But this year it started in late July.

She says the college is trying to keep up with the influx of students by hiring new faculty and opening more courses. But she adds that prospective students should know their choices could be limited if they don’t act soon.

“We’re finding that even though we’re making great efforts to expand services and expand classes,” Huftalin says. “So, if students are interested in coming to school, this is the right time to come down and get it all situated. Don’t wait until, you know, first part of August because by then, you know, things could be more impacted and it might be hard to create a good schedule.”

Huftalin says core courses and prerequisites for popular majors, such as health sciences and business, are filling up the fastest. Classes begin August 26th.