Fort Scott Community College sees increase in enrollment

Thursday, October 2, 2008

By Jason E. Silvers

Fort Scott Tribune

Fort Scott Community College has seen a small jump in enrollment numbers this fall, FSCC officials said.

As of Sept. 25, the 20th day of classes this semester and the date in which the Kansas Board of Regents releases enrollment figures for all KBOR-accredited institutions across the state, FSCC showed a total head count of 1,739 students; a 43-student increase from last fall, officials said.

"It's always great to see growth," FSCC President Clayton Tatro said. "We're working very diligently to provide programs and services that students want and need. Recruiting efforts we have put into place have been helpful and beneficial. We have quality programs that are attracting good students."

Tatro said he is pleased to see the college continue to make strides toward attracting and retaining students, and the college's progress in keeping up with students' educational needs. An example of FSCC's recent growth is the $7.4 million, 44,000-square-foot Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center currently under construction on the main FSCC campus, Tatro said.

"The fine arts center is part of the growth, and it creates excitement and enthusiasm," he said. "We're trying to be progressive and provide ongoing needs. More students through the door is encouraging to us because it shows that we're on the right track as we move the institution forward."

According to information provided by FSCC Registrar Alice Claypool, of the 1,739 total students at FSCC, 891 students are considered full-time, while the remaining 848 students are considered part-time. FSCC enrollment also includes two international students; 807 male students and 932 female students; 388 students who are 18 years of age or younger; and 651 students who are between 18 and 19 years of age.

Claypool's numbers showed that the remainder of FSCC students are between 20 and 64 years of age, as well as two students who are at least 65 years of age. The figures also show a total of 991 students enrolled in classes at the main FSCC campus, and 748 students enrolled in classes at the FSCC Pittsburg Campus or the FSCC Miami County Campus in Paola.

This semester, FSCC students are enrolled in a total of 17,923 instructional credit hours.

Full-time equivalency enrollment this fall at FSCC is 1,195. This figure is determined by dividing the total number of credit hours produced at an institution by 15 -- a number that is considered to be a full semester course load for a student. The resulting figure gives the institution's FTE count for the semester, Tatro said.

The FTE figure provides a better and easier look at the number of full-time students that an institution's credit hours would generate, he said.

"It's a way to convert credit hours into a more meaningful calculation," he said. "People see the 17,000 credit hours and may have trouble grasping how big or small of a number that is."

On the other hand, head count enrollment indicates the actual number of students on campus, Tatro said.

"Head count means the number of students that are here no matter how many hours they are taking," he said.

The state uses total credit hours at each higher education institution across the state and inserts those numbers into the funding formula for those institutions, Tatro said.

Last fall, FSCC showed a total head count of 1,696 students enrolled in 16,698 credit hours of instruction.