Some areas of study see 30 percent increase or more in contact hours
It's a record! Preliminary figures (uncertified) for Del Mar College's enrollment for the spring 2010 semester show that 12,056 students are enrolled in credit courses, which is a 14 percent increase from the spring 2009 headcount of 10,572. The figure represents a record spring enrollment in the College's history.
Del Mar College's last highest spring enrollment was set in 1994 when headcount reached 11,263.
"Even as South Texas residents face today's challenging economy, Del Mar College is dedicated to enhancing their quality of life through educational excellence," says Dr. Fernando Figueroa, Provost and Vice President of Instruction. "We're a leading resource in this area preparing students for further academic study and for high demand jobs."
College officials also note that some programs have seen contact hour growth of 30 percent or more this semester, including air conditioning applied technology, biology, building maintenance applied technology, chemistry, computer science, criminal justice, dental assisting, drama, fire science, government, interpreter preparation, physical therapist assistant, physics and process technology.
Overall contact hours increased by 9 percent from 2,015,376 contact hours last spring to 2,198,480 this year according to officials. Contact hours are the number of hours students are in the classroom with their instructors. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) uses contact hours for funding formula recommendations to the Legislature to reimburse instructional costs. However, the THECB and Texas Legislature will not use contact hours to determine funding until spring 2011.
"We have about 405 seats filled in the Criminal Justice program," says John Graham, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Public Safety Education. "However, numerous students are taking multiple Criminal Justice classes. I teach six very full online classes and one bricks-and-mortar class, so there are about 145 students."
Graham notes that the program is offering eight online classes with an adjunct instructor teaching the other two classes. "And all eight classes are full. I've had to turn away students because the classes are at over-capacity," he notes.
Graham believes his online classes are full due to more than one reason, including the structure of the course using online materials from the Library of Congress, other colleges and universities, comparison of legal systems outside the United States and interaction by visiting professors from other schools with students online to answer any questions they have. He says the online program also appeals to working students returning to school to complete a degree, including many single mothers and fathers who work full-time jobs and are simply unable to commit to a traditional class regimen.
"I have a number of students serving with the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan who are taking classes with us," Graham adds. "Recently, I had to reluctantly drop a student who was having trouble logging on as a result of heavy combat operations in Afghanistan. I told him to focus on being a hero and come back alive. Then we'll pick up where he left off later."
Another program experiencing significant growth is the College's Building Maintenance Program.
Charles McKinny, Associate Professor of Air Conditioning Applied Technology, notes that compared to last year, the Department of Industrial Education added another section to the two basic courses in the Building Maintenance Program this spring.
"We needed to accommodate new students entering the program this spring due to an increase from 15 to 30 students studying Building Maintenance compared to last year," he says. "We originally offered morning and evening classes but are now teaching an additional section in the afternoon to train more students."
McKinny says the main reason for program growth is the economy. "High enrollment increases happened around 1994, and it's happening again," he says. Program curriculum covers electrical and mechanical maintenance of physical facilities--including air conditioning--and offers training in high demand occupational fields in the local workforce.
Paid tuition receipts received by the close of business on the 12th class day determine spring enrollment figures. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board designates the 12th class day as the official day for counting spring enrollment. 12th class day at Del Mar College was Jan. 25.
