College attributes decline in students taking courses to part-time employment

The Yavapai Community College informed the Sedona City Council that the number of students taking classes face-to-face on the Verde Campus/Sedona Center would remain about even (13 down) in the fall semester 2018. However, because at least “60 percent of  students are part-time” and working at jobs,  fall enrollees are taking fewer classes with a reduction from last fall of about 300 teaching contact hours.

The College noted that its second largest campus is now on-line; second only to the Prescott Campus. It also noted that District wide, the College was up about 40% this  summer. However, enrollment in the District this fall is “flat” when compared to fall 2017.

See video clip below in re the College discussing enrollment with the City Council.

You may view the entire presentation by Yavapai Community College to the Sedona City Council by clicking here (takes you to the City video web site).

Tells Sedona City Council another 452 students taking non-credit courses; culinary program going like “gangbusters”

Dr. James Perey told the Sedona City Council on Tuesday, March 27 that the Verde Campus and Sedona Center have enrolled a total of  1,432 students in credit classes for the spring 2018 semester. Of that number, he said, 700 students are taking classes online. He added that there were 452 students taking noncredit courses. He noted that the culinary program at the Sedona Center was doing extremely well.

According to Perey, “when we launch an online section of almost any class, they are the very first to fill.”

You may read more about Dr. Perey’s report to the Sedona City Council in the Friday, March 30, 2018 issue of the Sedona red Rock News in an article by Ron Eland. You may also view the Sedona City Council meeting where Dean Perey made his presentation by clicking here. (Sedona City Council web site.)

Sedona reports enrollment up by 2,000 percent

Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, Dr. Ron Liss, reported to the Governing Board at its March 6 meeting that current enrollment figures put the College “almost exactly even” with levels reported last year. He noted that enrollment at the renovated Sedona center is up by two thousand percent.

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Flat or “slightly up” good news for Yavapai College say administrators

Vice President for Instruction and Student Development, Dr. Ron Liss, reported on the latest enrollment data at the February 2018 Governing Board meeting. List said that enrollment was slightly up for the spring semester.  This, he said, was good news, as other community colleges in Arizona were reporting a decline.

You may view his very short report on the video below.

Sedona way up; Upward trend in non-credit offerings through OSA and Dual Enrollment; overall serving about 3,000 students

Dean James Perey reported that enrollment in traditional credit courses on the Verde Campus was down slightly in the spring of 2018. In spring 2017 it enrolled 1,533 students compared to 1,433 this spring (-100). However, there was an upward trend in offerings through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s programs and Community Education. Sedona showed a huge leap.

Reaches lowest number of students taking courses for credit  in 10 Years

The Community College released its annual audited Financial Report for 2016-17 at the February 2018 Governing Board meeting.  According to that report, enrollment by headcount District wide for students taking courses for credit was at its lowest level in a decade at 10,000.  In 2007/08 the student headcount was 15,582.

The Prescott Campus continued its slide.  It reported 1,149 FTSE in 2017-8 compared to 1,229 a year earlier (decline of 80 FTSE).  In 2007/08 the Prescott Campus reported 2,137 FTSE (difference of 988 FTSE).  The Verde Campus showed a FTSE decline of 8 over the previous year while the Prescott Valley Center showed a decline of 21 FTSE.  The Sedona Center reported only 1 FTSE, which was the same for the previous year.

The following is the report released in the College’s audited report.

Lack of sufficient funding also an issue 

President Penelope Wills told the College Governing Board at its November meeting that Coconino Community College had experienced a 12% drop in enrollment by headcount. She attributed the drop to a decision by Northern Arizona University (NAU) to close its residence halls to first-year Coconino students. Without the residence halls, she said students outside Flagstaff were unable to enroll in Coconino.

She also attributed the drop to a deemphasis by Coconino Community College on Career and Technical Education programs. Finally, he said that a lack of proper funding for the Community College may have also played a role.

President Wills comments on this issue can be viewed in the two minute video below. You may also view a video of the entire Board meeting by clicking here and then clicking on “Meeting Videos.”

Increase of 78 students over 2016; Wills says recruiting not a focus for the College until about two years ago. Says nothing about new Sedona program or efforts by Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee in re marketing begun three years ago

 Tom Hughes, Director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research, reported to the Yavapai Community College  Governing Board on November 14 that fall enrollment had increased slightly in the district. There was a 1.1% increase in student headcount over 2016 and a .3% increase in the fall time student equivalents data.

President Penelope Wills attributed the increase to new recruiting efforts.  Wills said the College had not focused on recruitment until about two years ago.   (Wills did not mention the efforts by the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee’s work  begun about three years ago and the Committee’s alarm at the low level of recruiting activity by the College.)

Also not discussed by Wills as a reason for the slight enrollment increase in headcount is the  opening the Sedona Center culinary Institute. At least 70 students were enrolled this fall in that program. Regardless of the reasons for the increase, this was good news for the Community College as there are indications that some similar institutions in the State are experiencing a decline in enrollment.

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