September 26, 2002
Student enrollment has more than doubled at Elizabethtown Technical College the past two years, no big surprise considering colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System are enrolling record numbers of students this fall.
As a result of the increase in enrollment, local colleges are increasing degree options and adding more classes.
ETC spokeswoman Sue French believes that the recent partnership with Western Kentucky University allows many ETC students, in programs like nursing and radiography, to get basic classes at the technical college and then transfer to Western and earn a bachelor's degree.
"There are so many options that are in the best interests of the students," French said.
Enrollment is up to 66,370 students in the entire KCTCS community, more than 5 percent over the 2001 and more than 45 percent since fall 1998, the first year KCTCS was in place.
The fall 2002 unofficial enrollment represents an increase of 5.15 percent over the fall 2001 enrollment of 63,120 students.
"The Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997, which created our system, assigned KCTCS the responsibility to expand Kentuckians' access to higher education," said Michael McCall, president of KCTCS. "Our colleges are doing exactly that, increasing enrollment by nearly half since KCTCS was established."
McKendree College in Radcliff also has seen the number of students increase since last fall. "People are figuring out they need to do something to prepare themselves for a better job," said Todd Bryer, director of McKendree College's Radcliff campus.
Growth was seen at ECC earlier in the year when a new postsecondary education center was opened on campus, providing students the opportunity to take Western classes at the ECC campus.
Though student enrollment has not increased at ECC as much as it has at ETC, ECC President Thelma White said the college has grown enough to start offering more sections of classes, especially in crowded programs like health care.
White believes that ECC will continue to increase its enrollment every year.
"The good thing is that the students are seeing the value of higher education," White said. "We have to be able to provide those extra classes so the students will come."
French believes that the news means ETC is doing its job.
"Increased enrollment means we are meeting the community's needs," she said.
Hopkinsville New Era editorial
September 25, 2002
It's not unusual for good news to originate in the halls and on the campuses of Kentucky's colleges and universities. This time, though, the good news is about the state's institutions of higher learning.
A report from the Council on Postsecondary Education Monday showed that enrollment is up at nearly every Kentucky public college and university this fall.
That's good news for the state of education here, even if it can be an awkward revelation for those having to house, feed and provide instructors for the bulging numbers of students.
Nearby Western Kentucky University registered the biggest percentage gain in enrollment over last year, jumping 7.1 percent to 17,770 students this fall.
"I'm proud of the numbers, but certainly challenged to keep everything in perspective," said Western President Gary Ransdell.
Likewise, the statewide Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), of which Hopkinsville Community is a part, showed a 4.8 percent increase to 66,370 students on some 25 campuses from Hazard to Paducah.
There can be few downsides to increased enrollment numbers, even if it is partially fueled by changes in the traditional student profile and by a sluggish employment economy. Either factor leads to a better-trained workforce.
And that's good news for everyone. Let's just hope that standards don't decline and that campuses evolve into diploma mills in the name of statistics and reports.
A thinking, well-trained workforce is the best investment an individual, family, community, state or society can make. Education breaks endless cycles that poverty, indifference and the status quo have created and in which so many people find themselves trapped.
Anything we collectively can do to get and keep people in quality classrooms should be encouraged.
And that, too, would be good news for everyone.