Enrollment Dips at Community College

Cora Pursel thought she’d have to scramble to find open classes at Glendale Community College on Friday, the last day of registration before next week’s start of the spring 1994 semester.

But to her surprise, Pursel, 23, was able to pick out her English, sociology and dance courses in 10 minutes.

“I thought there would be more students, (Glendale) being a smaller community,” said Pursel, a former San Diego resident who watched a list of course offerings flash through a computer monitor. “I thought it would be a lot more difficult.”

It hasn’t been more difficult, largely because of the decline in student enrollment at the college this year compared with the previous spring semester, college officials said.

As of Friday, 12,235 part- and full-time students were enrolled at the college--down 565 from the same period last spring, said Registrar Peggy Brown. Classes for the spring semester begin Wednesday.

“It’s not a surge,” Brown said. Registration lines have been “just steady today.”

College officials said late registration figures could help push the enrollment number closer to that of 1993.

Gary Parker, dean of admissions and records, said the dip in registration reflects the enrollment slide facing most of the state’s public universities and community colleges. A Chronicle of Higher Education study showed that from fall 1992 to fall 1993, the community college system suffered a drop of 137,000 students.

Parker said students are staying away from the Glendale college due to either higher tuition costs, which jumped last fall from $10 per unit to $13, or the early spring semester start this year.

“We’re starting two weeks earlier than a year ago, which makes a difference,” he said.

Despite the enrollment drop, Parker said the college will not lose money from the state. Funding for attendance at the college level is based on the number of student class hours taught, and the attendance drop this year will not be severe enough to reduce the level of funding, Parker said.