Community Colleges See Surge in Summer Students

Orange County’s community colleges report a surge in summer enrollment caused by, among other things, an increase in class offerings and stepped-up marketing to reach talented high school seniors and juniors who can now take summer classes tuition-free.

The enrollment jumps over last summer range from 22% at Orange Coast College to more modest hikes of 2% to 5% on other campuses, such as Golden West and Saddleback, college officials reported this week. None reported a decrease.

College officials said they would need to study the numbers to better assess who these students are and why they came.

At Coastline Community College, where enrollment increased 19%, President Leslie Purdy said: “We find this whole issue of enrollment is more an art than a science. Sometimes in the past it’s been true that enrollment declines when the economy is up. But we’ve got a strong economy and enrollment is high.”

For many campuses, the increase coincides with a boost in course offerings this summer or campus expansion. Rancho Santiago Community College District, which includes Santa Ana College and Santiago Canyon College in Orange, added 100 courses this summer.

“We had a record-breaking enrollment increase in the fall, up 22%,” said Sara Lundquist, executive dean of student services at Rancho Santiago Community College District in Santa Ana. “It was the largest in our history and there are a number of reasons for that. After long period of severe financial retrenchment, the state was giving us more funding so we could offer more classes. So there is a huge amount of pent-up demand we could accommodate.”

Coastline said its increase can be partly explained by the recent opening of new classrooms in Garden Grove to serve the growing population in that area.

And like other campuses, it targeted high school seniors and juniors. Colleges will waive the $13-per-unit tuition if they have a recommendation from their high school and pass any required placement tests.

Although she did not have precise figures, the secondary school students are “certainly a component of the increase,” Purdy said.

Ken Yglesias, president of Golden West College in Huntington Beach, which posted a 5% increase, said his school sent out personalized letters to seniors touting the benefits of “earning early college credit.”

Saddleback in Mission Viejo coordinated with nearby high schools to recruit students.

“They can graduate as a senior in high school and be ready to start as a college sophomore,” by building up first-year general education requirements in community college, said Bill Andrews, vice president of instruction, who said the 270 high school students enrolled this summer reflects a quadruple increase.

But in most cases, officials said, the majority of students identify themselves as “transfers,” meaning they plan to transfer to a four-year university or already attend one.

With the University of California and California State University campuses facing perennial problems with overcrowded lower-level classes, some community colleges have taken out ads in four-year college newspapers touting their summer courses and the fact that in many cases the credit is transferable to four-year universities.

“Things to do this summer . . . Head to the beach, Take a vacation, GO TO COLLEGE! Rancho Santiago College offers $13 per unit, your best value in education,” reads an ad in a recent issue of the UC Irvine student newspaper.

Irvine Valley College, which added a second summer session because of a 9% increase in enrollment, saw heavy demand from students needing to fill in courses missed over the fall and spring semesters as well as from students at four-year colleges.

The college this year stepped up its promotion efforts, for the first time running ads in movie theaters showing hot summer films.

“That’s where you get the young crowd,” said spokesman George McCrory.

For students not already attending college, computer training and information technology courses have been hot, he said.

“It’s mainly people returning to college for a new career,” he said. “They have been downsized or laid off from a previous job and are looking for new training.”

Other colleges report the same thing, noting that more people who already hold bachelor’s degrees are coming back, largely because the colleges no longer charge them extra. Until last year, people with such degrees paid $50 per unit.

“It’s taken a while but word is getting out and they’re coming back,” said Nancy L. Kidder, dean of admissions and records at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa. She said the college showed a 54% increase in such students, from 508 to 782.

There are signs the summer surge will continue in the fall. Several campuses report applications for the fall semester are running 10% to 30% over last year.

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Student Uprising

Summer enrollment at Orange County community colleges has increased this year across the board with the largest jump occurring at Orange Coast College. Percentage increase from 1996:

Note: Rancho Santiago figure includes both campuses

Coastline: 19%

Cypress: 11%

Fullerton: 11%

Golden West: 5%

Irvine Valley: 8%

Orange Coast: 22%

Rancho Santiago: 18%

Saddleback: 2%

Source: Individual schools