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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
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Summer's over, classes start at CLC CENTRAL LAKES COLLEGE: A NEW YEAR Staff Writer Summer break has ended in the lakes area as Central Lakes College students returned to school Monday. Most area school districts start classes Sept. 4.
First-day enrollment at Central Lakes College is up 3.5 percent over last year's start of the fall semester. The community and technical college, with campuses in Brainerd and Staples, reported a boost that reflects increases in full- and part-time students and the number of high school students concurrently enrolled.
"I think we're off to a good start," said CLC President Larry Lundblad. "Everybody's kind of scurrying around trying to find classes and buy textbooks but I think everybody's very positive. I think we're going to have a good year at Central Lakes."
Lundblad said this is the first year since 2002 that CLC has shown a fall enrollment increase.
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Cassie Hill, Garrison, checked into one of her online courses in the computer commons area Monday at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Classes at both the Brainerd and Staples campuses began Monday. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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"So we're real pleased," said Lundblad.
"It's been a great day back," said Tom Sheveland, a second year CLC student majoring in law enforcement. "I'm enjoying it. I've seen a lot of old faces, a lot of new faces."
Those new faces at CLC Monday included freshman Heidi Walter, a 2007 Pequot Lakes High School graduate who plans to become a nurse. She said she chose CLC to remain close to home while completing her general courses.
"I've seen a lot of people I know, which is really nice," Walter said. She said she's looking forward to the "whole college experience."
Emily Yu, of Taipei, Taiwan, was an exchange student at Pierz Healy High School last year and decided to return to the Brainerd lakes area to attend college at CLC. She hopes to improve her English while at CLC and also become a certified public accountant.
"I like the weather but not the winter," Yu said with a smile, speaking of the Brainerd lakes area.
Pamela Nelson-Hornby was kept busy working at the help desk in the computer commons area because students often needed help the first day finding out their user name and e-mail addresses to access the college computer system. Several students who take online courses were already parked at one of the 90 computers in the computer commons area Monday afternoon.
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Heidi Walter, Pequot Lakes, relaxed between classes in the lounge area at Central Lakes College in Brainerd. Walter, a 2007 Pequot Lakes High School graduate, said she saw many people she knows during her first day of school Monday at CLC. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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While area school districts haven't yet started school, Lundblad said many area high schools are offering college classes taught by high school instructors using curriculum advised by CLC faculty collaborators. Some are partners in online delivery or have otherwise contracted college-level course work.
The high school students who are concurrently enrolled receive college credit from CLC for successful completion of course work.
CLC has 1,912 full-time students and 1,010 part-time students on opening day for a total of 2,922. Of those, 1,278 are new students and 1,644 are returning.
The college tracks credit-based enrollment that indicates full-year equivalency and which drives funding and has budgetary implications. The fall term FYE on Aug. 27 stood at 1,165, compared to last year's opening-day FYE of 1,126. This accounts for the 3.5 percent increase.
Student FYE is calculated by dividing the total number of student credits by 30. Thirty is an average number of credits to be considered a full-time student over two semesters of enrollment.
Enrollment is expected to fluctuate during the first week, a period in which students are allowed to drop or add classes without penalty. Also, when high schools throughout the region start their classes next week, additional changes are likely to occur.
Districts that are currently affiliated with CLC to offer college-level courses or considering affiliation include Aitkin, Bertha-Hewitt, Brainerd, Browerville, Crosby-Ironton, Eagle Valley, Isle, Little Falls, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Onamia, Pequot Lakes, Pierz, Pillager, Royalton, Sauk Centre, Staples-Motley, Swanville-Upsala and Verndale.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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