October 25, 2017 at 4:34 p.m.
Nicolet College 2016-2017 school year statistics released to public
Nicolet College 2016-2017 school year statistics released to public
By By Evan J. Pretzer-
With this reflective remark, Nicolet Area Technical College vice president of student affairs Kate Ferrel began her biannual briefing to the school's board of trustees Monday night.
In her short presentation, she touched on enrollment statistics and some related issues.
In a sign of growth for the school, the number of students enrolled full-time - meaning under the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) they are taking and earning 30 credits or more in a fiscal period - increased by two percent from the last year.
According to calculations based on the college's online student body data, this means there are now 789 full-time learners on campus as opposed to 770 learners previously.
"This was the first time in about five years we'd seen a bit of an increase," Ferrel told the board. "It's not much, but it was an increase so we are going to take it."
Here, the group was a bit confused. Seeking clarification from Ferrel, the trustees asked if the number of credits required to be considered full time had changed from 30 to 12.
In response, Ferrel noted one would be considered full time at 12 credits for financial aid purposes but would have to be taking 30 to be viewed in this way by the WTCS.
Later, the presentation took a turn towards some less optimistic statistics.
Currently, the school is tracking 2 percent down in the number of full-time students from where they were during this period in the prior year. Though this would be concerning, Ferrel noted the college experienced a similar pattern of decline in the past but ultimately ended up concluding other years with a two percent increase when finished.
In addition, she touted a new program designed to keep struggling students in school and on the proper path to receiving an education from the Rhinelander-based institution.
"We're working on implementing a retention based software called Starfish," she said. "What it will do is prompt earlier intervention with students at risk so our staff can reach out sooner. We need this because, sometimes, by the time a communication loop reaches back to those who can help, it's too late. A student has left and the train has left the station."
After this, Ferrel wrapped up her briefing and thanked the trustees for allowing her department to do whatever they needed to improve the experience for area students.
"We've got a lot of great stuff going on. I appreciate the support the board gives to us so we may be bold and try lots of new things," she said.
Evan J. Pretzer may be reached via email at [email protected].
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