May 26, 2017 at 3:13 p.m.
Nicolet trustees hear Komp's enrollment data projections
Nicolet trustees hear Komp's enrollment data projections
According to Komp, in fiscal year 2017, enrollment at Nicolet College was projected to increase 1 to 2 percent. This year's increase is a break from the five year decrease in enrollment the college has seen, he added.
Komp said the increase in enrollment is "due to the hard work" of Nicolet staff, and the main factor driving the increase in enrollment is dual credit earning.
Dual credit earning allows high school students who are taking advantage of youth options programs to earn college credits while still attending high school.
However, when trustee Bob Martini asked if the high school students in the program were likely to attend Nicolet College after graduation, Komp said the data shows they are going elsewhere.
Students are becoming better prepared for college at Nicolet and then taking opportunities at other universities, he explained.
Komp said part of the reason enrollment has been down in the district over the past five years is because the high school population has also been declining.
Where there were over 1,000 high school graduates in the Nicolet district five years ago, in the last year only roughly 750 graduated high school.
Komp said that the change in college initiatives in the past year has broken the downward trend, through the promise program, increased recruiting in the district high schools and sharing with Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) schools outside the district.
Komp also said with the economy going up and unemployment going down, enrollment could also decline. Adult learners are less likely to attend college to learn a new skill when there are jobs available, he explained.
If the college takes no action, it can expect to see a continued decline in enrollment, he added.
However, Komp said the college is using the data to develop new programs aimed at reaching out to prospective students based on increased intensities, access and persistence. He said these strategies could lead to sustained growth in the adult learner population and could hold current high school student enrollment numbers.
"It's encouraging to see that some of our efforts have paid off," Martini replied.
"I think the other key takeaway is there's no magic answer," Nicolet President Richard Nelson said. "It's doing a lot of things a little bit better each and every year."
Comments:
You must login to comment.