(February 2, 2010) Stanly Community College is dealing with record enrollments during a tough budget year, college President
Dr. Michael Taylor told SCC trustees during their recent annual planning retreat.

During the session, held in SCC’s Dennis Community Room on the college campus, Dr. Taylor noted that this past fall the college set a new record for enrollment and FTE with 3,183 students taking college courses and
generating 1,257 FTE.

Spring semester enrollment, which is not entirely complete, will also set a new record, Dr. Taylor told the trustees. Current spring semester headcount stands at slightly more than 3,000 with some additional students expected to enroll in courses, which begins later.

Dr. Taylor explained that the college faculty and staff are dealing with these huge numbers while also facing budgets cuts from the state. “We are increasingly being required to do more and more with less and less in state budget support,” Dr. Taylor explained. “From the current state budget of $15,945,754 the college was required to revert back $740,879 for the 2009/2010 year.”

“The economy continues to drive our numbers. Folks who are being laid-off enroll for job training opportunities as they seek new employment. Our enrollment always moves with the unemployment numbers. Conversely, we know as the employment picture brightens our enrollments will level-off or even dip slightly. With that potential level-off or slight dip in mind, we try and not get locked into situations with our own budget where we can’t sustain what we are doing when the enrollment levels go down,” Dr. Taylor explained. “Unfortunately, we are always faced with shrinking state support just when we need even more state funds,” Dr. Taylor added.

It is through a combination of students that the College continues to witness high enrollment numbers. The JobsNOW Training Initiative, which is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Development and local Workforce Development Boards; as well as students entering straight from high school and transferring from a four‐year university, even online students, all make up the increase in the student body.