Article published January 28, 2009
Some local colleges break enrollment records
BGSU only institution where student total slipped from last year
By MEGHAN GILBERT
BLADE STAFF WRITER
The failing economy might be contributing to record growth at some Toledo-area colleges but it also is blamed for an enrollment drop at another.
The University of Toledo has 1,000 more students on campus than it did a year ago, and Owens Community College is counting its largest class of students ever with 21,707. Lourdes College and Mercy College of Ohio also are counting record-breaking growth.
Bowling Green State University is the only local institution on a trend of enrollment decline, with 18,970 students this semester - 373 fewer than it had in spring, 2008.
Mark Gromko, BGSU's interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, said officials saw the declines coming, partly because of the economy.
Residential campuses like BGSU are more negatively affected in tough financial times because students choose a less expensive community college or stay home and commute to an urban university, he said.
"In this time, many people expect two year [colleges] to benefit from the economy as students are looking for the less expensive alternatives," he said, noting that is likely what contributed to the enrollment increases at BGSU's Firelands campus.BGSU had an overall 1.9 percent decrease, which was a reflection of figures from both of its campuses.
The main campus in Bowling Green had a loss of 654 students, or 3.9 percent, and the Firelands campus in Huron, Ohio, increased enrollment by 431 students, which is a 21.8 percent increase.
BGSU has contracted with Noel-Levitz to do a comprehensive, long-term plan for sustainable enrollment, Mr. Gromko said.
At UT, spring enrollment of 20,775 stu-dents is a 5.4 percent increase over the 19,709 enrolled in spring, 2008.
Part of the reason is a larger fall class, which stayed through this spring. The university's continuing student base is up 4.6 percent, said Kevin Kucera, UT's associate vice president of enrollment services.
UT also had increases in new adult students and transfer students.
Owens Community College is reporting some of the increases expected at two-year institutions.
Owens' spring enrollment of 21,707 increased 10 percent over last year with 18,293 students on the Perrysburg Township campus and 3,414 on the Findlay campus. That results in an 8.5 percent increase at the local campus and an 18.5 percent jump in Findlay.
The low tuition, easy access as a community college, and options of technical degrees and pathways to easily transfer to four-year universities help Owens attract more students each semester, said Bill Ivoska, the colleges' vice president of student services.
"This is the largest enrollment in Owens history," Mr. Ivoska said.
"Your immediate thought is it's the weak economic situation causing people going back to school, but that's not necessarily true at Owens - we grow in bad economic times and good economic times."
Lourdes College has broken its enrollment record for the sixth consecutive semester with 2,028 students enrolled, which is a 2.9 percent increase from this time last year when 1,971 students were there.
Part of that increase can be attributed to a 31 percent jump in graduate students from 183 to 241 this spring.
"In these uncertain times, I think people considering going to college are wanting to go to a smaller community and get that intimate attention they need to succeed," Lourdes President Bob Helmer said.
The college also has been working on a new strategic plan that includes athletics, study abroad opportunities, and more programming which is helping attract students, he said.
Mercy College of Northwest Ohio continues to report record-breaking growth.
The college counts 792 students this spring, an 18 percent increase over last year's 669.
The college credits its low tuition and access to clinical programming for its increase in students, as well as the environment of people facing an uncertain future in the current economy.
Contact Meghan Gilbert at:
mgilbert@theblade.com
or 419-724-6134.
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