This content was published: October 19, 1998. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Enrollment for Fall Up Slightly at PCC
Photos and story by Mark Evertz
At the end of the fourth week of fall term, enrollment is up once again at Portland Community College, the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon. The full-time-equivalent (FTE) enrollment, which adds full- and part-time enrollments to get an equivalent full-time figure, is up 1.3 percent from fall term 1997.
The number of enrollments, known as headcount, is also up 44 students from last year to 35,155 students.
The enrollment picture college-wide shows an increase in enrollment in lower-division classes, the courses that students take in order to transfer to four-year schools. This fall, lower-division enrollment is up 2 percent college-wide over fall 1997. There is also significant growth in enrollment for students in the English as a second language (ESL) program (up 10.5 percent), and the GED program (up 46.8 percent).
"What these numbers say to me is that we are seeing slow, steady growth in the number of transfer students," said Guy Sievert, PCC dean of academic services. "We are also seeing substantial growth in our GED/ESL programs and in the self-improvement community education classes."
By campus, at Sylvania, both FTE and headcount are up 1.7 percent and 1.3 percent respectively from last year. There are 12,070 students taking classes at Sylvania this fall, up from 11,920 last fall.
At Rock Creek, enrollment for the comprehensive campus and its open campus totaled an increase of 1 percent over last year at this time. Lower-division transfer classes at the campus jumped 2.7 percent during the same time period, and headcount for Rock Creek was also up 1.2 percent, with 5,166 students attending classes at the main campus and 3,511 students attending classes through Rock Creek Open Campus.
At the Cascade Campus, overall FTE at the main campus and Open Campus locations increased 1.1 percent over last fall. This fall, 4,801 students will attend classes at the main campus on North Killingsworth. This represents a slight drop at the main campus of 264 students, but with the 14,205 students who will attend classes through Cascade Open Campus, up 458 students from fall 1997, there is an overall increase in enrollment at Cascade.
PCC’s Open Campus offers continuing and life-long learning classes in approximately 200 community locations throughout the metro area.