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March 7, 2005

HCC SETS SPRING ENROLLMENT RECORD

BRIDGEPORT -- Housatonic Community College has once again set a Spring enrollment record, registering 4,517 students for the current semester at the downtown Bridgeport campus.

The enrollment represents a 3 percent increase over the 4,384 who registered last Spring and a 71 percent increase over the 2,643 that registered in the Spring of 1996, the college’s last Spring semester at it’s old Barnum Avenue campus. It continues a growth trend that has seen the college set a new Spring enrollment record each year and in one case, a new overall record.

“ We’re delighted with the new enrollment,” said HCC President Janis M. Hadley. “Our goal is to provide the community with the educational access it needs to achieve success in life,” she said. “Our enrollment growth, coupled with our student retention achievements and financial aid track record, shows just how well we have been able to do this.”

HCC’s student retention achievements have won the college national recognition. HCC was one of four colleges nationally to win the MetLife Foundation Best-Practice Award for student retention, which is a measure of a college’s effectiveness in helping students realize their goals in attending college.

HCC received the award for achieving an attention-getting 162.73 Retention Index score in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement as well as its retention data and strategies. A score of 150 stands out.

In addition, Housatonic placed first in the Support for Learners category, with a score of 62.4. The national average for this category was 50.

Likewise, in the category of Student Effort, HCC achieved a score of 55, which placed it in the top 10. The average score in this category was 50 as well.

The college, which moved to the site of the old Hi-Ho Mall in January, 1997, awarded $5.6 million in financial aid to 2,282 students during fiscal 2003-04. About 90 percent of those awards were for tuition, books and fees.

Compared to 1996-97, this figure represents a 101 percent increase in the number of students assisted and a 217 percent increase in the number of financial aid dollars awarded.

“For many students, financial aid can take the form of on-campus employment,” Dr. Hadley said. “This can give students a source of income to be used for education as well as practical experience that can be used later in their careers.”

The new enrollment figures show that part-time students still make up the largest percent of students, comprising 71 percent of the student body. Women still outnumber men, comprising 67 percent of the student population. The average student is a 27-year-old female.

Some 83 percent (3406) of the students are pursuing an associate degree, while 4 percent are seeking one-year certificates. The remainder is non-degree students.

Some 75 percent of HCC’s students are pursuing Associate in Science degrees, while 8 percent are pursuing Associate in Arts degrees. Four percent are seeking certificates while the remainder is other non-degree students.

HCC continues to attract a diverse student body. Nearly 53 percent of the students are African American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian.

Housatonic is one of the country’s fastest-growing public community colleges. According to the most recent statistics, released by the Washington D.C- based American Association of Community Colleges, Housatonic is the second fastest-growing community college in the Northeast and that region’s fastest-growing in terms of full-time students.

In response to increased enrollments and changing workplace needs both regionally and nationally, Housatonic has increased the number of programs offered from 43 to 63 since moving to its new campus.

The college is located in downtown Bridgeport, a block from the Arena at Harbor Yard.