VOL/ 39, NO. 1 • SEPTEMBER 7-20, 2005
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Enrollment edges up at Golden West College
By Ashley Weis
Western Sun staff writer

The fall semester kicked off last Monday and one of the main topics on the minds of faculty here at Golden West College is enrollment—is it up or down and how will this affect us?

Each year state funding for community colleges is based on enrollment. As a general rule, rising student numbers mean more revenue from Sacramento.

Last fall, enrollment at Golden West had increased from the previous school year. This factor -- increased enrollment -- combined with a provision in the state’s budget, allowed for the addition of more sections this fall. Students will see this continue on through the spring semester, as even more class sections will be added.

For those concerned with fees, there is no need to worry. The money that Golden West received will allow the campus to increase the amount of classes offered without raising the price per unit.

Things appear to be improving each year, according to GWC President Wes Bryant, who said, “When they put the [increased enrollment] factor into the formula — the college got more money this year than last year.”

As of Aug. 31 Golden West College had 12,625 students enrolled—an increase of 78 students from last fall’s numbers. And this wasn’t the only positive increase—the total number of hours students spend on campus is up 3 percent and the total number of units taken is up 6 percent.

However, some students still have not had the fortune of seeing these positive changes.

Classes are still filling up just as quickly as they did previously and many students are still dealing with the same problems.

Jade Legrande is one of those students. According to Jade, “I was listed in a class on my paper but the teacher From front page didn’t have me on the roll sheet, so I had to petition a class I was already enrolled in.”

But the college administration has heard the cries of its many students and is working on an answer, school officials say.

They have begun to notice that each year there tends to be a greater demand for classes in the math and science areas. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to find classrooms that can accommodate these courses.

With the amount of people earning college degrees on the rise, the demand for transfer courses has also begun to increase, making it difficult for students to get the classes that they really need.

But there is an answer. With the money that the school has accumulated from the rise in enrollment, they will be able to hire more instructors to accommodate the increased number of students at GWC.