In a phenomenon triggered by the economic recession, community colleges across the country are reporting record numbers of applicants, and some schools are coming up with innovative ways of meeting the needs of increasingly diverse student bodies.
Community colleges have become increasingly attractive options for students ranging from returning workers looking to bolster their résumés or switch careers to high school graduates choosing a less expensive alternative to traditional four-year colleges.
Enrollment at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston, enrollment rose 23 percent from last year, pushing the total number of students over 10,000 for the first time in the college's history.
"Obviously it's the economy," Bunker Hill Spokesperson Colleen Roach said, referring to the reason behind the school's unprecedented increase in enrollment. "More and more students and parents are making decisions based on their financial situation, and community colleges are a good buy."
Though teenagers still account for a significant portion of the school's enrollment, returning adult students have come to represent an increasingly sizeable share of Bunker Hill's student body.
"[Many workers] are losing their jobs, and they're forced to look for career alternatives," Roach said.
Bunker Hill pushed back the start date of an entire series of courses by about a week in September after the college's existing facilities proved insufficient to accommodate the "We had to rent space in a nearby office building very quickly, as soon as we saw the enrollment," Roach said. Bunker Hill even opened a new satellite campus at Malden High School to provide more space.
The college retained its entire staff, and hired new adjunct professors to teach many courses. Bunker Hill also began offering different types of classes to cater to the diverse crop of students.
"Second Act," a series of six-week career courses, represents "a very good step to helping people find jobs in areas like being a medical aide, a nurse aide, working on computers, [being a] Web developer, things like that — practical courses," Roach said.
And some of Bunker Hill's classes now begin at midnight to accommodate the schedules of students working late shifts. The college has become the first in the country to offer classes at that time of night.
Professor Wick Sloane teaches an English class and an introductory psychology course, both offered at midnight, at Bunker Hill. He described his students as demographically diverse, ranging in age from 18 to 50.
All of his students show strong motivation, he said. "They'd rather take [a class] at midnight and make progress than wait until next semester for a more convenient time of day," Sloane said.
While many colleges attribute enrollment increases primarily to older students returning to school, Cape Cod Community College spokesperson Michael Gross contends that this demographic actually comprises a minority of the student body at the West Barnstable, Mass. school and that, on the whole, the increase in students has been exaggerated by the media.
Cape Cod Community College has seen a rise in enrollment, but the jump is not particularly exceptional, Gross told the Daily. Enrollment has increased three to four percent each year over the past three or four years, he said.
"This fall, we're seeing a seven percent increase of students attending our community college, but that is more or less typical of what we're seeing across the country right now," he added.
Recent high-school graduates comprise the majority of Cape Cod Community College students, while students dropping out of four-year colleges have also made their way to the school, according to Gross.
"There are a number of students who have chosen to come back to their homes and us for the next semester, leaving four-year institutions where they had been attending, primarily because of very significant tuition increases," Gross said.
At Massasoit Community College in Brockton and Canton, Mass., an enrollment spike has led to more course offerings.
The college's 7,941 students this semester represent a 7.4 percent increase over last year and the highest enrollment in the college's history, according to Richard Cronin, the school's acting vice president of student services and enrollment management.
The school's most popular courses are those in the core curriculum, primarily math and English, Cronin said, adding that the college has added more sections in these subjects to accommodate new students.
"We expanded our weekend-offering programs, offering more programs on Saturday and Sundays than we have in the past," he said. "We've seen growth in our online programs as well."
Holyoke Community College's enrollment jumped 14.3 percent over last year, as of mid-September, according to school spokesperson Anne Sroka.
The Holyoke, Mass., school has never had a student body above 7,000 before this year's 7,851. The college has hired adjunct faculty and increased the number of course sections for the fall semester.
Holyoke also raised fees for its fall courses, and financial aid applications have increased.
"We have seen an increase in students seeking financial aid," Sroka said. "I think that says something about the economy."
