Friday, January 22, 2010

Spring enrollment at PRCC up 12.7% over last year
Forrest County Center also shows big increase

    POPLARVILLE - Pearl River Community College’s spring semester enrollment for 2010 has reached its highest point ever.
    Through the end of late registration last week, spring enrollment was at 4,800 students, including 3,966 full-time students, on the Poplarville, Hattiesburg and Waveland campuses, as well as classes at satellite sites throughout the district.
    That’s a 12.7 percent increase from spring enrollment in 2009.
    Enrollment at the Forrest County Center in Hattiesburg continues to show an increase. This spring’s total is 1,853 students, an all-time high for the spring. That’s up almost 300 students from a year ago.
    "People need our services and they are coming to us to try to improve the quality of their lives," said PRCC President William Lewis. "What’s significant is that the number of credit hours generated, which is where we receive our appropriations from the state, is up 13.8 percent."
    John Grant, Vice President for Instruction, had praise for the PRCC faculty as they prepare for another busy semester.
    "We are very pleased with our enrollment this semester," said Dr. Grant. "We had anticipated that our enrollment would be greater than it was last spring, and our faculty and administrators did a good job planning for the expected growth."
    This record enrollment follows on the heels of a report last year that PRCC was among the fastest growing two-year schools in the country, according to the Nov. 30 issue of Community College Week. The publication ranked PRCC’s growth 25th among 50 colleges with comparable enrollments.
    The publication divided colleges into four categories nationally: 2,500 students and under; 2,500-4,999 students; 5,000-9,999 students; and 10,000 students and above.
    In the 2,500-4,999 category, PRCC’s 13.7 percent increase from 2,008 to 2,009 ranked 25th nationally in terms of growth. Enrollment grew from 4,593 students to 5,224.
    "Pearl River is proud to be mentioned among the enrollment growth leaders not only in Mississippi, but nationwide as well," said Dr. Lewis. "As our institution continues its significant growth, we are continually mindful of our mission of providing quality educational services for the citizens of south Mississippi."
    Meanwhile, Adam Breerwood, Dean of Student Services, reported that campus housing is just about full for the spring semester.
    "We are not at capacity but we are a little above where we were last year," said Dr. Breerwood. "Our men’s dormitories are full and we have a few women’s rooms available. We have a full schedule of student activities scheduled for this spring and are looking forward to a great semester."
    The Hancock Center in Waveland also continues on a positive trend. Enrollment is at 236 students, plus another 40 are enrolled at the Stennis Space Center.
    "We expect that enrollment to continue to grow in that market," said Dr. Lewis. "It is most pleasing that citizens in south Mississippi recognize the college’s efforts to offer quality and affordable higher educational opportunities."