For the first time since 2019, enrollment numbers are on the rise at Danville Community College. While enrollment has plummeted across the country over the last two years, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, DCC is seeing growth for the fall 2022 semester.
“We can attribute this growth to several initiatives,” said Dr. Jerry Wallace, president of Danville Community College. “The staff and faculty at DCC have been working diligently to improve access to our offerings and to make the community aware of what we have to offer. We can say with confidence that their hard work is paying off.”
Last year at this time, DCC was down significantly in total fulltime enrollment, headcount, and dual enrollment students. This trend has been a reality for the college for the last several years.
“We’ve been working very closely with our admissions team, our financial aid staff, and our advisors to identify gaps and to better understand what students need in order to make higher education fit into their everyday lives,’ said Dr. Cornelius Johnson, vice president of academic affairs and student services. “By placing our attention on our students and ensuring that we are providing enough support and wraparound services, we are seeing our numbers increase.”
At DCC, the total full time enrollment (FTE) is up by 5.15% - from 1,262 to 1,327. However, numbers will continue to fluctuate as the semester moves forward, due in part to additional late-starting second 8-week courses.
“We offer additional fall courses that begin later than our traditional 16-week offerings,” said Dr. Johnson. “Students are attracted to these course offerings because they are shorter, with the same amount of information and learning condensed down into a fast-track course. We expect to see additional students enroll for this second wave as we get closer to the October start date.”
While the DCC administration knows there is still work to be done, cautious optimism is felt across the campus as faculty and staff continue to look for ways to further improve their enrollment numbers.
“It’s still early, but we are excited that the growth our team has worked so hard for is finally within reach,” said Dr. Wallace. “I am incredibly proud of what has been done to reach this point and I am thrilled to be a part of what we will do moving forward to continue this trend.”
For more information about Danville Community College, or to enroll in second 8-week fall courses, visit Danville.edu.
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