By Amy Bounds
Camera Staff Writer

A slow economy and increased interest in community colleges are the reasons behind an expected doubling of students enrolled in Boulder County Front Range Community College classes, according to college officials.

As registration wraps up this week for summer classes starting May 28, Dean of Student Services Geri Anderson said she expects enrollment to increase from 600 students last year to 1,200 this year. So far, she said there are already about 1,000 students registered.

"It's a dramatic surge," Anderson said.

She attributed part of the increase to students who are attending four-year colleges in the fall who want to get some of their coursework out of the way this summer, along with students attending the University of Colorado who want to take tough classes at Front Range where the student/teacher ratio is 15:1.

Typically, about 40 percent of the students enrolled are 18 to 24 years old.

Anderson said Front Range also is seeing an increase in people who were laid off as the economy slowed and need training as they try to switch careers. About 15 percent of the students at Front range are older than 45.

Plus, Anderson said Front Range is attracting more students because the college has developed better relationships with high school counselors and held community forums to find out what programs are needed. New programs include Geographic Information Systems, pre-engineering and teacher education.

The most popular summer classes so far are advanced math classes, art, Emergency Medical Systems, nursing and Spanish.

Front Range spokesman John Poynton said the biggest challenge at both the Boulder and Longmont campuses is finding room for all the students.

In the last five years in the fall, student enrollment on the Boulder County campuses has increased about 12 percent each year. The school enrolls about twice as many students in the fall and spring as in the summer. This summer, about 2,300 students enrolled.

Both campuses have been filled to capacity, prompting the college to start offering weekend, late night and early morning classes. Faculty also have given up office space for use as classrooms.

"We find the space, but we know we're operating on borrowed time," Poynton said.

Front Range wants to build a new campus in south Longmont that would relieve the crowding at both the Boulder and Longmont campuses and allow the college to offer more programs.

Front Range plans to submit the new campus plans for approval in June to the Community Colleges of Colorado board. If approved, the plans would then go to the Colorado Commission of Higher Education in August for final approval.

Contact Amy Bounds at boundsa@thedailycamera.com or (303) 473-1341.

May 22, 2002

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