College numbers are up

TC enrollment has increased by 4 percent

Texarkana College President James Henry Russell is pleased more students are enrolled this fall than fall 2012, growth he attributes to several factors, including the way TC is now tak ing care of its business.

“First, I attribute these higher numbers to the fact that Texarkana College is doing better,” Russell said. “The last couple of years have been a roller coaster. Now that the college is stabilizing, I think people are more confident in enrolling at TC.”

According to a report to TC board members during their regular meeting Tuesday night, enrollment is up 4 percent, with 4,121 students pursuing academic associate degrees, workforce certificates and dual credit hours. Fall 2012 enrollment totaled 3,957 students, said Jamie Ashby, director of institutional effectiveness and research.

TC also can boast a 12 percent increase in the number of contact hours, which Ashby said is “the real success story.” Contact hours are the number of hours a

student spends in class with instructors each week.

Compared to 796,736 contact hours last fall, TC students are currently enrolled in 892,960 credit hours, though this year’s numbers have not yet been certified by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. At Texas community colleges, contact hours are based on calculations made on the 12th day of instruction, Ashby explained.

Russell said enrolling at TC has never been easier, the financial aid office has streamlined its processes, and, perhaps more important, Bowie County students pay in-district tuition rates, which makes the college more affordable for a larger portion of the public.

The president said the college in the past couple of years has devoted more effort to raising its student-completion rates.

“There is a huge focus now on completion, not just taking classes,” Russell said. “Our faculty is focused on students taking the right courses and completing those courses in order to obtain their ultimate goal of earning a degree or certificate.”

Russell said TC officials and faculty encourage students to set a goal to get a degree from the first day they enter school.

“I ask students in freshman orientation how many of them could use an extra half-million dollars in their lifetime, and that really gets their attention,” Russell said. “Statistics show they will average $500,000 more in their lifetime if they have an associate degree.”

Mary Ellen Young, division chairman of humanities and Phi Theta Kappa sponsor, began a campaign two years ago to encourage students to finish what they have started. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges and academic programs. Russell said Young and her PTK members have been great at encouraging students to stay in school.

“After two years of this campaign, we’re really starting to see the fruits of their labors,” Russell said. “This campaign encourages them to set a goal to complete their degree or certificate. We know life gets in the way for many community college students. There are financial issues, marriage, family, whatever—life gets in the way and they quit, but we talk to them and let them know how good life will be if they will complete their goal.”

While this semester’s numbers are up from last fall, enrollment is down from the fall 2009 semester high, when 4,917 students were enrolled. Fall 2009 was also a high point for contact hours, as more than 1 million hours were logged that semester.

What has changed since 2009? Plenty, Russell said.

TC’s financial woes came to light in 2009, and Russell said the college lost some of its credibility. Also since 2009, TC has gained two competitors, so to speak. In the fall of 2011, Texas A&M University-Texarkana expanded from an upper-level, two-year college to a four-year university, meaning for the first time in Texarkana history, college students could choose to take freshman and sophomore classes at two schools instead of one.

The following fall, in 2012, the University of Arkansas Community College Hope at Texarkana opened its doors to students on the Arkansas side of town.

“In 2009, we were the only entity in town offering freshman classes; today there are three, plus online colleges,” Russell said. “Considering all of the opportunities for students in this area, we are so excited with our growth and the fact that so many have chosen Texarkana College. These are all good things.”

He said officials at all three schools see themselves as partners, not competitors, and they are working together, Russell said.

“What all of us want is a bettereducated public,” he said.