NMSU enrollment at all-time high

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Fall enrollment at New Mexico State University-Grants has increased over last year’s by 8.1 percent, and last year was the all-time record enrollment, Harry Sheski, Ed.D., campus academic officer, said.

The head count for fall at the Grants campus as of Sept. 7, the census date, was 751, Sheski said. That translates into an Full Time Equivalent count of 433.86.

“The census date is the official date the college takes count of the number of students enrolled,” he said.

“Last year on the fall census date in September, the count was 695, and increase over the previous year of about 5 percent.”

Colleges and universities use a formula, part of which is called “Full Time Equivalent,” to determine how much funding is received.

Funding is not immediate, it comes a year later, he said.
There are new college courses and programs, and the college is expanding its online offerings to encourage enrollment, he said.

“The new nursing program has five students in its first ‘cohort,’ and several others have registered and are taking classes in the nursing prerequisites.”

Sheski said enrollment has increased because students have registered in a variety of courses which have small numbers, and they have all added up to help set the record.

“We are trying to enhance our online offerings too,” he said.

Online courses
Beth Armstead, counselor for the college, said several online courses have brought new students to the campus. Counseling and educational psychology are new, as well as several new educational courses and a new art instructor have combined to offer new classes never before offered.

“Working adults really like the online classes,” she said, “and several of the new courses offered this year have filled up.”

“Two early childhood classes online have been real successful this year, and an Introduction to Weather Science had to expand to two sections online,” Armstead said.

The positive news about enrollment may even get better, Sheski said.

“We begin our second eight-weeks semester on Oct. 17 and we have yet to decide whether a corrections officer academy will be offered this semester. If we offer the academy those students will count also,” he said.

At the end of the year, in May, when the final count is made, Sheski said he expects enrollment for the year to also be record-breaking.

Dual enrollment has also played a large part in the increase of students this year, Sheski said. Dual enrollment allows high school students to take college courses for credit while still in high school.

There are about 80 high school students taking classes this year, and two years ago there were only between 10-15, Sheski said.

Students who graduate from the GED program also have helped increase the enrollment with 21 or 22 taking classes this fall, Sheski said.

“We hope to see more of the 60-80 GED graduating students start taking classes,” he said.

“Whatever increase we get this year, as a result in increased FTE, we will not get the funding until next year,” Sheski said.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.