Spring enrollment increased 1.7 percent after adding 90 additional class sections this semester, according to Edward Karpp, dean of research, planning and grants at Glendale Community College.
With the added classes, 7,936 more students enrolled in transfer-unit classes, a 5.8 percent increase compared to fall 2012 and an overall 5.3 percent increase since spring 2012.
The added classes were a result of the 2012 elections, when Proposition 30 passed, which helped the college avoid a $4.6 million mid-year budget cut.
“If Proposition 30 didn’t pass, we were planning on how to find the $4.6 million, and part of it was cutting classes,” said Ron Nakasone, executive vice president of administrative services. “When it passed, we weren’t going to take that cut. We added back about 250 classes in spring.”
Additional hourly instructors were recruited to accommodate the added classes.
Social science division chair Michael Dulay said seven additional sections were added to anthropology, economics, geography, history, philosophy, psychology and social science.
“The additional sections created more enrollment opportunities for students, especially in our more impacted areas,” Dulay said. “I’m sure that things will stabilize over the next few semesters, and that we’ll continue to help students work toward their goals.”
With the increased number of classes, some students can see improvement in their matriculation process compared to last semester.
First year nursing student Brian Diaz, 18, said he was waitlisted in a couple of classes. Eventually he was admitted to both.
“Last semester, I was waitlisted in three of my classes and I didn’t get in,” Diaz said.
Other students, such as graphic design major Sara Park, 26, didn’t see any change this semester.
“It got worse,” Park said, “It’s harder to get classes this semester than last semester.” She noticed that some teachers take waitlisted students and some didn’t.
With more classes and new professors, the demand, however, hasn’t been met.
Nakasone said the demand is much higher than what the school can provide.
“We could probably increase the number of classes we have, simply to meet the demand,” Nakasone said. “We could fill them, but we don’t get any additional money for it, so we are conscious of the budget, and trying to stay within what our budget will be able to fund.”
Starting in the summer, GCC will look at adding more classes for the next academic year. Nakasone also said there is a discussion on bringing back winter session.
For now, however, some say the additions appear to help.
Dulay said, “This is the first time in years that we’ve been able to schedule additional sections, so it feels good to know that we’re moving in the direction [again] of putting student learning and enrollment opportunity first.”
“This semester, I did get all the classes I needed, so I guess it was a good change for me for now,” Diaz said. “Hopefully it stays like that.”
