Metro reaches record enrollment
by Dana J. Parker
The Metropolitan
The number of Metro students enrolled for the Fall 2004 semester is a
new record, although official figures will not be available until the
Sept. 8 census date, the end of the period in which classes may be dropped
and added without penalty.
Enrollment at Metro has increased each semester for the past 10 semesters,
according to Director of Admissions Bill Hathaway Clark.
“This reflects the value that Metro has and shows that we continue
to thrive. We are more and more a viable option for the citizens of Denver,”
Clark said.
According to Clark, the unofficial Fall 2004 semester enrollment of 20,962
students, as of Sept. 1, reflects a predicted two to three percent increase.
Clark said the increase in enrollment is largely due to the number of
continuing students, not incoming freshman. In fact, he said, incoming
freshmen number only about 2,000, a figure that has stayed relatively
steady in recent years.
He speculated that registration rates are affected by the economy—in
a booming economic period, registration goes down, and when the economy
is struggling, registration goes up.
Despite the steady increase in enrollment, few problems have been reported.
“I think we had an excellent rush. There were some lines, but
they were manageable and moved quickly and smoothly,” said Jerie
Bray, store manager of the Auraria Campus Bookstore. “We had some
shortages, but we did second-day air and overnight to meet students’
needs. We haven’t had a huge problem running out of books because
we worked with faculty and departments to know in advance when they added
sections due to increased enrollment.”
At the Auraria Child Care Center, Administrative Assistant Francine Alvarado
reported no noticeable increase in enrollment over last semester.
“We’re almost full, but not over-enrolled,” Alvarado
said. “We’re full in toddlers, but there are spaces available
in pre-school and kindergarten.”
The registrar’s office reported no difficulties with the record
number of registrations.
“If we didn’t have MetroConnect, I think we would have had
problems. It’s one of those things that certainly services students,”
said Registrar Tom Gray. “I’ve been doing this now for 32
years and it keeps meaning less and less students are coming to see us.
Fortunately there are no more lines. Before MetroConnect, registration
lines would go up to the second and third floors.”
|
