Data has never been more important to CR’s academic and administrative leadership, especially now, as we continue to develop new strategies to recover enrollments lost over the pandemic and work in partnership with our community to rebuild our local economy.
In the past, we’ve been able to better predict our enrollment because it followed trends that could be forecasted through modeling. We could anticipate how many students would enroll based on the total number of class sections we offered and the location and modality by which the classes were scheduled. However, the COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on our ability to adequately predict our future enrollment. Mostly what we’ve seen, however, is a sharp decline in overall enrollments.
California Community Colleges are funded by a Full‐Time Equivalent Student (FTES) workload measure. FTES is not “headcount enrollment,” but is the equivalent of 525 hours of student instruction per each FTES. This allows us to aggregate full-time and part-time student instructional hours. Based on this calculation, I would like to share with you some of the enrollment trends we’ve seen over the past year.
• Total FTES fell from 1,872 in fall semester 2019 (pre-pandemic) to 1,049 in fall semester 2021 (this semester) and represents a 38% decline in enrollments.
• Enrollment in fully online classes has increased substantially since the pandemic, but there has been a decline this fall compared to last spring. Online enrollments in fall 2021 rose by 161% compared to prior to the pandemic. Online enrollments in spring 2021 rose by 210% compared to spring 2020.
• Face-to-face enrollments grew this semester compared to last — there are approximately twice as many students enrolled on the Eureka campus this semester compared to last spring.
• Comparing this fall to last spring, online enrollment decreased by 264 FTES, while face-to-face enrollments increased by 298 FTES.
• In addition to enrollment gains in online classes, enrollment in hybrid classes grew by more than 100 FTES this semester as compared to last semester.
• The change in the average age of our students was also notable. The average age of students this semester was 30 years old compared to 28 years old in 2018-19 and 27 years old in 2016-17. The 30-39 years age group has grown the most.
• Since the pandemic, a higher percentage of students are receiving aid to attend school. 32% of our students received Pell Grants in 2020-21 compared to 28% in 2018-19. Additionally, the number of financial aid recipients grew from 53% in 2018-19 to 59% in 2020-21.
• Our Native American student population, which is typically stable at 6%, declined by one percentage-point during the pandemic which might be due to the lack of courses offered at the Klamath Trinity site. Internet remains unreliable in the Hoopa Valley making it difficult for students to take online classes.
• Face-to-face enrollments in our Pelican Bay Prison Scholars program initiative increased, and enrollment in the county jail has been strong.
While the decline in enrollment is worrying, I believe that it also provides an opportunity for us to use data more effectively to focus our attention on the areas most affected by the pandemic.
I’d like to share a few of the actions we’re taking to reverse the downward trend of enrollment and build a stronger CR.
• Hiring additional staff who will focus solely on outreach and collaborations with our secondary school partners to rebuild our dual enrollment offerings.
• Hiring several new full-time faculty to enhance our career education and Pelican Bay prison education programs.
• Adding new academic programs to our list of curriculum offerings, and adding more sports to the Athletic program.
• We are also taking specific action to become the preferred transfer pathway to Cal Poly Humboldt, expand our offerings that prepare students for living-wage jobs, reduce the barriers to student enrollment, and improve the student experience.
I believe that one of the main drivers of our future institutional success is data. If every person working at CR has access to data relevant to their positions, it will allow them to do their job well, to do their job efficiently, and to be innovative. Innovation and a firm understanding of the needs of our communities will ensure we maintain a vibrant higher educational avenue for the community. Throughout our history, we have proven that the College of the Redwoods can overcome any challenge when we all pull together.
I want to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. I know that College of the Redwoods’ future is very bright and full of hope and a renewed commitment to our mission!
Dr. Keith Flamer is the president of the College of the Redwoods.
