ERIC Number: ED418739
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1998
Pages: 11
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
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EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
How Community Colleges Can Increase Enrollments During Times of Low Unemployment.
Sundberg, Lori L.
In comparing local unemployment rates with enrollments over a 20-year period at Carl Sandburg College (CSC, Illinois), it was discovered that there is only a moderate correlation between unemployment and vocational, occupational, and GED enrollments, and no correlation at all with enrollments in baccalaureate or transfer programs. These results suggest that, against popular belief, community colleges need not suffer declines in enrollment during periods of low unemployment. Colleges must simply shift their efforts toward marketing those services and programs still in demand. For example, CSC has focused on aggressively recruiting high school seniors, people who are minimally affected by unemployment rates when making their college decisions. The college also has initiated new vocational and occupational programs that are in high demand in the district. These programs admit people who have lost their jobs and help them to increase their earning potential and obtain employment after graduation. As a result of its efforts, CSC has seen a 15% increase in enrollment, while other Illinois community college enrollments have declined. This analysis illustrates the need to accurately determine how unemployment rates affect enrollment at specific schools, and how this information can be used to a school's advantage in its marketing endeavors. (YKH)
Descriptors: Community Colleges, Comparative Analysis, Declining Enrollment, Enrollment Influences, Enrollment Management, Enrollment Projections, Enrollment Rate, Enrollment Trends, High School Seniors, High Schools, Marketing, Program Implementation, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges, Unemployment
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
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