Waynesville sees increase in spring enrollment

By Steve Koehler

Ozarks Technical Community College’s Waynesville Education Center continues to grow in the first year of its existence in Pulaski County.

Figures released this week show that there are 138 enrolled in the Spring semester, up from the 124 who attended in the center’s first fall semester.

“The Waynesville – St. Robert area residents have warmly welcomed the College by offering support and assistance. It is an exciting opportunity for the College to be part of the higher education community of such a progressive, diverse area of the state,” said Sue Moore, dean of extended campuses and college outreach at OTC.

A breakdown of the Spring enrollment numbers show:

Rosalind Pride, coordinator of Waynesville center, said the success at the Waynesville center to prompt the school of offer 22 classes in the summer and next fall, there will be 61 classes offered compared to the 35 the center offered last fall.

“We are excited and amazed at the growth here in Waynesville. The community here in Waynesville has been amazingly supportive. We look forward to continually assisting the community with its education needs,” she said.

Enrollment is up at all of the College’s education centers in Centers in Branson, Lebanon, and Waynesville, incousing by 37 percent.

“In these difficult economic times, it is even more important for higher education to be convenient, accessible, and affordable for all.  The College strives to support the local economies of communities within the service region through high quality workforce, technical, and general education,” Moore said.

Overall, OTC’s spring enrollment is up 6.9 percent overall from last spring with a total of 10,588 students taking classes.

“I believe that half of the increase is based on the hard times we are in and half is due to OTC continuing to meet the needs of people in our service area,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, president of OTC.
 
“I think it shows that when the times are tough, they know that going to a community college is the best thing they can do to improve their lives. More education and training are going to help you.”

Steve Koehler is coordinator of publications at Ozarks Technical Community College.