BBCC enrollment down from last year's record high

Fall quarter 2011 full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment dropped 9.6 percent at Big Bend Community College compared to 2010.

By headcount--all students taking at least one class--enrollment is down 12.6 percent from fall 2010, according to college officials.

Long waiting lists and fewer class offerings were the norm for BBCC students this fall. The college did not open new sections to meet demand due to state budget restrictions. Classes with low enrollment were canceled.

BBCC set a fall quarter enrollment record in 2010 with 1,741 FTE’s. Headcount was 2,357. Those numbers dropped this fall to 1,571 FTE’s and 2,059 headcount. Seventy-one percent of BBCC students this fall are attending full time.

Since 2009, BBCC has lost 27 positions including nine full-time faculty. Class offerings have been reduced and equipment budgets slashed. The state legislature will meet in special session Nov. 28 to consider more cuts for community colleges.