Monroe County Community College started the Summer 2021 semester on Monday, May 10, with record increases in enrollment following a difficult year for students, faculty and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, MCCC presently tops the list of community colleges in the state of Michigan with 55% increase in headcount and 75% increase in credit hours for Summer 2021 over Summer 2020, with the next highest recorded increases at 21% and 33% respectively.
“We are very excited about this increase. It signals many positive things for our community,” said Dr. Kojo Quartey, president of MCCC. “Above and beyond being a hopeful sign that we are rising above and emerging from the stagnation COVID-19 created, this is a good indicator of economic growth to come for our region. As more businesses are re-opening and even expanding operations, there is a huge demand for highly qualified, well-trained employees and that is our specialty.”
In fact, the number of credit hours that students are taking, and the corresponding billable credit hours are even higher than pre-COVID numbers from the Summer of 2019. “Even with headcount down 5% from pre-pandemic levels in Summer 2019, the 5.4% increase in credit hours indicates the students who are attending this summer are taking more courses or credit hours,” said Dr. Scott Behrens, vice president of enrollment management and student services.
“We can attribute some of this growth to the hard work of MCCC employees and business partners promoting state programs like Futures for Frontliners and MI-Reconnect,” said Dr Behrens. “Our staff has done a tremendous job of making sure we are not only recruiting new students, but also making sure we are connecting with current students to make sure they have the options, resources and support they need to persist in their higher education journey. That has been a big focus of our efforts in recent months.”
Fall 2021 registration is currently underway. Fall classes will begin Wednesday, August 25. “We encourage students and prospective students to register for classes now for the best selection of available courses and sections for fall,” added Dr. Behrens.
“We are looking forward to offering a variety of formats of learning for students in the Fall,” said Dr. Quartey. “Classes will be offered in a several formats: online with no on-campus requirement or specific meeting times; blended classes with some online/virtual and/or on-campus components with specific scheduled class times; and traditional face-to-face, on-campus learning.”
More information about Fall 2021 registration, including courses being offered, office hours for admissions, academic advising and financial aid services and more, can be found at www.monroeccc.edu/registration.