By Greta Lieske
IV Leader Editor
The number of Illinois Valley Community College
students just seems to keep growing and growing since a slump in 2006.
Continuing the trend from last year, enrollment numbers on
the first day of fall classes were up 9.44 percent in “headcount” from the last
year, said Tracy Morris, director of admissions and records. Credit hours have
also increased and are up 4.87 percent from last year.
Morris expects the enrollment increase to be even higher
because of “some fluctuations” she has already seen. “I expect more [the] week
before Sept. 10, which is our census date,” added Morris.
What Morris finds “interesting” about the increase, is the
pattern she is seeing between the state of the economy and student enrollment.
“Generally, when the economy is struggling, we do see increases in enrollment
and that is true this year. Also, there is more carpooling than I have seen in a
long time. This is more than likely impacted by gas prices and the economy in
general.”
The amount of carpooling this year is very different than
Morris’s perceptions last year when she stated in a Sept. 13, 2007 IV Leader
article that with the rising enrollment, lack of close parking was most likely
contributed to by the few amounts of carpoolers.
Fall 2007 student enrollment was a 7 percent increase from
the previous year, and has been climbing in numbers after an almost 8 percent
decrease in 2006.