CC shatters fall enrollment record

Clarendon College officials are celebrating a new milestone after recording the highest fall enrollment in the institution’s history.

The fall headcount settled at 1,590 following the 12th class day, setting a record for the 119-year-old college and edging past the previous record of 1,586 set back in 2010.

“We’re very proud of the effort of everybody involved,” CC President Robert Riza said. “Now we want to break 1,600.”

The new high represents a growth of 108 students over fall 2016, an increase of 7.3 percent.

It’s been a good year for Clarendon College. Spring enrollment was up 13.34 percent, the spring mini-session grew 172 percent, CC’s 12-week summer session for its career and technical classes was up 41 percent, and the college’s traditional five-week Summer I session was up 53 percent.

“We you look back at our strategic plan and the initiatives it included, it was a plan about processes,” Dr. Riza said. “Nowhere did it talk about enrollment, but it took care of itself when we made it more efficient to get into school and pay for school.”

Growth this fall came in several areas but particularly in Clarendon where the census in the dorms went from 248 to 281 and overall headcount went from 290 to 338.

“When you have 281 in the dorms and the max is 288, that drives the home campus higher,” Riza said, noting the new Honors College program, the revived Equine Judging program, and bigger livestock and meats judging teams as being reasons for growth.

Dual credit classes in area high schools also grew significantly with 621 students last year compared to 678 this year. Numbers from specific school districts fluctuated, but the largest growth came from outside the college’s traditional service area with 72 kids at Canadian High School taking government and history courses in a pilot program there.

CC’s campus in Pampa was also up 3.5 percent with 238 students. The Amarillo campus was flat in traditional cosmetology classes but saw growth in dual credit students attending there. The Childress campus was down slightly with 43 students.

“We have a faculty that works with kids, and a staff that works hard,” Riza said. “We have people that want to be a part of what we’re doing, and it’s what we’ve all been working on for four years.”