Classes begin Aug. 30
Aug. 18, 2010
GETTYSBURG – The Gettysburg Campus of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, has reached new heights with enrollment hovering at nearly 20 percent more students than last fall. Near the start of fall classes on Monday, Aug. 30, the local campus projects more than 2,100 students.
Enrollment across HACC’s five campuses and the online Virtual Campus increased 5.7 percent with an all-time high of more than 21,800 students.
“The rate of growth at the Gettysburg Campus is phenomenal,” said Jennifer Weaver, campus vice president. “In our 20th year it’s amazing to see how we’ve grown from less than 200 students at the beginning, to now. We are fortunate enough to be ready for growth because of the expansion last year.”
Part of the campus expansion included the Welcome Center that introduced an innovative approach in student services. Staff at the Welcome Center are cross trained in admissions, registration, financial aid, student accounts and other services. When students visit they can complete the registration in one stop.
“We have been so surprised at the high use of the Web,” said Weaver. “A good 80 percent of our students are now enrolling online. At the Welcome Center they receive instruction on how to register. Once they know how, they realize that’s the way to go.”
The students coming to the Gettysburg Campus are from varying backgrounds, Weaver said.
“We’ve seen a growth spurt with traditional students, coming out of high school, indicating the Gettysburg Campus is the college of choice,” she said. “The new facilities are a big factor, and friendly staff and student-centered faculty are a large draw for them. We are also seeing a number of displaced or transitional workers, who for economic reasons are looking for new career options.”
The number of high school students taking classes is on the rise with HACC’s successful College in the High School program. In fact, 7 percent of the enrollment at the Gettysburg Campus is from high school students taking HACC classes at their high schools with high school instructors who are qualified as HACC adjunct faculty.
“The high schools are supportive of this program,” Weaver said, “and the students like it. They can earn college credits at reduced tuition rates, and the credits can transfer to HACC or to a four year college.”
The Franklin County Career and Technology Center in Chambersburg will start a HACC program for high school students in the spring. The Early Admit program is new to the center, where high school students can take HACC’s general education courses at the center during high school class hours.
For more information about classes at HACC, go to www.hacc.edu or call HACC’s admissions office at the Gettysburg Campus, 337-3855.
More students are also taking online classes in HACC’s Virtual Campus, 7.6 percent more than last year. New for fall are online courses in enology, the science of making wine. Also new is HACC’s partnership with the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association through which journeyman linemen can enroll in the technology studies program with 30 credits already applied toward an associate degree. Most of the remaining requirements can be completed online.
HACC also has more students attending its other regional campuses. The Harrisburg Campus has a 4 percent increase in enrollment. The Lancaster Campus is holding steady and the Lebanon Campus enrollment jumped 10.4 percent. The York Campus continues fast growth with a 10.3 percent increase.
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