MC dual-credit enrollment increases
19 Sep 2017
Author: Midland Reporter Telegram
Dual-credit enrollment at Midland College has increased from fall 2016, trustees learned in a presentation Tuesday at the board’s monthly meeting.
Fall 2017 enrollment for dual credit -- which allows students to earn both high school and college credits -- was 1,392 as of Tuesday. The figure is a jump from 1,116 students during the same semester last year, according to figures provided to the Reporter-Telegram.
But total enrollment was down from last fall, according to the presentation.
The college had an enrollment of 5,811 as of Monday, a drop from 6,026 in fall 2016.
Liz Zenteno, dean of enrollment management, said after the board meeting the college will look at data to make sense of the total enrollment change from last fall.
She attributed the increase in dual-credit enrollment to career and technical offerings.
“It’s exciting to have students engaging while they’re in high school with something that supports their endorsement -- making their graduation plan -- but that also again gets them engaged with Midland College,” Zenteno said. “We’re hoping to see that also results in some longer-term relationships with the students and more completion of credentials for them.”
A career and technology pathways program was announced last week. The expanded partnership between MC and Midland ISD received support from the Abell-Hanger Foundation and the Midland Development Corp., according to a previous Reporter-Telegram story.
“Even though there was an announcement last week, the deal was worked out with Midland Development Corp. in time to catch these students in the fall semester,” Zenteno said. “So if they’re starting their new year at their high school, Midland College is able to offer career and technical classes.”
The expanded partnership focuses on job skills, and Zenteno said the college also tries to offer dual-credit academic courses that meet core curriculum of Texas institutions. In the future, she said the college wants to spread the word about its offerings.
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