Enrollment decline a continuing concern at community college

LACONIA — Enrollment continues to decline at Lakes Region Community College, forcing reductions in budgets and full-time faculty, the school said in a self-study report submitted to the New England Commission of Higher Education.

A commission team will hold a meeting at the school at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday to receive public input as part of the accreditation process.

One way of measuring enrollment is by the number of credits sold. This metric declined by 15 percent this fall, the report said.

College President Larissa Baia said the size of the drop was surprising.

“We knew we were going to have a decline but had no idea it would be that much of a decline,” she said in an interview Friday.

A low unemployment rate, an aging population and fewer students in local high schools are all issues that reduce the number of people who sign up for community college, she said. Also, some students may attend only a couple classes needed for certification in their field. Finally, there is competition from other institutions.

These trends exist broadly throughout the state’s community college system, but LRCC is alone among the seven member campuses to experience a drop in the number of credits sold between 2008 and 2017, down by 7 percent. Systemwide, those numbers are up 18 percent, peaking in 2011.

“We know there are areas we need to work on in improving the enrollment picture,” Baia said. “We need to recruit and retain more students. That affects our financial picture.”

The total headcount of students has declined from 1,247 in 2014 to 861 in 2017.

The school relies on tuition for much of its funding. Student tuition and fees for the 2018 fiscal year were $521,000 – or 10 percent – less than what was budgeted.

Budget declines force cutbacks in faculty positions. There are 28 full-time faculty now, compared to 36 in 2014. There are 87 adjunct teachers.

In its report, the college said it “takes steps to ensure that the quality of its instruction is not diminished through its reliance on a significant number of adjunct faculty.

“The College recognizes this challenge and takes steps to ensure that the quality of its instruction is not diminished through its reliance on a significant number of adjunct faculty.

“Liberal Arts provides an example of one department that addressed this concern by hiring a full-time English faculty member charged with overseeing all adjunct faculty teaching the College Composition (Freshman English) course.

“This was done in order to ensure that required components are incorporated and taught to department standards.”

Baia said the school is trying several things to boost enrollment.

“We’re always trying new things,” she said. “There’s never one magic bullet. Our relationships are key, with employers, with high schools.”

The school works to tailor its offerings to the requirements of the business community.

“We look at how we offer programs, when they are offered and what we are offering,” she said.

Another way to boost enrollment is to retain existing students.

“Improving retention is a strategic goal of LRCC,” the school said in its report. “Creation of a student advising center, reviewing and revising the orientation program, and creating program maps for part-time students, are means the college is now using to help achieve this goal.

“Another means of improving retention will be the development and implementation of the one-stop model of a simplified, more efficient, and centralized access to student services. LRCC has set a goal to improve overall retention of part-time population by 2 percent each year.”

The school also wants to get students more involved in campus life.

“The college recognizes the need to assess the student activities offered on campus, especially in light of a decline in student participation,” the report said. “As part of the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs office will conduct a review of student activities.

“Along with the assessment of the activities that are offered, the Strategic Plan also calls for increasing the number of activities offered by 10 percent and increasing participation in clubs by 5 percent.”