Eastern Gateway Among Fastest Growing Colleges
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Eastern Gateway Community College is listed among the top 5% fastest growing community colleges in the nation by Community College Week. From fall 2010 to fall 2011, Eastern Gateway’s enrollment increased 10.5%, placing it 54th on the list of more than 1,200 community colleges.
The publication covers community, technical and junior colleges.
In bucking the trend of downward enrollment across the nation and state, Eastern Gateway’s student count places the college in the minority of institutions reporting strong enrollment growth.
“The college’s strategic move to expand its service district in 2009 is proving to be a sound choice,” said Dr. Laura Meeks, college president. “By adding three counties, the college now serves a population of more than 600,000, which provides us with more potential students. This has added to our main campus base in Jefferson County.”
For the past few years, Eastern Gateway benefited from the recession-fueled growth that affected higher education institutions nationally. But according the Community College Week, enrollment is declining nationally. Among the examples shown were 5% dips statewide in Indiana and Iowa. “When the economy declines, people go to community colleges to hone their skills or develop new ones," the publication states. "When the economy revives, people who headed to the classroom instead go to work.”
“Our mission at Eastern Gateway is to provide students with the skills they need to secure a good job in the workplace,” Meeks noted. “We recently added two new programs -- Environmental Science and Security -- in answer to demands from local industry and business. These programs add to our long list of career programs in business, engineering and information technologies, health and public services.
“The value of an associate degree for earning power remains significant as compared to those holding only a high school diploma," she continued. “The Ohio Board of Regents 2011 report shows Eastern Gateway’s graduation rate as the second highest for two-year colleges in the state.”
Eastern Gateway continues to improve and add services to aid student success, Meeks said.
“We have redesigned our developmental education courses to aid the pass rate. We expanded our Student Success Center where students can receive help in all subject areas and arrange for tutoring," she pointed out. "Additionally, we have a 24/7 online support service as well as an early alert system for students identified by faculty as needing extra support at the beginning of the term.”
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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