By WENDELL ROBINSON
More students have enrolled at FVCC than ever before. This enrollment increase has created both opportunities and challenges for the college.
“We’ve added more students this fall than any college in Montana,” said Brad Eldridge, FVCC executive director of institutional research, assessment and planning. “It has been a struggle to fit all the students wanting to take certain classes, to ensure classes are at a teachable size, and to find adjuncts or hire more permanent-teachers.”
According to FVCC officials, 2,539 students enrolled in the college this fall. This is 463 more students than last year.
FVCC officials credit the recession as one of the reasons more people are enrolling in the college. Unemployment has been particularly high in the Flathead Valley. Flathead County's unemployment numbers were 10.2 percent in August compared with 7.4 percent unemployment statewide, according to the Flathead Valley Job Service.
Unemployed workers often return to college to gain new skills and build a stronger resume. FVCC administrators report that the college finds jobs for 90 percent of their students. Many of these newcomers are older than 25, students often classified as non-traditional.
These students have different challenges than those of the traditional 18-year-old freshman.
“I am taking two culinary classes while taking care of my child and juggling a part-time job,” said a young woman who has asked to be kept anonymous. “I am hoping that earning a culinary degree will improve my chances of finding a more stable, full-time job.”
More students have also created challenges for the college, including increased class size.
“It definitely affects the way classes run from a teacher’s perspective,” said Brian Bechtold, an FVCC English professor. “I don’t have as much time to get personal with each student, especially when I am grading papers.”
While FVCC has a headcount of 2,539, that number represents the equivalent of 1,828 full-time students. University Montana in Missoula is the largest post-secondary institution in the state with the equivalent of 11,717 full-time students. Montana State University in Bozeman is next with 10,876 students, followed by Montana State University-Billings with 3,246, Montana Tech with 2,192 and FVCC.
Wendell Robinson is a student in News Writing and Reporting at Flathead Valley Community College.
