Empty classrooms in the summer months at Sinclair Community College are no more.
Sinclair saw a 19 percent increase in its 2009 summer enrollment, according to the schools director of Registration and Student Records, Allison Rhea. As of June 5, the summer headcount reached 10,002 students.
“Summer has traditionally been a very weak quarter at Sinclair,” Rhea said. “Not anymore.”
Rhea noted more than 5,000 students signed up for 15 or more credit hours, which is a 30 percent increase from 2008. Both sets of enrollment figures set new highs for Sinclair.
“Our major increase is in students continuing,” Rhea said. “A lot of traditional students tend to take the summer off, but we’ve seen a great deal of students staying.”
The number of visiting students has increased, as well. Students coming home for the summer from four-year schools and taking classes at Sinclair has increased, according to Rhea.
Summer enrollment has seen a steady rise over the past four years, as more students look to hurry their education.
Sinclair’s ’09 class ranks second in its history
As students roll in for summer classes, Sinclair saw an estimated 1,590 students graduate in June, according to Natasha Baker, Sinclair’s director of Public Relations.
The class is the second largest in the school’s history. Along with its graduates, Sinclair handed out 249 certificates and more than 1,418 short-term certificates.