Lake County might not host vast college campuses or intense research institutions, but the numbers suggest the colleges — two community colleges and a four year university — have maintained a slow but steady climb since the recession.
Valerie Jensen, director of Mendocino College’s Lakeport Center, said the numbers have remained steady for the last few years.
“We’ve been mimicking the trends of state and community colleges in the area,” she said.
She said the recession hit smaller community colleges hard, stripping them of programs state funds couldn’t support. Less money meant fewer offered classes; fewer classes meant less interest from potential students.
“We had to cut courses, even though there was demand,” she said.
More specifically, Jensen said the recent fires could’ve had some impact on would-be students who were forced to move elsewhere. K-12 numbers in Lake County have decreased in recent years, yielding fewer local graduates.
But according to Jensen, the school expects up-and-coming spring enrollment numbers to rise slightly from previous years. Mendocino College counted 4,960 students in Fall 2015, and 4,969 in the Fall of 2016. This year she assumes the numbers will surpass 5,000 students, taking both part- and full-time classes.
Lake County’s branch of Mendocino College, located in Lakeport, accounts for roughly 24 percent of these students.
Jensen said the other college branches in the area belonging to Marymount California University, a local four-year program, and Woodland Community College have experienced similar trends in enrollment.
Annette Lee, Executive Dean of the Lake County Campus of Woodland, said recent fires in Lower Lake accounted for a large dip in enrollment.
“We were negatively impacted by the fires, for sure,” she said. “These fires basically knocked out our entire service area.”
Lee said many students, especially local part-timers were forced rebuild after the fires; this prevented many from attending or enrolling in classes. Moreover, the college was forced to replan and rewrite an entirely new curriculum.
Despite this setback, Woodland’s enrollment has recovered, and Lee said projected enrollment proves high considering the economy.
“When the economy is great, we get fewer students,” she said. She also explained how many consider returning to college when they can’t find jobs in slower economic environments.
Woodland’s Lake County branch has a “head count” of roughly 1,000 students, many of whom attend part time. The college is a larger branch with a stand-alone curriculum. Many students attend for the pre-nursing program as well as the business school, early childhood program and waste and water treatment program. The college also hosts a well respected culinary school.
In Lucerne, Marymount California University’s campus wasn’t deeply affected by the fires or economy, according to the college’s enrollment coordinator, Kathy Windrem.
She said enrollment has remained steady for the time the college has been in operation. Current enrollment sits at 30 students, many of whom are working on masters’ degrees in psychology, business and liberal arts.
“Initially, (Marymount) thought it would grow bigger and faster than it has,” Windrem said. She said fires could’ve had something to do with the slow start. She and the college are working on local and social media presence.
She said many locals, especially those who have jobs and families, are attracted to Marymount’s reduced rate that applies to five California counties, including Lake and Mendocino.
Despite similar size and location, Lee said the colleges aim to provide as many classes as possible without “repeating” one another. Most students graduating from Lake County community colleges go on to complete degrees at Sacramento State, Sonoma State and Chico State.
“We could offer similar classes,” she said, “but we’d be splitting up the student base.”
