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November 22, 2009
2008-09-12 - Boston’s Bunker Hill Community College Has Record Enrollment
Boston, September 12, 2008. Bunker Hill Community College is experiencing record rates of enrollment for the fall 2008 semester. As of September 11, 2008, the number of students enrolled at the college in credit courses (headcount) is 9,307, an increase of 7.8 percent compared to last year’s figures for the same period. Full-time enrollment (students taking at least 15 hours) as of September 11, 2008 is also up compared to the same period last year. This figure stands at 5,194, which represents an increase of 9.5 percent. As students are still enrolling in courses, the final numbers will be even higher.
The higher enrollment figures come at a time of decreased state support for public institutions of higher education. The state appropriation for fiscal year 2009 was $20.8 million, an increase of roughly $350,000 compared to fiscal year 2008. The latter figure means that the state appropriations have not kept pace with inflation.
The college’s attempt to “do more with less” is a sign of the times. In the current economic climate, more and more students around the country are turning to community colleges because of financial constraints.
For students at Bunker Hill Community College, however, the level of challenges is particularly high. For almost 50 percent of the college’s student population, neither parent had more than a high school education. Many of the college’s students are adults with jobs and family responsibilities. In a recent internal survey, the college found that 54 percent of the respondents reported that their jobs placed the single greatest demand on their time.
“We draw inspiration from our students’ determination to succeed in higher education,” said Bunker Hill Community College President Mary L. Fifield, Ph.D. “The current downturn in the economy means we must redouble our efforts to assure that all sectors of our population can walk through the doors of opportunity opened by a degree in higher education.”
The student population of the college also mirrors the forces of globalization. A veritable “mini-United Nations,” the college is host to 680 international students representing 95 different countries.
Bunker Hill Community College is currently in the planning stages of a major capital campaign designed to enhance the institution’s vitality at the local, national and international levels.
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