MELBOURNE — Ozarka College’s official enrollment count was reported for the 2010 fall semester, and the number of students attending Ozarka is 1,573 — a 15 percent increase over the 2009 fall enrollment and a new record for the college. Full-time equivalency is up 23 percent, which indicates that students are taking larger course loads.
“We are very pleased with the enrollment and knowing that we are providing quality education to so many people in our four-county service area,” Ozarka College President Richard Dawe said. “Many factors play a role in this milestone, but credit must go first and foremost to the great team of our faculty, staff and administration and their commitment to keeping students as the top priority. We can all share in the fact that our efforts are helping students achieve their dreams.”
Other reasons for the increase include the addition of the evening and weekend LPN program, which began this semester, increased retention of returning students from spring, the Arkansas Lottery Scholarship award to 136 Ozarka students and the expanded course schedule, which added evening classes in Mammoth Spring.
Ozarka reports 54 students enrolling in the evening-only classes at Mammoth Spring, but expects that number to increase significantly over the next couple of semesters with the addition of day classes to serve the Mammoth Spring area.
The board of trustees approved Dawe to begin negotiations for suitable permanent facilities in Mammoth Spring to accommodate the classes and student services.
Ozarka College-Mountain View broke ground on a new facility in August, and construction is under way to add more than 10,500 square feet to provide adequate space for the growth in Stone County. The final stages of the new parking lot are being completed on that site, and additional parking is available at Ash Flat.
Both off-campus sites have experienced growth this semester with approximately 100 more students, and the main campus in Melbourne had a slight increase in full-time equivalency.
For more information, visit www.ozarka.edu or call (800) 821-4335.