College has declined by over 6,000 students in last ten years

The Yavapai Community College continues its enrollment slide that began in 2006-07. Since then, using District-wide headcount statistics, it has fallen by 6,067 students.   In the 2015-16 academic year the headcount dropped by 725 students from the previous year. 

The most recent headcount number was received by the Blog from Mr. Tom Hughes, Yavapai Department of Institutional Research on August 3, 2015.  In order to obtain the data, a formal public document request was made by the Blog. An email to the Verde Campus Executive Dean could not provide the information.

It is to be noted that the information supplied the Blog is not the audited headcount, however, it is thought to be accurate.

DEAN PEREY TALKS TO VERDE INDEPENDENT ABOUT ENROLLMENT

Dean James Perey, the Executive Dean in charge of the Verde Campus and Sedona Center, was interviewed by Verde Independent reporter Bill Helm in late June, 2016 .  The interview, which can be accessed by clicking here, reveals how little the College has focused on a serious effort to develop a comprehensive plan to increase enrollment at the Verde Campus or Sedona Center.  It also reveals the absence of serious, creative thinking on the part of the Community College when it comes to enrollment. 

Recall that Northern Arizona University (NAU) has launched a serious new effort at recruiting students in Yavapai County. Last year, NAU has a huge increase in enrollment in its first-year classes because of its serious efforts and careful planning. Yavapai College is no doubt beginning to feel the effects of the NAU effort.

Perey replied during the interview to the enrollment question saying in part: “The key there is not necessarily what I can do, but what we can do to increase student enrollment in the Verde Valley.”  Exactly what that means was left ambiguous.

Perey also said that what “we try to do is to structure a schedule that will potentially work for both part-time – which is normally that evening/night market when people work, and they’re coming to class at night, and also the day market.  . . . An additional thing we’ve done is include academic advising on those conversations, because they’re talking with the students.”  This was his plan for increasing student enrollment in the Verde Valley.  The problems of marketing were never touched upon.

One has to feel somewhat sad for Perey who is now the alleged spokesman for the Verde Valley Community College while continuing to reside in Chino Valley.  He tried to get out of the Verde Valley job earlier this year when he applied for the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. The VP operates out of the Prescott Campus. He was one of two finalists but the job went at the last moment to Ron Liss. 

Maybe to make Perey feel better, the all powerful President Penelope Wills gave him a new title.  He is now called the “Executive Dean/Campus Executive Officer for the Verde Valley and Director of University/Governmental Relations for the College District.”  Despite his title, he remains  under the thumb of Wills. If he is ever get out of his present job, he must keep her happy. Therefore, his vague non-creative responses to the reporter’s questions about enrollment.  They tracked the Wills’ party-line when it comes to the Verde Valley.

Perey offered no explanation for the enormous decline on the Verde Campus in student enrollment.  That decline is illustrated by the below chart.  It is known that the enrollment has continued to fall, although the total decline for 2015-16 has yet to be announced.

NAU shows 5 percent increase in first-year enrollment; Yavapai College reporting 5 percent decline in overall enrollment

Enrollment at the Flagstaff campus is 20,839 for the fall, 2015 semester, which represents a nearly 5 percent increase from 19,913 last year. Graduate student enrollment also increased from 3,823 to 3,905 this fall. Enrollment at the Phoenix Biomedical Campus is 256, up from 184.

Online enrollment at NAU is up to 5,183 from 4,385, which includes students enrolled in Personalized Learning, NAU’s competency-based online degree program.

While detailed data is not available from Yavapai College, it is reliably reported by the Academic Provost that Yavapai Community College overall enrollment is down 5% in fall applications as compared to 2014. The Verde Campus is reporting a little over 1% decline in enrollment this fall.

You may read the NAU enrollment report by clicking here.

Enrollment at Yavapai Community College continues slight downward trend; administrators say this reflects trend in Arizona

The College reported at the February 3 Governing Board meeting that total enrollment for spring 2015 is down by about 3.8% over 2014. On the Verde campus, the headcount dropped by 49 students from 803 in spring 2014 to 754 (6%) (unduplicated headcount) in the spring, 2015.

On the Prescott campus the headcount dropped by 311 students from 3,944 (7.9%) in spring 2014 to 3,633 in Spring, 2015 (unduplicated headcount).

Increases in enrollment that partially offset the drop on the Verde and Prescott campuses occurred in off-site and dual enrollment classes.  The College attributes the slight decline to “changing County demographics and the improving economy.” It said that this is a trend that Community Colleges are experiencing around the state of Arizona.