Home / News and Information / News - September 2005 / Brewton-Parker celebrates overall enrollment increase

Brewton-Parker celebrates overall enrollment increase

Brewton-Parker College has experienced increases in overall enrollment and number of hours taken by its students through all seven of its campuses.

According to figures released by Brad Kissell, executive dean of Enrollment Services, the head count for the fall 2005 semester is 1,182. The figure represents a 4.1 percent increase from the fall 2004 total of 1,136 and includes 446 new students.

“When an enrollment-driven college like Brewton-Parker achieves increases in student registration and attendance, it is a cause for celebration,” said Dr. David R. Smith, Brewton-Parker’s president.

“This enrollment means that more former students returned than in recent years, and that larger numbers of new students were attracted to BPC. Both are welcome trends that suggest our style of higher education is gaining popularity. It may also illustrate that our reputation as a quality institution is growing.”

On the Mount Vernon campus, the head count is 647, with 260 new students. Those students’ hours attempted increased by 1.8 percent from the fall 2004 semester. Of those main-campus students, 380 live in on-campus housing – a figure that represents full campus housing, Kissell said.

The college’s full-time enrollment, which represents the number of hours attempted divided by the full-time hour minimum of 12, increased 5.67 percent to 1,197.

The combination of hours taken through Brewton-Parker’s six external programs and its new degree programs for working adults increased by 507 hours, with 481 students enrolled in those programs. Another 54 students are enrolled in the ACCEL concurrent enrollment program.

“This year’s increases represent a continuing trend in positive enrollment growth for the college,” Kissell said.

“Because of the growth, our dean of students (Sherrie Helms) and director of Residence Life (Chris Summerlin) had to be creative with regard to finding students housing for our new and returning students. They did a great job and the residential students are off to a great year.

“As for our off-campus programs, with the college’s continued desire to meet the needs of traditional-age and adult learners, our external program also increased its enrollment.”

-BPC-