Construction May Slow Enrollment Increases

Three Rivers construction may slow down enrollment increases
By DANIEL AXELROD
Norwich Bulletin

NORWICH -- Three Rivers Community College administrators have seen 9 percent enrollment growth in the last five years, spurred by exclusive, competitive and often lauded programs for nursing, lasers, business and liberal studies.

But for now, college President Grace Jones said she hopes to hang on to students because the school's construction will intensify after the Dec. 8 approval of $76.1 million in state bonding to merge its two campuses.

"In many ways, Three Rivers is a college for all seasons and reasons, because students can come here and find what they need," Jones said. "It's affordable and accessible and students learn very quickly we have very strong, committed and accessible faculty."

This fall, Three Rivers enrollment totaled 3,793, including 1,279 full-time and 2,514 part-time students, compared to 2,678 in 2001 or 861 full-time and 2,611 part-time students.

Full- and part-time enrollment rose 3.8 percent since last year, jumping from 3,660 to nearly 3,800.

Jones expects enrollment will remain steady from January 2007, when construction is in full swing, to February 2009, when all additions and renovations to the Thames Valley campus will be complete.

State officials plan to spend $85.6 million to add 101,000 square feet to the college and renovate 195,000 square feet of existing space.

2009 growth

After 2009, Jones said the new Three Rivers campus, which will be solely at 574 New London Turnpike, could spark excitement and lead to more enrollment growth.

Three Rivers' adjunct professor Donald Gerwick, who teaches a surveying class, agreed a new campus will generate more students.

"The construction is an excellent and exciting thing," Gerwick said. "Three Rivers is a great community college."

Three Rivers student Joe Baretincic said the college's merger will reduce students' travel time between classes on different campuses and help eliminate scheduling conflicts.

Baretincic, 29, of Preston thinks Three Rivers is just the place to prepare to become a civil engineer.

Students such as Baretincic are lured to Three Rivers partly because the college has agreements for transfers to get into the University of Connecticut, Mitchell College, Fairfield University and Connecticut's four state universities.

"(Three Rivers) is an excellent school," said Baretincic, who wants to transfer to UConn. "Three Rivers is a good stepping stone."

Reach Daniel Axelrod at 425-4221 or daxelrod@norwichbulletin.com

BY THE NUMBERS

Fall enrollment totals:

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Full-time 884 861 1,014 1,009 1,169 1,173 1,279

Part-time 2,690 2,611 2,610 2,613 2,595 2,487 2,514

Total 3,574 3,472 3,624 3,622 3,764 3,660 3,793

Source: Three Rivers Community College

PROFILE

THREE RIVERS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Main Norwich campus: Thames Valley at 574 New London Turnpike.

Satellite Norwich campus: Mohegan at 7 Mahan Drive.

Square footage: 101,000 square feet at the Thames Valley campus and 95,000 square feet at the Mohegan campus. A total of 195,000 square feet of new space will be added to the Thames Valley campus and the Mohegan campus will be converted into the new Norwich Technical High School by 2009.

Fall 2006 enrollment: 1,279 full-time, 2,514 part-time, 3,793 total and 1,810 non-credit students for the 2005-06 school year.

Administrators and full- and part-time staff: 11 and 141.

Faculty: 76 full-time and 136 part-time.

Student profile: 62 percent female, 38 percent male, roughly 19 percent minority.

At last graduation: 332 associate degrees and 41 certificates conferred.

Average student age: 28 (46 percent of students are between 16 and 22).

Fall 2006 tuition: $1,176 for 12 credits per semester plus additional fees for full-time, in-state students or $98 per credit hour plus fees for part-time, in-state students.

Originally published Thursday, November 30, 2006
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