11CCSU-Fayette copy

Bad

Links?

Other glitches?

Notify Webmaster

Fayette

college enrollment doubles

The number of students taking academic courses this fall at Clayton State's

makeshift Peachtree City campus has nearly doubled since spring, university

officials report.

The Fayette County Higher Education Center saw 112 students enrolled when

classes resumed Tuesday, Aug. 24,�an increase of 93 percent from the spring

2004 enrollment of 58.

The enrollment jump mirrors growth on Clayton State's main Morrow campus

as well, where a record 6,000-plus students enrolled for the first day of

classes Aug. 23.

Also this fall, the university is celebrating the opening of the $19 million,

131,000 square foot University Center on the main campus. The four-story

complex, which took three years to build, houses classrooms, a student center

and administrative offices.

The Fayette County branch campus opened a year ago in leased ground-floor

space at the Peachtree City Tennis Center. When Clayton State first started

offering classes in the fall of 2003, just 36 students were enrolled.

"Thus, in the course of one year, enrollment has grown 211 percent," boasted

John Shiffert, director of university relations for Clayton State.

In Fayette, course offerings for fall 2004 - all of which meet on Tuesdays

and Thursdays -�include two sections each of English and math, music

appreciation, American history, critical thinking, and speech communications.

Six of the eight courses have all of their seats filled, Shiffert said.

The university is leasing the space from the Peachtree City Tourism Association

for $1 a year. School officials are still looking for another location somewhere

in Fayette County to locate a larger, more permanent campus, Shiffert said.

The student growth and expansion plans fit into the long-range goals Clayton

State has for Fayette County, said University President Thomas K. Harden.

"Clayton State is committed to more completely serving the people of

Fayette County," Harden said in a press release. "Our enrollment

has increased�as we hoped and�projected.�We are working�with the county leadership

to expand the higher education opportunities in Fayette County."

The Fayette County Higher Education Center came about as a cooperative effort

between the university, and officials with both the Fayette County Chamber

of Commerce and the county Development Authority.

University Director of Admissions Jeff Hammer said the leap in enrollment

was a direct result of expanded marketing efforts that included current Clayton

State students. Originally, the Fayette Center was designed to appeal to

non-traditional students.

"Another major factor is that we are offering more courses than we

did in previous semesters," Hammer said.

Hammer also applauded Anika Chambers in the Office of Admissions for doing

an excellent job working with the Fayette Center.�

"Without her attention to detail and follow-up with students, the enrollments

would not be nearly as high," he said.

Exactly half of the fall 2004 enrollment is made up of brand new students,

while 65 of the 112 are full-time (12 credit hours or more) students, said

Shiffert.

Clayton State, through the Fayette County Center, started offering non-credit,

Continuing Education and small business development classes in October 2002.

Four college-credit evening classes were offered at the Fayette Center starting

in August of last year.