BHC fall enrollment rises, spring numbers also up

Black Hawk College is a popular place to be this fall. District-wide,

the number of students enrolled at the college is up 6.5 percent

compared to the fall of 2009. According to data released by the Illinois

Community College Board, BHC's increase is the fifth highest of the 48

community colleges in the state of Illinois.

For full-time equivalency enrollment (or FTE), Black Hawk College is up

8.3 percent with the second highest increase in the state. FTE is the

total number of credit hours students are taking divided by 15. Fifteen

is the number of semester hours considered as a full-time class load.

The statewide fall 2010 headcount enrollment is at its second highest in

27 years, or nearly 379,000 students. Last fall's headcount enrollment

topped 383,000.

The full statewide enrollment report is available at www.iccb.org.

At Black Hawk College, registration for the spring semester began Nov. 2

and those enrollment numbers also are up compared to last year. While it

is early in the registration period, the college is seeing double-digit

increases in the number of students who are enrolling for spring 2011

and the number of credit hours students are taking.

Priority registration for minimester and spring classes is going on

through Thursday, Dec. 9. Minimester courses meet from Dec. 20 to Jan.

7. Spring classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 18.

One of the things that attracts students to Black Hawk College is the

small classes and low teacher-to-student ratios. There are no teaching

assistants at Black Hawk College, only instructors and professors who

work closely with their students both in and out of the classroom.

The minimester and spring class schedules are available on the college's

Web site at www.bhc.edu/schedules. Registration information is available

at www.bhc.edu/register.

For more information, call Black Hawk College at 309-796-5000 or

309-854-1700.