UH enrollment is up,
but not at community
colleges

Spring enrollment is up in the University of Hawaii 10-campus system but has dropped at five community colleges, officials say.

Overall, system enrollment rose to 47,479 this spring, up 1.4 percent from 46,814 in spring last year. It has increased each semester since spring 2002.

At the community colleges, enrollment dipped 0.5 percent to 24,297 students this year from 24,424 in spring 2004, but Hawaii and Maui community colleges are the only ones to show gains.

Enrollment declines at Honolulu, Kapiolani, Kauai, Leeward and Windward community colleges are a sign of a strong economy and military troop deployments, said Linda Johnsrud, UH interim associate vice president for policy and planning.

Fall 2004 community college enrollment also dropped 2.7 percent to 26,127 from 26,862 in fall 2003. Fall enrollments are usually higher than spring.

Enrollment typically decreases when jobs are plentiful and increase when jobs are scarce, Johnsrud said. Hawaii had a 3 percent unemployment rate in December, the lowest in the nation.

That apparently does not apply to UH's four-year campuses, as all but the West Oahu campus are seeing enrollment increases.

"These increases present a formidable challenge. Our funding has not kept pace with the enrollment surge we have experienced since 2002, and thus our campuses scramble to provide sufficient numbers of classes," Johnsrud said.

West Oahu, the smallest campus in the UH system, has 805 students this semester, 20 fewer than in spring 2004.

"It's a matter of resources," Johnsrud said, "We need to expand the curriculum."

Johnsrud said the university is planning to increase the number of programs and faculty at West Oahu.