Some background on the enrollment decline

I first got worried about the enrollment decline in community colleges after I left teaching in 2000. While I was at Austin CC, the semiconductor manufacturing technnology program I headed was amazingly successful. During the 1997-98 period enrollments peaked at about 500 not including the 250 in other electronic programs. We eventally graduated hundreds into jobs in industry. Following 9/11, everything seemed to crash including enrollments.

I reported on this phenomenon in my ASEE paper " The Rise and Fall of a 2-Year Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry-Education Program". I presented this at the CIEC conference in Tucson in 2003. You can see that paper at fie.engrng.pitt.edu/ciec2003.

I also did an informal survey in 2002 on the ETD Listserv to find out if anyone else was having enrollment problems. Wow, what a response I got. It seems to be hurting all but a few colleges. That was my wake up call.

I also did a paper for the ASEE national conference in Nashville in 2003. This paper titled, " The Disappearing Associate Degree Program in Electronics Technology", really sums up the problem. Take a look if you are interested at www.asee.org/acPapers2003-287_Final.pdf.

In January 2005, I presented a paper on this subject at the CIEC in Savannah. The title was "Does Industry Still Really Need Electronic Technicians? Where have all the jobs for AAS degrees technology granduates?" I also presented a paper at the Texas Community College Teacher's Association (TCCTA) in February with a similar theme but focusing on the textbook problem.

Anyway, I am worried that we are not doing enough to address this problem. Most faculty are aware of the problem but few are doing anything about it. In my networking at the various conferences, I get the same response: "we have the problem but do not know what to do." I have always felt we needed a national forum to discuss this and find solutions but there is not one for this segment of education. Hopefully this blog will serve that purpose.

In any case, I am on a crusade I guess to get out the word and to get everyone talking about the problem and sharing information and success stories. Let me know what is happening out at your school and what you are doing if anything. Most of all, tell us what works.