Enrollment for this semester is down about six percent compared to last fall, according to Fran Brolley, Director of Community Relations and Development.
Brolley cited four factors for the decline:

• The unemployed exhausting their unemployment benefits
• More students are finding employment and choosing either not to attend college or to take fewer hours
• Cuts to Dislocated Workers Center funding
• Decreases in district high school populations

To combat this decline, IVCC has developed an “Enrollment Task Force,” according to Tracy Morris, Associate Vice President of Student Services, “to identify targeted recruitment and enrollment activities, as well as retention activities in conjunction with the Student Success Team.” Morris said the task force has already had successful initiatives, such as Experience IVCC and Experience Ottawa, and there are more activities planned in the future that will coincide with College Night (October 9) and the grand opening of the Peter Miller Community Technology Center (October 1).
Brolley also noted the college is having more communication with high school students and was hopeful the Peter Miller Community Technology Center will have a positive impact on enrollment.