The Compton Bulletin Online

Last Updated 9/3/08

Our Town:
Third Book May Be a Charm for Compton Native

Obama’s Nomination: ‘A Testament to the American Dream’

Home Woes May Not Cost Richardson Her House Seat

Richardson Promises ‘Killer King’ Hospital Hearings

3rd Annual ‘Old Skool’ Barbeque Honors Community Elders

On Strike: Hundreds of Local Healthcare Workers Protest for Better Wages, Working Conditions

LA Social Workers File Expensive Car Crash Claims

Man Shot Dead in Front Yard

Settlement Will Reduce Carcinogens in Potato Chips

Adam B. Summers:
Who Should Define Marriage?

Classifieds

SEARCH our archives

HOME

Enrollment Takes Giant Leap at Compton Center
Registration surges due to addition of new programs, classes

By Cheryl Scott
Bulletin Staff Writer

If recent enrollment figures at El Camino Compton Center are any indication, the college could be on its way out of a four-year crisis.

“The most recent figures show a 41 percent increase in student registration,” said Provost/CEO Lawrence Cox. “We were all surprised and delighted. It is highly unusual for a college to show such a drastic difference in registration. We feel it is due to the fact that we have been working very hard to be responsive to the community’s needs.”

According to figures released on Aug. 20, full-time student enrollment is at 1,039, up from 805 in the fall of 2007. A straight headcount, including part-time students, is 2,374, up 40.8 percent from last year’s total of 1,686.

Newly appointed Dean of Vocational Services Rodney Murray has been working to restore classes that had been discontinued and establish new classes reflecting new areas of employment in today’s high-tech world.

“Since the reorganization of the college as the El Camino Compton Center, the vocational program has been in transition as well,” he told the Bulletin. “We had several things that needed to be done right away. First we had to make sure our current certification programs were up and running. We also needed to strengthen our community outreach and recruiting in our feeder schools. Finally, we needed to find emerging technology and incorporate it into our program.”

A hallmark of Murray’s strategy has been an approach identifying available jobs that pay salaries high enough to support an individual or a family. An advisory board has been formed representing industry in the community to help the college add new courses that will lead to jobs that will provide a livable salary.

The college is also focusing on the “green” industry.

“We are making sure our vocational program meets needs in that field,” Murray said. “There are lots of new products that help people to be more environmentally responsible. It’s a field that is growing rapidly, so if we can offer the right programs, it can lead to well paid jobs that will only get more available in the upcoming years.

“You don’t just want to get a job. You want to get a job that will pay well enough for you to live on and provide opportunities for advancement. So we’re going out to industry and asking what they need in the way of new employees. Then we can provide training for the community-at-large that will fill the needs of business, helping to provide economic stimulus in Compton.”

Marketing, communication and community outreach have also been important in increasing enrollment.

“I have a very hard-working staff that is very concerned about the community and the college’s role in serving its educational needs,” Cox said. “We have staff members speaking at all of the local high schools in the area. I have been meeting with the mayors of both Paramount and Compton as well as the city councils in both cities to get the word out that we are ready with a refreshed list of available classes. I think a lot of the reason our enrollment has taken such a big leap is simply that we’ve been spreading the word.”

Cox said that there are 140 students on the college’s football team this fall.

“I think this is going to be a winning season,” he said. “There’s nothing like a successful football team to stir up enthusiasm in the community.”

The educational programs and services offered by El Camino College at Compton Center will continue to include a full range of credit and non-credit courses; library and learning resource center services; counseling; admissions and records; financial aid; student life; categorical programs such as EOPS, DSPS, CalWorks, GAIN and TANF; transfer center services; a child development center; and special programs and services.

The college has also resumed its Emergency Medical Technician program, with two classes already filled. The program was discontinued for a time due to its failure to meet strict health and safety requirements.

“It’s important for the community to know that we are an open-access college,” said Cox. “We intend to serve the community as effectively as we can. I believe everyone should go to college. And if you attend a community college for two years, you can save up your money to use in your last two years at a university or four-year college. If you should stop your education after two years, either temporarily or permanently, you’ve got a degree, which you would not have if you had attended two years at a four-year college.”

There is a renewed sense of excitement on the campus among staff and students.

“This has all the earmarks of a turning point,” Cox said. “The college has stabilized, and we are beginning to see the results of all our hard work. We are very encouraged. This is an exciting time at the Compton Center.”