More students at NIC

After two years of stagnation, enrollment is climbing a little at North Idaho College. And freshman Nevena Vasovic, 19, believes she knows why: “Very good professors and the best location possible.”

John Clark, 20, added with a smile: “It attracts hot Californian girls.”

Fall enrollment of full-time students is up 1.7 percent, the college reported Wednesday. It went from 3,203 a year ago to 3,257 this semester, said Eric Murray, vice president for student services.

Murray, who began his job at NIC in July 2006, is not euphoric about the new numbers, but he is content.

“We are moving in the right direction,” he said.

Enrollment is up in large part because of an increase in dual-enrolled students – high school students taking college courses – and more students in technical courses. NIC has an additional 62 students in both categories this fall. There are 193 dual-enrolled students and 436 technical students.

To Murray, the overall increase is like a currency. The higher the enrollment number, the more money the state provides.

“I need a 1 percent increase to hire two more staff members,” he said.

This year’s increase will allow Murray to hire two staff members for NIC’s outreach centers in Kellogg, Bonners Ferry and Ponderay.

Faced with rising operating costs, such as heating expenses and employee health insurance, his job is to recruit more students to help cover those costs. And with students being more selective and flexible in their choice of college, Murray must be creative with his enrollment initiatives.

In the next year, for example, college instructors and staff members will adopt high schools and visit them once a month to talk with college-bound students. That will help spread out recruitment efforts, which now are handled by two staff members responsible for 25 high schools in North Idaho “and way more in Montana, Washington and in the south of Idaho,” Murray said.

The school’s director of student activities grew up in St. Maries and adopted the high school there, for instance.

“I took Priest Lake High School,” Murray said. “When I have to referee soccer games there, I speak to the classes before.”

Apart from that, NIC will focus on new classes designed for students age 60 and older.

“In 2005, we had 60 students in these classes; this year we have 160,” Murray said. “I’d like to see the number grow to 500.”

The continuing growth of the Coeur d’Alene area also could help boost enrollment, he said.

There are advantages to studying at a community college in a small town, he added.

“I worked at UCLA and at the University of Montana,” Murray said. “At NIC you can get as good or even better an education than at those places.”

Vasovic grew up in Serbia and spent last year in high school in Coeur d’Alene. This fall she returned to study psychology.

“It’s not too big and the people from the college are really willing to help,” she said. “They helped me even with my visa.”

Clark said the price difference is important for students.

“Most are here because it is a cheap school with a decent education,” he said.

Others mentioned they can live with their parents and save money. About 90 percent of NIC students are Idaho residents.

And students from California – women and men – make up less than 1 percent.