SIERRA VISTA — After achieving a record high enrollment last year, registration at Cochise College continues to surge toward another record.

The number of students served by the college has increased for the past seven years, but current fall enrollment figures show the biggest rise in years, said Joanna Michelich, executive vice president.

“For now, the surge in the fall is higher than at least what I’ve seen. I would project by the end of this year, we’ll have set another record for enrollment,” she said.

Right now, compared to last fall, the head count is up by 5 percent and the full-time student equivalent is up by 7.6 percent, Michelich said.

“This not only means we’re serving more students but also enrolling a greater average of credit hours per student,” she said.

One  full-time student equivalent unit is equal to 30 credit hours, which basically equals a student who takes 15 credit hours each semester — the minimum to be considered full-time, Michelich said. This figure is not based on the total number of students but the total number of credit hours taken by all students.

At the Sierra Vista campus, the increases are even more pronounced, with the head count up by 9.3 percent and the  full-time student equivalent total up 15.4 percent,

Michelich said. The online campus, which serves students around the world, has seen jumps of 16.1 percent in head count and 21.5 percent in  full-time student equivalents.

This surge could be explained, at least in part, by the struggling economy, because community college enrollment generally runs in reverse of employment, Michelich said. When unemployment is high, many people go back to school in order to retool, earn a higher degree or go in a whole new direction.

“Part of it is also our new facilities coming online,” Michelich said. “We’re adding capacity and have added quality space.”

Both the Douglas and Sierra Vista campuses have seen recent improvements.

The enrollment figures are changing daily, with the college still taking late registration for the fall semester and many students dropping and adding classes, Michelich said.

Fall enrollment is not even half of what the school’s total enrollment will end up being, as the college runs special programs with Fort Huachuca that accept students year-round.

Last year, Cochise College showed a record enrollment with an unduplicated head count of 15,137 and a full-time student equivalent total of 7,671, Michelich said.

Boosting graduates

There is a statewide effort to increase the number of college graduates in Arizona. Toward that end, Cochise College is participating with other colleges and universities to better serve an increasing number of students, said Michelich.

The college is working on transfer admission guarantees with some of its university partners. These guarantees will let students stay in community college longer than the traditional 64 credit hours for an associate’s degree.

As long as students follow a specific pathway, they would be guaranteed admission into a specific program at one of the universities, Michelich said.

Other Arizona community colleges are also exploring these partnerships, which would make a bachelor’s degree more affordable and accessible for many students.

“It’s a win-win for the students and communities we serve and is the right thing to do,” Michelich said. One of these transfer agreements with the University of Arizona South campus is nearly ready.