Los Medanos College student population continues to grow at record levels. The growth of the schools surging enrollment can be linked to multiple factors.

With the launch of a new program, FT3, the incentive for new student to enroll in school has boosted the already growing population. Student enrollment data per Kevin Horan with the Instruction and Student Services department, currently show that student enrollment is currently at 103% of full time enrollment targets.

That is an increase of 9% over the Summer 2018 semester.

This increase has created a sense of urgency in the Student Services department. Senior Management in the department has reached out to school faculty to ensure students can be accommodated. The surge in enrollment numbers can suggest dueling theories.

One, the FT3 program is successful and the college is reaping the rewards of the resulting boost in enrollments.

Or, conversely, the boost in enrollment has put a strain on parking availability, lottery type odds for add codes, and overall pressure on school faculty and resources.

But one question still remains: What is driving this surge in enrollment? The looming presence of the new FT3 program is worth investigating. However, according to Rikki Hall in Registration services, the results of the FT3 program are not yet available.

“The impact of the FT3 program can’t be measured until the campus census data is updated” says Hall.

So if FT3’s impact on enrollment cannot be measured, other factors must be at play.

To explore this theory we can compare LMC to other community colleges in the Bay Area. LMC is well known for its certification programs and the reputation its earned for quality and job placement. With a renowned certification avenue in a booming job market, this could possibly explain the massive increase in students at LMC.

According to Fahimeh Faridnia, Counseling, and the impact of the increased enrollment has been felt by her department.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in appointment activity, especially for drop-ins” said Faridnia.

Only time will tell if this enrollment growth sustains. It will either end up as a boom for LMC or a burden but in either case, the new enrollment data shows that LMC has experienced staggering growth over the years.