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Packed hallways and classrooms, and long lines were the order of the day as Ogeechee Technical College began its Fall quarter on September 28. With the number of students enrolled approaching 3000, the new quarter tops Fall quarter 2009 by about 500 students, according to Vice President for Student Affairs, Ryan Foley. “It will likely be a week before we have a firm number for the new quarter, but our numbers are substantially higher than ever before. This is another record enrollment for Ogeechee Tech,” stated Foley.
With many classes packed with students, accommodating the higher numbers has been a concern, according to OTC president, Dr. Dawn Cartee. “We have been anticipating this growth and have done whatever we can to ensure we will have seats in class for as many students as possible. Creative scheduling, online and hybrid classes, and utilizing all of our existing facilities have helped us deal with the influx of students,” said Cartee. “Our new Health Science expansion, which is slated to break ground in the next several weeks, cannot get finished soon enough! We desperately need that building and more, but we will do the best we can with what we have in the meantime.”
Ogeechee Tech has over 120 programs of study, and that vast array of program offerings is one reason for the growth, according to Dr. Charlene Lamar, OTC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We have programs which will interest almost anyone, and I think that fact has helped us grow dramatically. From high school students doing dual enrollment classes to adults who are coming back to school in order to enter a second or even third career, we have all sorts of students and all sorts of programs to meet their needs,” said Lamar.
“There is a heightened level of energy around campus which comes from the buzz that is created by this many students and by starting a new quarter. It is gratifying to know that we are positively impacting this many more lives,” Cartee concluded. |
