Oxnard College Has Increase in Students : Education: The smallest of the county’s three two-year campuses is the only one to grow.

Oxnard College, the smallest and poorest of Ventura County’s three community colleges, is the only one of the trio to increase its enrollment so far this semester, officials said.

Based on figures from the start of the fall semester last week, the college’s enrollment is up 5.5% compared to the same time last year, said Oxnard College President Elise Schneider.

“I’m elated about the progress that the college is making,” Schneider said. “We’re nearing our potential.”

Enrollment at Ventura College was down about 3% compared to the same time last year, officials said. At Moorpark College, where the number of students has increased steadily in recent years, enrollment was down about 2.7%, officials said.

Registration at all three colleges will end Friday.

As of last Friday, 6,376 students were enrolled at Oxnard College, and a total of 6,450 are expected when registration ends, officials said. Ventura College had 11,351 students enrolled as of Aug. 28, and Moorpark College had 10,941 students enrolled as of Aug. 24, the first day of classes.

Schneider attributes the rise to several factors. Students are fleeing the four-year colleges because those schools have become too expensive, and more students are delaying transfers for the same reason, Schneider said.

Ventura College Academic Senate President Steve Tobias said he thought that Oxnard was able to grow more than the other two colleges because the college was able to add more faculty this year and offer more classes than in previous years.

At Moorpark College, spokesman Gerry Olsen said he thought that the below-normal enrollment was caused by the cancellation of some classes that were later reinstated.

“That could have caused some confusion,” Olsen said. “I think it’s great for Oxnard. It may be a turning point for them.”

Officials say Oxnard College has had a hard time since it opened 17 years ago, but things are changing for the small community college this fall.

For years, Oxnard was neglected in favor of the bigger colleges in Moorpark and Ventura, which received the bulk of the Ventura County Community College District’s funds and attention, Schneider said.

That changed last summer when Thomas Lakin took over as chancellor and vowed to expand Oxnard College. Faculty and staff at the college say this semester’s enrollment increase marks the first indication that Lakin’s pledge to improve the school is helping.

Another reason for Oxnard’s growth is the recession, Schneider said. “The job market is very competitive now and that is an impetus for people to come back to school to retrain,” Schneider said.

Jerry White, a physical education instructor who has been at Oxnard College for 15 years, said he has never seen the campus so crowded.

“I have had about five to 12 students more for every class,” White said. “They may not each get as much time as they have in the past.”

Physics teacher Michael Bowen had to ask four of his students in one class to sit on chairs in the aisle because no desks were left.

More students are taking his class this year because the course can be transferred to a four-year school, Bowen said. Because of the fee increases at University of California and California State University schools, students are taking more classes at the community colleges before they transfer so they can save money, Bowen said.

David Moeschler, 40, of Port Hueneme said he is staying an extra year at Oxnard College because he cannot afford the higher tuition at the four-year schools.

Moeschler said he had been accepted for transfer to Cal State Fresno, and had planned on attending this fall, until fees shot up 40%. “I just can’t afford it,” Moeschler said.

Although no statistics were available, Schneider said many students at Oxnard College were like Moeschler, who either delayed transferring, or left their four-year schools temporarily to take general education classes at a cheaper price.

Jim Caballero, 21, of Oxnard said he left UCLA to attend Oxnard College because it was a better bargain. He was paying close to $800 a quarter at UCLA, while it costs him a maximum of $60 a semester at Oxnard.

Schneider said, “For years, we’ve been the best-kept secret in town. People are finally now discovering us.”

District Enrollment at a Glance

Ventura Oxnard Moorpark College College College Students* 11,351 6,376 10,941 Rise from ’91 -3% +5.5% -2.7% Faculty (full time) 175 70 162 (part time) 265 165 245 Classes 1,493 750 1,313 Budget** $22.8 million $11.6 million $20.3 million

* Enrollment as of Aug. 28; enrollment figures for Moorpark College are only available through Aug. 24. Registration continues through Friday.

** The district’s $62.5-million budget includes about $7.8 million for districtwide services.