BRIEFLY IN EDUCATION

OCC’s Admissions and Records Office has produced a profile of its more

than 22,000 spring students.

Students this semester are younger, taking more classes, are pursuing

transfer and career objectives, have previous experience at other college

campuses and are taking both day and evening courses.

“Our population of younger students has been increasing for a while now,”

said Nancy L. Kidder, administrative dean of Admissions and Records.

“Over the past four years, the number of students on campus who are under

the age of 21 has increased by nearly 20%. A total of 37.4% this spring

are 20 years of age or younger.”

“Increasingly, we are seeing more and more students taking classes both

during the day and evening,” Kidder said. “Back in the 1970s, almost no students crossed that boundary. The vast majority stuck almost

exclusively with either day or evening schedules. Now, they’re arranging

classes around busy work schedules.”

Almost 10% of the college’s students already have a bachelor’s degree.

They’re taking classes to acquire additional job skills, to fulfill an

educational or career requirement, or to satisfy a personal goal or

interest.