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GREENSBORO — GTCC is again poised to set record enrollment numbers during the fall semester.

But unlike last year, the college will have more instructors to accommodate those students.

“We’re hiring 10 new faculty, and those faculty members are across the college,” said Brenda Kays, GTCC’s vice president for student learning and success. “We’re also hiring adjunct faculty and possibly some time-limited or some temporary faculty that will help us get through this year.”

College budgets have gotten leaner as the economy has struggled. Kays said the college hired no new full-time faculty last year, even while enrollment grew as people turned to the college.

Rae Marie Smith, GTCC’s executive vice president, said the college is able to hire this year as well as increase class sections because the General Assembly funded the college’s enrollment growth.

The community college system has had its enrollment growth funded in previous years, but Smith said reversions and other budget reductions have affected the ability to hire new faculty.

The college has been getting by with faculty teaching more courses, adjunct instructors and even placing some administrators in the classroom.

GTCC had 13,520 students enrolled last fall, said Alison Wiers, associate vice president of student learning and success. There were 13,594 enrolled in the spring.

As of Friday morning, 12,055 students already had registered for fall, Wiers said, compared to 9,665 students registered this time last year.

This will mark the 13th consecutive year that GTCC has increased its fall enrollment, the college reported.

GTCC is increasing its curriculum class offerings by 25 percent, Wiers said, and is expanding its offerings for weekend and evening classes.

Sheila Ruhland, vice president for instruction at Rockingham Community College, expects enrollment there to be “equal to if not higher” than last fall.

“We were at about 1,825 (last year this time), and this year, we’re at 1,896,” Ruhland said.

She said the college has hired two new full-time faculty members in math and psychology. The college did no new hiring last year, she said.

Ruhland said officials planned to add more faculty even before they knew the outcome of the budget. She said a year ago, much of the college’s increase was concentrated in the developmental education program. This year, the college also has had to add sections in its college transfer and associate degree programs.

RCC has added a section in criminal justice, one of its most popular programs. Health care programs such as medical office administration also are growing. This time two years ago, the college had 53 students registered in that program, Ruhland said. There were 84 registered earlier this week, she said.

Regardless of the type of programs that students are registering for, Ruhland said their goal is the same.

“I’m seeing the students enrolling in training to get them employed,” she said.

The last day to register at GTCC is Aug. 12. Registration at RCC ends Aug. 19.

Contact Jonnelle Davis at 373-7080 or jonnelle.davis@news-record.com