As enrollment climbs, Delta’s campus is revitalized—but can it handle the growth?
After shutting down during the COVID-19 pandemic, the halls of Delta College looked—and felt—a lot more like the Catacombs of Paris than the inside of a community college.
Delta is not alone in the struggle to get people back to school. As a two-year college, the institution was even more vulnerable to the drop in enrollment. Since then, the college has faced an uphill battle in getting more students enrolled.
“I noticed a fluctuation especially after Covid,” 28-year-old student Stephan says. “Before coming here it seemed like the halls would be filled, and now it seems like a lot more online, less people in person.”
This semester, we were shocked to see Delta’s main campus hallways teeming with people. Seeing so many students, we are reminded of what campus was like before the world shut down.
“I heard from two faculty members that their departments have seen the largest number of students engaged in their department ever in the history of Delta,” communications student Alauna Millward says. “Since even pre-Covid.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 10,000 students were enrolled at Delta. After the school shut down, Delta went to work on optimizing online learning platforms. Despite the college’s efforts, numbers plummeted.
In 2022, the school recorded 3,000 fewer students. One year later, the school recorded 7,646 students. This was part of a nationwide trend in declining college and university enrollment.
This semester, nearly 8,400 students are enrolled at Delta. The college surpassed its projected Fall 2024 contact hours by more than 8,000 hours. If enrollment continues to follow this upward trend, Delta is on its way to reaching pre-COVID numbers.
“I think [Delta is] just known as one of the more popular community colleges in the area,” Stephan says. “They seek out Delta because it is a good starting college to get their foot in the door to further them in their career.”
Ashley, a 35-year-old psychology major, is newly enrolled at Delta College. She says she came back to college so she can one day own the business she works for. She is pursuing a master’s degree and will be transferring to SVSU after studying for two years at Delta.
“I tried to go back last year and it wasn’t nearly as busy as it is this year,” Ashley says.
She says people are going back to school because of “a crippling economy.” Higher-paying jobs tend to require more schooling, so if you want to be financially stable, you are looking at more time in school.
“Nobody can afford to live anymore,” Ashley says. “So I think we’re gonna see an increase in people coming back to school—that’s why I’m doing it.”
Whatever the reason may be for more people going back to school, Delta is becoming a much livelier place as a result.
“The drama department has seen the most auditions this semester than ever before in its entirety,” Millward says. “I heard that from Maxwell Teal, who has been a part of Delta Drama for two semesters.”
With the student population on the rise, college will be a more rewarding experience for students. After all, it’s hard to make connections with peers when your school is a ghost town.
But some students have voiced concerns about how well the college will handle the increased number of attendees.
“I think it’s a good thing that people are pursuing their educational needs, but in the same sense, I don’t know if Delta has the capacity to keep up with the student population,” Ashley says. “Which is obviously cause for concern.”
Rising numbers can put a strain on faculty and staff, technology, and infrastructure. Some students are already having trouble finding parking on campus, and faculty are dealing with the pressures of increased student numbers and overcrowded classes. If professors become overwhelmed with students, the quality of education could suffer.
We can speculate about Delta’s future, but for now, it’s refreshing to see students back on campus.
What do you think? Is a golden age in Delta’s future? Or will Delta be unable to meet the demands of a growing student body?
