By Matt Brown, Multimedia Director.
At the annual State of the College address, Aug. 25, Delta President Jean Goodnow laid out the challenges that the college must face in the near future.
The big question is: How do we re-engineer ourselves to compete in the area?
In just the last five years, the school saw a 21.6 percent decline in students (from 11,529 in 2010 to 9,034 in 2015).
“If we can’t keep students and have them complete degree programs, then we aren’t doing our job, and we are not meeting their needs,” said Goodnow.
U.S. colleges and universities had a 70.4 percent retention rate of full and part-time students in 2010, but the number has dropped to 63.8 percent in 2013.
According to Goodnow, almost 40 percent of students are not completing their degree programs within a three year period.
Delta’s tax base and student tuition revenue have also taken a hit. With a 3.5 percent decrease in total population over the last 20 years, the tri-cities have faced a 5 percent loss in Bay County, an 8 percent loss in Saginaw County, but saw a 10 percent increase in Midland County.
Goodnow asked, “The tax base is declining, student population is declining. How can we sustain the college?”
One form of aid would be President Obama’s America’s College Promise.The legislation proposes the federal government pay for 75 percent of the “average cost of community college” with participating states covering the remaining tuition balance.
“We are in favor of anything that will make a college education more affordable,” said Goodnow.
Also included in the presentation was a list of Delta’s accomplishments from Aug. 2014 to Aug. 2015:
- Downtown Saginaw was chosen as the next satellite campus location with a $12 million budget, the school is looking to receive 50 percent funding from the state.
- A 50 percent increase in dual enroll students: 851 students in 2015, from 587 in 2014.
- STEM Explorer project received a $4 million grant from the Herbert and Grace A. Dow foundation to build a mobile lab.
- Delta Collegiate advisor Crystal McMorris was named to the board of the Community College Journalism Association.
- The Electronic Media program now offers a degree track focusing on Digital Film.
- Three athletic teams: soccer, softball and golf, have been selected as all-academic teams by with the National Junior College Athletic Association.
- Delta was one of 12 colleges and universities to earn a gold rating in the Veteran Friendly School Program.
- Delta received Leed Gold certification on the Health building program, in regards to a sustainable building.
- Delta College now has legal authority to provide benefits to same sex couples for the first time.t
- Major West parking lot upgrade.
- Tom Bennett named as broadcasting general manager of QTV.
