Lake Land College Fall Enrollment is Up

Lake Land College's fall enrollment is at 8,778, which is 599 more than a year earlier.

The college's Lisa Cole told the Board of Trustees this month that Full Time Equivalencies were up 132 from a year ago.

Cole also shared that retention rates year-to-year among students varied...higher than average for those age 25 and younger, and about the state average for those 26 and older.

Kluthe Center Director Jerry Tkachuk told trustees that 40 courses for 442 students would be offered this semester at Kluthe.

Retention rates also varied by ethnicity. Black and African-American students had a lower retention rate than white students. The Hispanic and Latino retention rate increased from the previous year, but was still lower than for white students.

Trustees learned that the College's Center for Business and Industry has been creating apprenticeships for a number of businesses in the district. The Center's Bonnie Moore told trustees that it can be tough to get enough trainers. She added that traffic safety and CDL classes are going well. It's hoped the courses can soon be offered in Spanish.

Lake Land trustees also awarded architectural design work to Bailey Edward for an athletic facility. The project is to design outdoor restrooms and a concession stand to be located between the softball and baseball fields on the Mattoon campus. The goal is to have the project completed in the Fall of 2025.