ENROLLMENT AT AVC BREAKS 10,000 MARK.

Byline: Jim Skeen Daily News Staff Writer

Fall enrollment at Antelope Valley College topped 10,000 students, the first time the mark has been exceeded in six years.

The college recorded 10,114 students enrolled in fall courses, up 4.4 percent from the same time last year. The increase is the fifth-consecutive semester enrollment increase recorded by AVC.

AVC President Linda Spink attributed the increase to ``the fine work of our faculty and staff who have been doing outreach efforts.''

``We've worked hard to increase our visibility in the community,'' Spink said.

Among the reasons cited for the increase was the creation of a dean's position to handle counseling and enrollment management and a major marketing effort.

``We had a year for Dr. Willard Lewallen to put a plan in place,'' Spink said, referring to the dean of counseling and enrollment management. ``The counseling staff worked with the high schools, which had to have made a major difference.''

As an example of the efforts to increase the school's visibility, AVC will have a booth at the upcoming Antelope Valley Fair and Alfalfa Festival in which fairgoers will be able to talk to Spink and to college counselors through a remote TV hookup.

The efforts to expand enrollment resulted in an approximate $300,000 addition to this year's budget. It is too early to tell how much money the fall enrollment growth will add, Spink said.

Enrollment at AVC was strong in the late 1980s and early 1990s, exceeding 10,000 students a semester. However, in the mid-'90s enrollment dropped, falling below 9,000 students at one point.

The drop was attributed to the recession and increases in student fees.

The fall semester classes will start Monday.