OCC sees freshman crush

Marisa O’Neil

The hottest seats in town for local teenagers aren’t in the front row

of a Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears or Avril Lavigne concert.

They’re for freshman composition.

At Orange Coast College, budget cuts, fewer classes and more

students under the age of 21 are adding up to make spots for

in-demand classes priceless.

“In my freshman composition class, 60 students were petitioning

for five free seats,” Kevin Parker, an assistant English professor at

OCC, said. “After I filled, by lottery, the empty seats, one young

woman stuck around and announced that she would give $100 cash to

anyone who would give her a seat. Not a single person took her up on

it.”

Right now, Orange Coast College is riding what former University

of California President Clark Kerr called “Tidal Wave II.” That wave

means that a crush of students are starting college as baby boomers’

children and grandchildren graduate from high school.

“The only reason we have a very high demand for classes is that

the student demand has been steadily increasing because of the baby

boomlet that’s expected to continue through 2010,” OCC Administrative

Dean of Admissions and Records Nancy L. Kidder said.

According to a report issued by the Admissions and Records office

Tuesday, 47% of OCC students are under the age of 21, a 9% increase since 1995.

Though the overall enrollment at OCC has dropped in the last year,

so has the number of classes offered, OCC spokesman Jim Carnett said.

In the last three semesters, OCC has eliminated 1,300 classes because

of budget cuts.

“Enrollment is down 11.7% in total bodies, but we’ve also cut

seats, so students are chasing a lesser number of available seats,”

Carnett said.

Carnett said that all departments made cuts, but transfer classes

that traditionally fill up quickly are now the most coveted. Students

who didn’t register early found themselves out of luck.

“I’m not taking any math or English classes because I couldn’t get

into any,” 18-year-old freshman Parker Macy said. “There were like 30

people trying to [get into] one English class. I saw one girl crying,

but I don’t think it did her any good.”

Kidder said she expects the class cuts to stabilize, but perhaps

not until after the spring semester.

“We’re making every effort we can to make things better,” she

said. “We have to get students into classes and graduating on time.

We’re trying to maintain a comprehensive approach, but still offer as

many classes as we can.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].