Summer enrollment surges at OCC

Orange Coast College has more than doubled its course offering for the 2013 summer session compared to summer 2012 thanks to Proposition 30, according to college officials.

Revenue from the tax initiative may also restore winter classes at OCC, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, and Coastline College with campuses in Newport Beach and Westminster.

OCC’s summer classes increased by more than 150% for the session that starts June 17, according to Coast spokeswoman Martha Parham.

Proposition 30 was Gov. Jerry Brown’s voter-approved initiative that has temporarily raised sales taxes and taxes on incomes above $250,000.

Andrew Dunn, Coast’s vice chancellor of administrative services, told the college district’s board of trustees Wednesday night that he expects summer offerings to eventually triple across the campuses.

“In future years, what Prop. 30 offers us is the opportunity to grow,” Dunn said.

Golden West’s summer classes doubled for 2013, and Coastline’s increased by 75%, according to the district.

Fall and spring semesters will also have more robust offerings, and winter session may soon return, Dunn told trustees.

The expansion of classes could turn into a larger student population as well, Dunn said.

“That is really where the value of Prop. 30 comes into play,” he said.

He told the board that Coast’s number of full-time-equivalent students could grow by about 10% or 3,700 if the college can attract them.

“We will have to bring those students in,” he said. “But there is the potential to really sort of turn the corner and move away from this mode of retraction we’ve been in, contraction I should say … and really begin to expand course offerings and welcome students back to the Coast district.”