Motlow Community College in Smyrna Continues to See Enrollment Rise
When a higher education institution sees a 34.9 percent increase in enrollment in just one year‚ somebody is doing something right.
That was the increase Motlow State Community College’s saw from fall semester 2005 to fall semester 2006.
“We have about 1‚000 students here … and we will be looking at changing our schedule to make sure we meet the demands as they continue to grow‚” says George Ortega‚ director of the new teaching site in Smyrna.
Ortega calls the enrollment boost “astonishing.”
Motlow opened its 17‚500-square-foot facility on May 23‚ 2006‚ with nine classrooms. The first of four phases has been completed‚ and officials project as many as 5‚000 students by 2010.
Located on Mason Tucker Drive‚ Motlow is near the La Vergne city limits and Interstate 24‚ thus making access easy for students from a wide radius.
Motlow first offered Rutherford County classes at Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro in 1998‚ and the program shifted to the National Guard Armory in Smyrna in 2000 so day classes could be offered in addition to the existing evening schedule.
Yet‚ it wasn’t long until students “were almost sitting on each other’s laps‚” recalls Smyrna Mayor Bob Spivey.
The mayor spearheaded a campaign that raised $1 million from private donors to help build the new facility‚ and the city deeded 14 acres‚ valued at $1.4 million‚ to the state for the location.
Motlow President MaryLou Apple credits Spivey and others with the college’s success.
“Motlow’s Smyrna teaching site reflects the vision of business and civic leaders in Rutherford County‚” Apple says. “Their vision included a community college utilized by citizens from Rutherford and surrounding counties‚ and fall enrollment numbers proved the need for such a facility.”
Ortega says business and education are popular courses of study‚ but he expects student interest in Motlow’s two-year nursing program to grow exponentially.
Beginning with the fall 2007 semester‚ the Smyrna site will launch the college’s regular nursing curriculum‚ already offered at the main Motlow campus in Lynchburg. Interested students must be registered by the end of January 2007.
Students who complete the curriculum are ready to write the National Council Licensure Exam to become licensed registered nurses.
Another offering in summer 2007 will be a “bridge” program for licensed practical nurses who are interested in taking the next step to RN status. Ortega says students‚ armed with their associate’s nursing degree‚ may then transfer to a four-year institution to work toward a bachelor’s degree.
