OFTC Sees Record Enrollment Growth in 2024
OFTC –In Academic Year 2024, Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC) reached its highest enrollment since 2020, with 2,881 students—a 10% increase over the previous year. The college also saw a 16% rise in credit hours, totaling 35,027. This surge in numbers reflects the strong support from Middle Georgia residents for OFTC’s high-demand, career-focused programs.
“We are thrilled to have experienced another semester of growth,” shared OFTC’s President, Erica Harden. “We attribute the growth to a number of factors, including the dedicated efforts of OFTC’s faculty and staff members to create a culture of caring amongst our campuses.”
With an emphasis on individual student retention, new marketing efforts, and offering new, high demand programs, OFTC is focused on equipping the local workforce for growth.
Student Focused
Emphasizing their focus on caring about each student who walks through their doors, Harden believes the College’s growth can be partially attributed to the dedicated efforts they’ve made to focus on one-on-one personal service to students.
“Over the last several years the College has taken major steps to focus on enrollment,” she said. “Our focus has been on helping each individual student who comes through our doors to the best of our ability, and what we’re seeing can be attributed to a culmination of these consistent, unwavering efforts.”
From a focus on retention – offering individualized career counseling and connecting students to scholarship opportunities to aid with financial burdens – to eliminating enrollment barriers by simplifying admissions and financial aid processes, OFTC is putting their students first.
“Our focus must be on the student,” shared OFTC’s Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Saketha Adams. “Whether they’re walking through our doors for the first time, hoping to start classes, or are already taking courses with us, our goal is to meet their needs by setting them on a path for success which will ultimately help change their lives.”
Marketing Efforts
Increasing marketing efficiency has also been a major college focus over the last four years.
“We’ve restructured our marketing budget to increase the effectiveness of various campaigns and are doing our best to be flexible and stay relevant in the evolving marketing landscape of 2024,” said Emily Raley, OFTC’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations.
The college’s marketing team has continued to put resources into digital marketing efforts which allows potential students to find OFTC easier when searching and interacting online.
They’ve added new marketing platforms like YouTube to the mix, increased their presence on cable television, are working with platforms like Salesforce to increase the effectiveness of their communication with those who have expressed interest in OFTC, and have been working with additional grant funds aimed at strengthening the college’s web presence to diverse groups across the college’s 11-county Service Delivery Area.
Program Offerings
Maintaining diverse and relevant program offerings is another factor contributing to the College’s growth.
OFTC, like other Technical College System of Georgia colleges, can offer programs of study which provide a pipeline of skilled workers directly into the local workforce, meeting their needs as they fluctuate over time.
The College recently expanded its nursing education offerings by adding an Associate of Science in Nursing Degree program on the Dublin Campus. This new program strengthens OFTC’s already robust nursing program, providing an additional pathway for students to pursue a rewarding career in nursing.
“We don’t just offer programs of study because we want to,” Harden shared. “When we add a new program it’s because there is an immediate or impending need for qualified skilled workers within our local and surrounding communities within that field.”
“I think people are beginning to recognize that OFTC, and technical colleges in general, are no longer the best kept secret in Georgia,” Harden said. “The dots are finally being connected to equate us with workforce development, and that’s our mission.”
OFTC’s 8-week Fall Minimester begins October 15 and offers students an opportunity to complete a course(s) with the same quality of instruction but on a shorter schedule. Students can choose from a variety of courses, including online formats, to stay on course.
To learn more about the upcoming Fall Minimester, visit OFTC.edu/Minimester. For more info about OFTC and the 130+ programs of study available, visit the College’s website, OFTC.edu.
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