Out of the more than 1,000 students that took classes at Cincinnati State Middletown in its inaugural year last school year, about half were new students. The original goal, which was amended several times, was to have 200 new students by the end of the year. To start this school year the goal is to bring in 200 new students while retaining 66 percent of last year’s new students, said campus director Michael Chikeleze. He said the school is “exceeding targets” with new student goals, but it won’t be known until after the semester starts Aug. 26 if the school’s two-thirds retention goal is achieved.

“Retention is very important to us,” he said. “We’re looking to retain a certain percentage for fall because we don’t want to be just about getting new people enrolled. And we also want to be about helping people reach their objective of why they come here.”

And while the number of students is important — especially since Cincinnati State President Dr. O’dell Owens had projected having 3,000 students by year five — Chikeleze said the school exceeded its credit hour goal, which helps shape the school’s financial outlook. For the upcoming semester, in-state students will now pay $145.30 per credit hour.

Students registered for a total of 11,000 credit hours in the school’s first year, which was 5,000 more than the goal, Chikeleze said. That means the difference of a mostly part-time student body to one that’s a healthy mix of full and part-time students.

“To have an average that high is amazing,” said Chikeleze, who said 12 hours is considered full-time.

The campus, which is the first community college in Butler County, has been an educational boon for the region, said Jeff Ortega, director of Public Affairs with the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. The county is already home to Miami University and its three branch campuses and Butler Tech, an educational center for high school and adult education programs

“Obviously this new camps has been a major initiative for Cincinnati State,” he said. “This new campus has expanded access to higher education in this year, which should benefit employers and residents. And it adds, or complements, the higher educational resources.”

MORE BUILDINGS

Cincinnati State Middletown acquired Monday the deed for the former county workforce development office on Central Avenue.

A deed for the city-owned former First National Bank building on North Main Street will soon be transferred to the school as well, according to Middletown city officials.

Even with the new property acquisitions, Cincinnati State Middletown’s priority is to get its current building renovated, officials said.

When the school opened last summer, it operated on the first, third and sixth floors of its building at 1 N. Main St. When school starts this year, the fifth floor will have five more classrooms ready for use. After the first of the year, construction on the second floor will begin, said Tom Hale, one of two Middletown campus assistant directors.

“That’s going to be more of a student lounge, student activity area, open computer lab,” he said.

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College saw a 5.2 percent enrollment increase for the 2013 fall semester over the same period last year, according to the Ohio Board of Regents. Only seven of Ohio’s 23 public community colleges reported enrollment growth, and none had a greater gain in the total number of students than Cincinnati State, according to data released this week.

At Cincinnati State’s Middletown campus, which opened in August 2012, enrollment jumped from 311 to 616. Cincinnati State’s total enrollment is 11,167, according to the college.

Cincinnati State Middletown Director Michael Chikeleze said marketing and word of mouth were the main reasons for the increase in enrollment.

“We have done a lot of work during the past year to create awareness and what we can offer students,” Chikeleze said.

Butler County was the largest county in the state without a community college before Cincinnati State opened last year.

Chikeleze said they want to continue to attract students from the city, but also encourage students from nearby Hamilton, Fairfield, Trenton and even students in Warren and Montgomery counties to attend the Middletown campus.

“We’re really focused on listening to the students, focused on giving them sound academic instructions and also making sure they understand we’re here for their success,” said Chikeleze.

Enrollment at Ohio’s 23 public community colleges dropped an aggregate 4.73 percent over the past year, from 189,839 in fall 2012 to 180,866 at the start of the current semester, according to the Ohio Board of Regents.

“We’re obviously pleased with our enrollment numbers and happy that the Cincinnati State message is getting out,” said O’dell Owens, President of Cincinnati State. “Across the country community colleges are coming into their own, and here in Greater Cincinnati it appears that students, families and particularly employers are recognizing the value of a well-educated citizenry.”