Lake Area Technical College Grows 11 Straight Years
For the eleventh consecutive year, Lake Area Technical College has surpassed its record fall semester enrollment with a new total of 1729 students. That number is an 8.5% increase over last fall semester’s enrollment of 1593 students. The increase is driven by a strong return of upperclassmen, a new Law Enforcement program, fourteen programs achieving full enrollment, a significant increase in Dual Status enrollment numbers, and a 9.7% enrollment of online E-Degree seeking students. In addition, over 300 students are enrolled this fall in LATI’s Agriculture program, which according to Community College Week, is ranked 9th in the nation in ag degree-granting among two-year colleges and four-year universities.
Lake Area Technical College President, Michael Cartney comments, “What Lake Area Technical College has accomplished in continued growth is something few colleges can say they have experienced. However, we realize that we need to stay focused on the things that have made us who we are by hiring the best faculty, having strong community and industry support, creating a caring culture for students, giving students the skills they need to be successful, retaining them and making sure they have meaningful employment upon completion of their program.”
Lake Area Technical College attributes its growth to several factors: the Governor’s Critical Workforce Needs Scholarships resulting in an influx of students into Precision Machining, online Robotics and Energy; 98% placement rate after graduation; offering programs in high-demand, high-pay fields; adding new programs; and expanding online E-Degrees. And significantly, for the third time, Lake Area Technical College being named one of the Ten Finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College and nationally recognized for its learning outcomes, retention, degree completion, employment and earnings, and success for minority and low-income students.
