Belmont Technical College had a vision in 1997 to begin offering higher education in Monroe County. Today, that vision is shining brightly in the form of continually increasing enrollment.

"We started offering classes in Monroe County because of our commitment to provide access to higher education for residents in all of the districts we serve," said BTC President Dr. Joseph E. Bukowski. "Our commitment to enhancing the lives of residents is unwavering. That is why we entered into the memorandum of understanding with the Monroe County Commissioners to take the lead in developing the higher education presence in the county."

Tim Houston, Dean of Off-Campus Operations, said enrollment in Monroe County increased by more than 79 percent with 104 students taking classes in the Fall Quarter, which began on Sept. 21. Fifty-eight students were enrolled for the Fall Quarter of 2008.

"We had 12 students when we first started offering classes in the county more than a decade ago, but enrollment has been increasing since 2004," said Houston. "Belmont Technical College has been patient over the years by allowing classes with very low enrollment to be conducted in an effort to instill confidence in residents that we are here to stay and we want to help students get a start on their college education."

The most popular classes offered at the Swiss Hills Career Center in Woodsfield are Introductory Algebra, Anatomy and Physiology, Allied Health Math and English Composition. Students have commented that they like the convenience of being able to take college courses close to home without the need to travel to the Main Campus in St. Clairsville.

"Students have told me that they probably would not have been able to start their education if the classes weren't offered so close to home," said Houston. "This fall, 21 classes are being conducted with an average class size of nine students, which makes for easy interaction between the faculty and students."

The classes completed by students in Monroe County can be applied toward the many Associate of Applied Science Degrees or BTC's new transfer degrees - the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science.

The enrollment in Monroe County is consistent with the overall increase being experienced by BTC. The 2009 Fall Quarter represents the highest enrollment the college has experienced since it began offering classes in Belmont, Harrison and Monroe counties in 1971. More than 2,000 students are currently taking classes at the college. Enrollment at the Harrison County location has spiked by nearly 75 percent compared to the same period last year.

For more information on classes in Monroe County, contact Jennifer Schmitt at (740) 695-9500, extension 1010 or at jschmitt@btc.edu. Information is also available online at www.btc.edu