Enrollment has slowly increased over the past years and as of 2009, the student population has risen by 30 percent, with a total of 25,959 students.

Like most things, an overpopulated school has its drawbacks and benefits, including the likes and dislikes from staff, faculty, and students.

For many students, they are not able to register in the classes they want because they are too full and parking is more of a hassle than ever due to the influx of people now attending EC. For many faculty, they are not receiving the entirety of a pay check they should be due to the incredible increase of students and limited funds, which are forcing staff to pass on the money to projects such as building another parking structure or renovating classrooms.

EC receives funding based on how many Full Time Equivalent Students (FTES) are enrolled every semester.

Not every student is attending full-time, which can easily lower the funding and affect everyone who is a part of the school.

The fact that there are so many students does benefit the college in that it helps stabilize the funding received to help maintain the college. On the other hand, it could create problems as funding will only be given based on the numbers of students, which means there is not enough funding to support them all and the faculty.

“When student enrollment increases, say five percent and two percent are accounted for as an FTES, there is an extra three percent that faculty are teaching without getting paid,” Arvid Spor, dean of enrollment services, said.

There are not many happy faces when it comes to teaching without proper pay.

The same goes for students, when they are in an overflowing classroom, waitlisted, or get kicked out of a class because enrollment is too high and every seat is taken.

There are still available classes with plenty of seating, but as it nears the end of pre-requisites and a major is chosen, it becomes more competetive to make sure a seat is guaranteed in the class.

“I first came to this college in 2001, then I left, and now I am returning this semester. I haven’t been bothered by all the students, and there are still seats available in some of my classes, but my math class has too many people. He is a great teacher, but still, there are too many students enrolled,” Keyanna Johnson, business major, said.

Not only are students greatly affected but maintenance workers also have their work cut out for them.

Maintenance workers believe they have a tough job that can only become more intense as the semester continues.

The EC staff and faculty said they are doing all they can to accommodate student needs and help them have a promising future, which is why some new projects for the school have been underway for some time.

A new parking structure was built due to a large outcry from students that it was necessary in order to accommodate them all.

With regard to classes, there are a number of them which are offered daily, morning through evening, even on Saturdays, in order to ensure that students are able to get the classes they need.

This enrollment increase is believed to be a response to the economy, as many more students try to get a college education.

“The economy has gone down and colleges swell throughout the nation with people trying to get better skills for a well paying job. The school is tied to the economy. The head count next year is comparable to spring, but all we can do is wait and find out,” Spor said.