PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, OH -- Owens Community College said Wednesday that is has set a record for enrollment for Summer classes with nearly 8,600 students attending.

The record enrolled at Owens during the summer term surpasses the record of 7,533 set during Summer Semester 2004, the college said.  The College enrolled 2,538 students for Summer Semester classes 15 years ago.

"Owens Community College is committed to ensuring that every student is provided with the necessary resources to succeed and achieve their educational goals," said Dr. Bill Ivoska, Owens Vice President of Student Services. "The foundation for this institution’s academic excellence is a result of our employees and their unwavering dedication to making each student’s academic and career aspirations a reality.  Their desire in wanting to make a difference is why our academic institution is a leader in higher education and our graduates have made a lasting impact on the Northwest Ohio region."

According to Ivoska, one of the many reasons for the College’s enrollment growth results from native four-year college students enrolling at Owens to take advantage of the course credit transferability during the summer months.

"Owens has made a fundamental point to meet the needs of our students through the continued advancement of academic resources, including the accessibility and transferability of course offerings," Ivoska stated.  "Transient enrollment shows that students from other colleges and universities recognize the great value of an Owens education."

For Kevin Cole of Alvada, a senior pursuing his bachelor’s degree in finance from Bowling Green State University, the opportunity to take an Owens Summer Semester course will allow him to fulfill his undergraduate requirements and graduate at the conclusion of the upcoming Fall Semester.

"The ease of transferring credits from Owens to Bowling Green is great," said Cole, who currently is enrolled in a modern business math class through the College’s eOwens program. "I currently have a full-time summer job for a government contracting firm in Washington D.C. and needed the flexibility that an online class offers. The eOwens program allowed me to continue my college education during the summer months."

Cole, who is a graduate of Vanlue High School, added that he "would highly recommend Owens to other four-year college students because of its transferability of credits, affordability and outstanding staff. The Owens staff made my registration process very easy."

After graduating from Bowling Green in December 2009, Cole plans to pursue a career within business around the Washington D.C. area.

According to Ivoska, Owens is committed to expanding its many educational opportunities for students through the continued advancement of innovative programs, courses, teaching methods and academic resources.

During the current academic year, Owens introduced new Honors Program partnerships with The University of Toledo and Bowling Green State University, enabling students to pursue academic success at the highest level from both institutions. Additionally, Owens students are now afforded the opportunity to obtain a bachelor’s degree by completing three years of higher education on the College’s Owens Toledo-area and Findlay-area campuses followed by one year of academic courses through distance learning as part of a new partnership with Ohio University.

The College also is continuing to expand its extremely popular eOwens distance learning education by continuously introducing new academic courses online. For Summer Semester 3,871 students are pursuing e-Learning courses - up from 3,238 last summer (19.5 percent increase).

In addition to the many e-Learning opportunities, Owens continues to increase its academic and support services by making available an array of higher education choices for high school students through innovative partnerships with post secondary schools, through the Weekend College and at The Source, Lucas County’s One-Stop Employment Center, in downtown Toledo. The College’s enrollment at The Source has increased by 248 students with 412 area residents pursuing higher education in downtown Toledo during the current Summer Semester compared to 164 last summer term (151.2 percent increase).

The College’s ethnicity/race student enrollment also continues to increase. For Summer Semester, 1,307 African-American students are pursuing an Owens education compared to 890 last year (46.8 percent increase). Additionally, Hispanic enrollment has a recorded a 21.4 percent increase with 368 students attending classes compared to 303 during summer term 2008.

Eighty-seven graduates from Woodward High School and Findlay High School are receiving a free college education to Owens during the current academic year as part of the College Foundation’s new Success Program, which is designed to make college affordable for high school graduates with financial need. Recently, Owens’ Foundation expanded the Success Program to include all high schools in Toledo Public Schools’ district, as well as Washington Local Schools. Currently, over 60 graduates from Toledo Public Schools, Washington Local Schools and Findlay City Schools are participating in Owens’ recently expanded Summer Bridge to Success Program, which is designed to help first-year students who are underrepresented successfully transition from high school to college.

Continuing to expand educational opportunities for students in the Hancock County area, Owens unveiled a new $4.2 million Findlay-area Campus Community Education and Wellness Center in 2007 to complement the $17.7 million Findlay-area Campus, which opened in 2005.

To accommodate the record number of students, the College, within the last six years, also opened an $11 million Center for Fine and Performing Arts on the Toledo-area Campus. In 2007, Owens unveiled a new

$20.5 million Center for Emergency Preparedness. The Center is the only state-of-the-art facility of this magnitude within the Midwest.

In the coming year, Owens will broaden access to higher education opportunities for police, fire and emergency services personnel, as well as the military, by opening a new $3.2 million Emergency Preparedness Operations Building at the Center for Emergency Preparedness. The College is also beginning the renovation process at the former Penta Career Center, which is adjacent to the Owens Toledo-area Campus.