Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2010

Students line up for registration

The following news release is from Johnston Community College.

Johnston Community College welcomed some 800 students during on-campus registration Aug. 9.

Students began lining up before dawn Monday, and one student camped out as early as 8 p.m. Sunday to get her spot at the front of the line.

JCC enrolled more than 3,300 students during its online registration process over the summer.

Add the 800 students who registered Aug. 9 and the college's fall enrollment is more than 4,100 students, up from 3,700 this time last year.

Sarah Gower of Clayton registered earlier this summer but waited in line about an hour Monday to get into the bookstore. "Even though I had to wait, the staff was really friendly and answered all my questions," said Gower, who's studying business administration. "Once I got inside, it only took about 10 minutes to find and purchase my books."

Throughout the morning, parking lots were full, and lines of students snaked through the Wilson Building and into the Paul A. Johnston Auditorium as they waited to meet with advisers, pay tuition, apply for financial aid and buy textbooks.

But all in all, the process went smoothly. With smiles on their faces, faculty and staff rolled up their sleeves and worked diligently with the students to secure their schedules. To make the wait less stressful, staff provided soda, bottled water and snacks to those in line.

JCC President David Johnson thanked the students and staff for their patience. "We realize this can be a frustrating process, and we appreciate everyone's understanding," he said. "I am extremely proud of our employees and their efforts to go above and beyond to assist these students. I can assure you we are doing our absolute best to serve every individual that walks on our campus despite our limited resources."