Fresno City College enrollment is on the rise

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Traffic tie-ups started early on Fresno City College's campus Monday morning as hundreds of cars quickly filled up student and staff parking lots. Monday marks the start of the college's fall semester, and officials say enrollment is on the rise.

"We are in a growth mode, and so we are planning to have our enrollment grow 4-6 percent, and that is as a district and also as a college as well," said Cris Monahan Bremer with Fresno City College.

Bremer says an improving economy and a desire to master technology is behind the increase. She said, "We've got a computer information systems department that is very, very busy, and we have full enrollment because of that. There's just changing technologies."

"In 2015, everyone needs to know some technology, even your grandparents, the young, even the average adult -- they need to know it," student Adam Tliv said,

This year, FCC estimates more than 20,000 full- and part-time students are enrolled, which is 3 percent higher than last year.

"There's a lot more students than there was last semester," student Arizona Tapia said.

FCC also spent more than $1 million renovating its gymnasium area. Some of those upgrades include brand-new, state-of-the-art bleachers.

New athletic director Eric Swain says these electronically expanding bleachers will play a huge role in physical education classes and Fresno City's sports teams. He said, "The kids work so hard in athletics that to be able to walk into a gymnasium that has the most modern features with bleachers, it's definitely a perk."

Fresno City College also added 130 new courses this fall, but most are already near capacity.