Following record-high enrollment for the recently completed Spring Semester, the current Summer session also has posted the highest-ever Summer enrollment in our 48-year history.

Spring’s census day number was 19,316, which broke the previous record of 18,241 set in Fall 2002. Meanwhile, headcount on summer census day was 9,115, compared to 8,425 in 2002. In a comparison between Summer 2009 and Summer 2008, headcount was 24 percent higher and 27.5 percent higher in units. “We are excited to welcome our summer students, many of whom have enrolled to earn extra credits in order to graduate sooner,” said Dr. Sunita Cooke, Grossmont College president. “Another reason why we have so many summer students is because the UC and CSU schools are accepting fewer students.”

Everyone is invited to share the excitement and attend the grand opening of our new parking structure on Monday morning, August 17. It promises to be a beautiful summer morning for the festivities, which will be held outdoors on the top of the parking structure. The views of the foothills and the mountains will be picturesque. A continental breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 a.m., with the ceremony to begin at 8 a.m. (The Fall 2009 Convocation program, which is the kick-off for Professional Development Week, will begin at 9 a.m. in the Student Center.) Among the planned grand opening festivities: remarks from campus representatives, community dignitaries and students, as well as a special checkered-flag ribbon cutting and vintage cars on display.

The opening of the new parking structure, featuring 1,431 spaces and a 3,200-square-foot facility for District Police, will mark the culmination of “Students First,” a year-long campaign.

The goal of “Students First” was to make available as many on-campus parking spaces as possible for students. This campaign involved extensive collegial consultation of many campus constituencies, including the Parking Alternatives Taskforce, Facilities Committee and Planning and Budget Council, as well as the support of faculty, staff and administrators who either parked off-site at a 500-space lot near Gillespie Field in El Cajon or who utilized transportation alternatives.

During the past 2008-2009 academic year, raffle prizes were awarded as incentives to GCCCD employees who choose innovative commuting solutions, including riding on shuttle buses, motorcycles and scooters to the campus, while grateful students distributed special “Students First” lapel pins to participating college and district employees. Students, meanwhile, were encouraged to use public transportation, carpool or the soccer field for parking, and to avoid parking along residential streets in the surrounding neighborhoods.

The new structure represents a win-win for the students, employees and neighbors who live near the campus. The additional parking is expected to alleviate some traffic congestion on nearby streets. The new structure also marks another milestone achievement for East County taxpayers who approved the Proposition R bond measure in 2002. Proceeds from the $207 million bond measure have financed the construction of several capital improvement projects on both Grossmont and Cuyamaca campuses.

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