UC Clermont sets ambitious growth plan with 5,500-student target

University of Cincinnati Clermont College Dean Jeff Bauer recently spoke with the Cincinnati Business Courier about the regional college's future among the city's growing eastern corridor. 

When UC Clermont opened its doors in 1972, the college catered mainly to adult learners with a program of evening classes. The college evolved with the times and with the demand for affordable higher education. In the early 2000s, the college became an attractive place for traditional college-age students to study and explore the higher ed waters for two years, then use their college credits to enroll at UC’s main campus or another four-year college for the remaining two years.

As adult learners shifted to online classes, UC Clermont moved into offering online programs. Today, a variety of students, from first-generation college students to adult learners, are enrolled either virtually, in person or a mix of both methods — called HyFlex learning — according to UC Clermont Dean Jeff Bauer. 

The college’s reach has expanded dramatically with the growth of online classes.

“When the college started out, we basically were recruiting students from two states, Ohio and Kentucky,” Bauer said. “Today, we have students from all 50 states and 10 other countries. So that has really expanded our role.”

The regional college is planning to grow, as the entire University of Cincinnati system aims to reach 60,000 students by 2030.

Bauer forecasts enrollment of 4,800 (which includes about 1,000 College Credit Plus students) by 2030, and close to 5,500 by 2035.

Read the full story from the Cincinnati Business Courier. 

Feature image at top: UC Clermont Dean Jeff Bauer. photo/Danny kidd