By Matt Hudson, Owatonna People’s Press

Riverland Community College expects an enrollment drop of about 3 percent this year, according to its preliminary data.

The college, with roughly 4,658 students, has campuses in Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna.

Only about 7 percent of its enrollment is based in Owatonna.

The numbers are not yet final, as additional students can still register for classes or leave the college. Gary Schindler, dean of student affairs, said that firm numbers will be released in about a month, but it appears that Riverland will follow shrinking enrollment trends across the state.

Schindler said that economic forces contribute to the data.

“Even though our head count is slightly off, we have students also taking fewer credits,” he said. “They’re working more.”

Student populations across the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system have dipped in recent years. After a boost in 2010, numbers have declined since. In 2013, the decline was 2.3 percent across all member institutions.

And although MNSCU is in the middle of a tuition freeze, its budget continues to hold steady. State aid, which has dropped over the last decade, is moving back up thanks to large appropriations from the Minnesota Legislature.

The enrollment drop will have some effect on Riverland’s budget — somewhere around $340,000 based on tuition rates and projected full-time enrollment.

Still, some of Riverland’s programs are growing. Accounting, business, law enforcement, health science and radiology majors have shown upward trends, according to Schindler.

Growth in certain areas can be cyclical, but they feed into the overall message of the college. Schindler said that nearly three-quarters of jobs in Minnesota will require some sort of post-secondary education.

In its 75th year, Riverland is in what college president Adenuga Atewologun calls the “implementation phase” of a new long-term strategic plan. In a statement, he acknowledged the enrollment dip, but said that the growth in certain areas is a hopeful sign.

“That tells me that we are making progress in distinguishing ourselves in specific areas where we are stronger and better positioned to meet the needs of our communities,” Atewologun said.

Honing in on program development is part of the college’s plan.

Schindler said that the school recently created an admissions office and staff positions, which could really help correct enrollment. Before, the admissions director was merged with another position for financial reasons.

“Very strategic decision that we needed to make as a college,” Schindler said.