TC celebrated its 83rd anniversary Wednesday, beginning the fall semester with a record number of students enrolled. At the close of regular open registration Tuesday, TC had 5,126 students enrolled, an increase of more than 1,000 students from the spring.
“Our staff was up early this morning directing people around,” Jan Salzman, director of student enrollment services, said Wednesday. “There were a number of students who were lost, and were looking for things like parking spots.”
The first series of morning classes on campus began around 8 a.m.
“Things were pretty typical, although the crowd was bigger than a typical first day because of the enrollment increases we’ve experienced,” Ms. Salzman said. “And we still expect more students to enroll.”
Late registration at the school kicked off Wednesday and will run through Friday.
Hal Ward, TC technology division director and business professor, said students in his marketing class were excited Wednesday morning.
“I think everyone was pretty excited,” he said. “I think sometimes college students can come to their first day of classes with the same jitters and excitement you see from children attending elementary schools or high schools.”
Ward, who has been with TC for 31 years, said he, like most professors, spent the first day of class lecturing students about his goals for the year, and handing out a course syllabus.
“I thought it was pretty busy this morning, but not as busy as it was on Monday and Tuesday, during the last few days of registration,” Ward said. “That’s when the traffic is usually at its highest, and when people seem to be making a mad rush to campus.”
Jonathan Keener, 20, a freshman business student, said he wasn’t nervous to begin the day.
“I already knew people here,” he said. “I did get lost, but there was a lot of help around campus, so it wasn’t that big of deal.”
Talakie Alsbrooks, 18, of Waco, a freshman, said she didn’t know anyone prior to attending classes in the morning.
“I was very nervous this morning on my drive in,” said Ms. Alsbrooks, who attended an English class in the morning. “But I kind of made study buddies in class. I just tried to speak to anybody who was around, and tried to be nice.”
Ms. Alsbrooks and Keener both said they registered for classes at TC prior to the summer but were waiting to attend their classes before purchasing books.
“I want to go to class and make sure I actually need (my textbooks), and see if we’re going to use them before I buy them,” said Keener, who will take three classes per day. “It doesn’t make sense to buy them otherwise.”
TC began the fall semester with a new president, Dr. Glenda Barron, and 18 new faculty members.
