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RCC transfers post best GPAs Dean credits teachers, counselors, tutor centers By Bill Kettler Rogue Community College must be doing something right. RCC students who transfer to four-year colleges earn higher grade-point averages than students from any other Oregon community college. During the 1998-99 academic year, Rogue students who moved on to four-year colleges earned a cumulative GPA of 3.07, while the cumulative grade point average for all community-college transfer students was 2.9. A study conducted by the Oregon University System found that former Rogue students did well across the board, earning high marks in math, social sciences, foreign languages and English composition. "We�re real proud of that data," said Tom Bradbeer, RCC�s dean of human resources. "It confirms that our instructors are doing a good job." The study evaluated 8,792 transfer students from Oregon�s 17 community colleges, including 640 who had attended RCC during the previous year. Of the 640 Rogue students, 427 were enrolled at Southern Oregon University; 67 attended Oregon State University; and 43 went to Oregon Institute of Technology. The remaining 103 attended other state universities. Bradbeer attributed RCC students� success to the academic counseling they receive when choosing classes. Students take placement tests to help counselors decide which classes best suit them. Starting at the right level gives students a solid background for moving on to more advanced classes. "If they test at algebra 2 we give them algebra 2 rather than college algebra, where they would struggle," Bradbeer said, "and we certainly wouldn�t offer them calculus." RCC�s tutoring centers at the Grants Pass and Medford campuses help students who are struggling, Bradbeer said. "Students can go to the tutoring center any time and get help. They form study groups with other students." RCC�s enrollment has grown 46 percent since the college opened its Medford campus in 1997, to the equivalent of 4,689 full-time students. Bradbeer said a full-time student is defined as anyone taking 12 credit hours, but many working people enroll for one or two classes. About 16,000 people enrolled for classes during the 1999-2000 academic year. The enrollment is split nearly equally between the two campuses. Bradbeer said the college expects enrollment to reach the equivalent of 5,000 full-time students as early as the autumn 2000 quarter and climb to 6,000 within three or four years. "There�s still room for growth," he said, "based on averages (for community college attendance) around the state." Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA