NATCHEZ — Larger enrollment numbers have forced local Copiah-Lincoln Community College leaders to get creative.

Natchez campus Vice President Teresa Busby said enrollment increased by 163 students this year — from 588 students in 2016 to 721 students in 2017.

When planning for the new students this summer, however, Busby and other administrators discovered only “one or two” extra classrooms were available for the current year.

“We have enough space, but we got creative,” Busby said. “We made a plan to better utilize our space. With that being said, we merged some areas. It’s a spirit of cooperation on this campus.”

When designing the schedule for the coming semester, Busby said they leaned heavily on afternoon and hybrid classes to lighten the load.

Students in hybrid classes spend half of the allotted period in the physical classroom and attend classes online for the remaning days.

“That frees up some space,” Busby said.  “And it really helps my students who work.”

Between mergers and small renovations, Busby said the college is now “at capacity.”

Busby said she thinks partnerships with local public and private schools — through early college and dual enrollement programs — have helped the college grow.

The campus graduated its first class of early college enrollees — a partnership with Natchez Early College Academy — last May.

Busby said she is interested to see if those students will tend to stay on with Co-Lin.

“Becoming a (ACT) Work Ready community has helped people understand that there’s a lot of value in education,” Busby said. “Parents are seeing what a value we are.”

As enrollment has grown, Busby said she has also seen a continual rise in online students. This, too, she said, would help offset any shortage of space the campus may face in the future.

The rise in enrollment is the highest point of a up-and-down pattern of growth since 2014.

In 2014, 573 students were enrolled. That number grew to 629 in 2015, dropped to 588 in 2016 and rose again this year to 721.

If the enrollment trend continues, Busby said, she thinks the school will have to just be a little more creative next year.

“We’ll just make it work one way or another,” Busby said.