Flower Mound - Highland Village - Argyle | November 2023

From the cover

Enrollment rebounds from COVID19 dip at NCTC

BY TIM GLAZE

What you need to know

Campus enrollment

Flower Mound campus in-person

Virtual across entire college system

10K

2020: Online enrollment rises at NCTC campuses following COVID-19 outbreak.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, enrollment at NCTC’s Flower Mound campus hit 4,355 students in 2018—the highest n campus history. Enrollment is rising since the 2020-21 school year, Senior Marketing Specialist Elizabeth Abu said; the number of in-person students jumped from 494 in 2020 to 1,684 in 2023 as students returned to classrooms following a statewide easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Expanding a community footprint will be key to future in- person enrollment in Flower Mound, Abu said.

SOURCE: NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGECOMMUNITY IMPACT

Current situation

What’s next?

Wallace, NCTC Chancellor. For online and in-person students, NCTC’s Flower Mound campus specializes in IT and cybersecurity classes. NCTC also oers a health science program that attracts a high number of enrollees; between 2018 and 2022, the Texas Higher Education database reported that a combined 12,937 students took courses related to health professions at the seven NCTC campuses—the second-highest total behind Liberal Arts Studies.

The Flower Mound campus partners with several local businesses and organizations, as well as the nearby Midwestern State University satellite campus. Both colleges are located in Flower Mound’s Parker Square and share degree- and tuition-matching graduation programs. “Our commitment to improvement is evident in the ... projects undertaken across our campuses, specically focusing on enhancing graduation and completion rates for our students,” said Brent

NCTC ocials are making a point to expand their community footprint in Flower Mound by partnering with local chambers and businesses as campus ocials hope to address the lower enrollment numbers seen since 2020. “Together, we’re building a stronger, educated future for Flower Mound,” said Lori Walker, Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce president. NCTC is now an ocial Lewisville ISD sponsor and made a donation to the district prior to the 2023-24 school year. NCTC also had representatives at Flower Mound’s SmokeFest, a barbecue festival. These actions serve to bolster the college’s presence in Flower Mound, Abu said. “Our plan is to be out and about more in Flower Mound in the coming year,” she said. NCTC partners with several local businesses and organizations, including: • Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce • Lewisville Chamber of Commerce • Denton Area Teachers Credit Union (DATCU) • Grace Counseling Center • Lewisville ISD Education Foundation

How we got here

At its inception, NCTC—then called Gainesville Junior College—shared a building with the local high school. Now, 100 years later, the college has eight campuses in its system throughout North Texas.

1994: College renamed North Central Texas College

2000: Corinth, Bowie campuses open

1998: Board authorizes purchase of 21.2-acre site in Corinth, Texas, for new campus

1924: Gainesville Junior College established

1959: Gainesville Junior College facility opens to students

2011: Flower Mound campus opens Per Abu, the Flower Mound campus was opened to address the college’s enrollment increases, ease overcrowding at the Corinth campus and better serve southern Denton County.

PHOTOS COURTESY NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

FLOWER MOUND HIGHLAND VILLAGE ARGYLE EDITION