BEND, OR -- Central Oregon Community College will recognize one of its largest graduating classes next Saturday. Ron Paradis with COCC says the large number of students who successfully completed one- or two-year programs this year is likely a continuation of recession-level highs. "We’d averaged about 450 to 550 graduates throughout most of the first part of this century. In about 2010, that number started moving up quite a bit. We had 610 graduates in 2010, then 814 [in 2011] then in 2012 we went over a thousand. And for the last two years, we’ve had about 1,200 graduates."
However, the trend isn't expected to last. Paradis tells KBND News, "We think this year will be the last year of a big number of graduates, as our enrollment has begun to decline. And, so, we expect the number of graduates to start dropping off, as well."
Paradis says because many graduates go on to four-year programs, only about a third of the students will participate in commencement on June 13. "We expect about 400-425 students to be there to be awarded their certificate or degree that day. Representative Knute Buehler from here in Bend will be the speaker this year. And, the ceremony will start at 10 and go for about an hour and a half."
