Steven C. Ender
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President, Grand Rapids Community College
Ender is the ninth president of GRCC, having taken the helm in 2009.
“Trying to predict the economy for the next 12 months is a little like picking up pieces of sand: not impossible, but clearly tedious and slow. As I read various economic reports nationally and engage with business and industry leaders locally, tedious and slow are good descriptors in my mind of the upcoming year. We are seeing some signs of up-tick locally, and the enrolment at the community college reflects that up-tick. After reaching an all-time high of just under 18,000 credit students last year, this year’s numbers have fallen by just less than 400 students. Community college enrolment historically has risen during recessionary times and falls during economic expansion.
This time next year, if our enrolment has dropped by another 500 students, I would say we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel from the perspective of crawling out of this recession. At the community college we are preparing for fewer students in 2012.”