Louisiana Delta Community College saw an 8 percent decrease in total enrollment this fall, largely because of a 21 percent decrease in students enrolled in technical programs.
The news came as an unfortunate surprise to Delta's Interim Chancellor Jerry Ryan. He said he was disappointed and stunned.
The total fall enrollment for Delta decreased by about 8 percent from last fall, going from 4,509 students in fall 2011 to 4,150 in fall 2012.
The News-Star reports those figures include the former Northeast Louisiana Technical College students. The two institutions merged in July to create one larger Delta with eight campuses.
The largest reduction was in the number of students enrolled in technical programs, which saw a 21.3 percent decrease this fall.