ROCKLIN — Finding a place to sit at Sierra College Monday was a bit of a challenge.

The first day of the spring semester saw more students attending, and attempting to attend classes than the start of the spring 2008 semester.

Dinielle Nunez, sitting outside after she was finished for the day Monday afternoon, said the scene was pretty similar in all her classes.

First stop Monday morning was anthropology, where class was “completely full” with a lot of overflow, said Nunez, a full-time student from Roseville. Her communication studies class was more of the same. Even aerobics was full. The calculus class Nunez starts Tuesday has been full for a while now, “so I’m guessing a lot of people are trying to add,” she said.

Enrollment is definitely up from last year.

“The number is somewhere between 6 and 8 percent more,” said Dr. Leo Chavez, president of the Sierra Joint Community College District.

The economy has a direct connection to enrollment.

“We tend to be counter-cyclical in our environment,” Chavez said.

In a thriving economy, people are busy working, Chavez said.

“When the economy slows down people use that opportunity to work on their skill set,” he said.

Increasing fees and restricted admission in the California State University and University of California systems can also be cited as reasons more students are heading to community colleges like Sierra College.

Spring enrollment benchmarks provided by the Sierra College marketing department indicate a head count of 19,387 students as of Jan. 9. The headcount for the spring 2008 semester, taken on Jan. 11, 2008, was 18,194.

Enrollment would be even higher if it weren’t for the state’s enrollment caps, Chavez said. And while the college has had to limit the number of class sections offered, that doesn’t mean faculty members won’t try to work extra students into their classes. If the class is already at capacity, it’s up to the faculty member whether or not they add students, and how many they allow to join the class.

“We can enroll more students but we will not be compensated for that,” Chavez said.

Mike Sequeira, dean of sciences and mathematics, said one of his instructors added some 20 students to an already-full physics class.

“The faculty (members) are really stepping up. The faculty is having a hard time saying no,” he said Monday. “They’re taking as many students as the room can hold, even moving desks and chairs in if they can find them.”

Chavez said full classes could be found in all departments, everything from English to math, history to psychology.

There are some things students can do to lessen the impact for themselves and others, Chavez said. He emphasized the importance of registering as soon as possible for the next semester’s class.

“Find out the first day you can register, and register on that first day,” he said.

Also, only register for classes you’ll take.

“If they’re not absolutely convinced that they’re going to stay in the class, I’d ask that they not register,” Chavez said.

The Journal’s Loryll Nicolaisen can be reached at lorylln@goldcountrymedia.com, or comment online at Auburnjournal.com.