Trying to keep the state from cutting their budgets, Ventura County community colleges plan to offer more classes next spring and summer to increase enrollment and conduct an aggressive publicity campaign to woo back students shut out by fee increases and course cutbacks the past two years.

Presidents of Ventura, Oxnard and Moorpark colleges presented a plan Tuesday night to the Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees that outlines ways to meet enrollment goals. The plan's projected cost is $773,000, to be financed by delaying the filling of vacant positions and freeing up money from other areas of their budgets.

"I think it's doable," Michael D. Gregoryk, acting president of Ventura College, said of the enrollment plan. "But it will take a huge effort."

This fall, 32,753 students have enrolled at Ventura County community colleges, compared with 34,487 last year and 36,487 in 2002. Campus officials attribute the decline to fewer course offerings, increased fees, the opening of California State University, Channel Islands, technical problems with online registration, and negative publicity for the state's community college system.

The state budget deficit forced Ventura County's community colleges to initially offer about 400 fewer classes in 2003 than in 2002. Meanwhile, fees have increased from $11 a unit in 2002 to $26 a unit this year.

The colleges must meet a target of 26,338 full-time-equivalent students in the 2004-05 school year or face budget cuts. District officials say they are confident they will meet the goal. Chancellor James Meznek, however, said the colleges are working on backup plans in case they fall short.

"Full-time-equivalent students" is a term determined by dividing the number of units taken by all students combined by the full-time courseload of 15 units. The state uses that figure, rather than a projected head count, as a basis to apportion funding throughout the community college system.

Although Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges will offer hundreds of new courses in the spring and summer, that won't completely make up for past cutbacks. Most of the courses will be in high-demand subjects, such as English, math and biology. The colleges will also bring back four-week summer courses, which have not been offered for two years.

To lure new students, the colleges plan to place advertisements in the local media and movie theaters, promote their Web sites, visit high schools and shopping areas, and hold conferences for businesses and young people.

Campus officials also want to increase student awareness about financial aid opportunities.

In other action Tuesday, the Board of Trustees voted 4-0 to approve a resolution opposing a state proposal to merge the state community college Chancellor's Office with commissions overseeing the K-12 school system. The proposal would also eliminate the community college system's Board of Governors. Local trustees oppose the proposal because they believe it would diminish community colleges' status as a system of higher education.