An increasing number of California'south community colleges are dealing with years of upkeep cuts by charging full toll for personal enrichment classes that used to cost the same amount as academic courses. These classes run the gamut from pottery to conversational French to a slide show of someone's trip to the Ukraine. They don't provide any credits or atomic number 82 to a caste and, until at present, they didn't have to meet any specific standards.

The Community College Board of Governors yesterday took its first look at uniform guidelines designed to ensure that students get what they pay for.

Barry Russell, Vice Chancellor for Bookish Affairs. (Photograph courtesy Chancellor'south function).

"The primary thing that we desire to clinch is that the courses are of quality and take some review on the local campus," Vice Chancellor Barry Russell told the Board during his presentation of the eighteen-page document. He said about two-thirds of the 112 campuses at present offering some customs services courses, "but probably i-3rd of the colleges have strong offerings."

Many of these courses used to be considered noncredit classes, which meant that even though students didn't receive credit for them, they were nevertheless approved past the local district governing lath and subsidized past the state. In recent years, however, as the country'south community college organization took a financial hit of more than $800 1000000, colleges were encouraged to focus dwindling resources primarily on classes that put students on the path to an Associate's Degree, career-technical certification or transfer to a 4-year college.

"Cours­es that exercise not back up programs of study and that solely serve an enrichment or recreational purpose should not be subsidized with state funds," states recommendation number four in the Customs College Student Success Chore Forcefulness written report, issued at the stop of last twelvemonth. "Rather, colleges should utilize community education and other local funding options to support such classes if they cull to offer them."

That position disturbed older adults who attended the Task Force meetings held around the country last yr. They worried that they woul d lose the opportunity to have classes that kept them feeling vital. Some backers of the Task Force recommendations disparaged enrichment classes as catering to wealthy retirees. Onetime community college chancellor Jack Scott took the middle ground, but remained adamant that, given the scarcity of resource, colleges had to focus on "serious" students. "Nosotros're not against lifelong learning," said Scott at a meeting last Nov. "Merely those students are not our priorities."

Enrichment classes may not be a priority for state subsidies, merely they remain part of the mission of California community colleges.  Even the guidelines acknowledge that, stating, "A Community Services Offering may particularly help the college address a range of needs within the community college mission and provide specific lifelong learning opportunities to its local community."

Community support tin be specially of import these days, equally the colleges seek individual donations and a big voice in Sacramento.

The new guidelines, at times, read more similar a business plan than a college plan. Colleges are urged to enquire themselves such questions equally, "Is there value to the higher to offering a Customs Services Offer? Is there value to the customs to offer Community Services programs?" In some instances, that manner is by design. Running full-fare enrichment programs on a campus "is more a business organisation than an educational venture," Russell told EdSource Today. "A small business organization, but i that'southward trying to pause even, not make a turn a profit."

Community service courses must be profit neutral; schools can't make money on them, merely they tin't lose coin either. Yet, rather than each private course having to pay its own way, a school'due south unabridged program must pay for itself. That gives the colleges flexibility to accuse more than for some classes than others. Santa Barbara Metropolis Higher, for instance, has a strong foundation that underwrites some classes, especially for low-income people and those on fixed incomes.

Costs vary past class and campus.  A three-60 minutes candle making course at Riverside City College has a $59 registration fee and $twenty fee for materials.  Seven sessions of Italian chat for travelers at the college ran $89 plus $xv in material fees.  Riverside City College also offers customs service classes in grooming to become an alcohol and drug advisor, $700; becoming a notary public, $50; and learning makeup artist techniques, $350.

The guidelines also provide a roadmap for new customs higher administrators who take never run non-for-turn a profit classes before, and comprehend such issues as the difference between a vision statement and a mission argument, the importance of careful record keeping that'due south distinct from the regular higher program, methods of instruction and student evaluation, and how to figure out the costs of lifelong learning classes.

California's community colleges accept always had an independent streak and this doesn't force them into a specific mold. The certificate actually supports local innovation, as long as the state doesn't become the neb. "Information technology needs to be a zero-sum game," said Russell. "And I would say equally this matures and offerings in the community instruction get more specific beyond the country, we might be able to cypher in on some best practices."

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