Press Releases

January 31, 2012

Joan Galvan, Public Information Officer
(805) 965-0581 ext. 2307
(805) 963-7222
jcgalvan@sbcc.edu

Community Input Sought for SBCC's Continuing Education Programs

Santa Barbara City College’s Continuing Education (CE) Division invites community members to attend any one of three scheduled forums in February to provide their input on the future direction for Continuing Education courses. The discussions will address Continuing Education’s three core components: Learning for College Preparation, Learning for Career Preparation, and Learning for Life, which includes the proposed self-supporting Center for Lifelong Learning.

The forums will be held:

Wednesday, February 8 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Alice F. Schott Center,310 West Padre Street in Santa Barbara
Friday, February 10 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Selmer O. Wake Center, 300 North Turnpike in Santa Barbara and
Monday, February 13 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., also at the Wake Center.

At the forums, facilitators will break the audience into smaller groups by the three core components of Continuing Education to get their feedback on a range of topics including the types of courses and programs they would want to have offered through the proposed self-sustaining Center for Lifelong Learning and what fees they would be willing to pay. Groups in the college preparation and career preparation areas would cover such subjects as increasing enrollment and completion of courses in non-credit basic skills, ESL Courses and short-term Career Technology Education, and how to identify entry-level career opportunities for which the college should offer short-term vocational programs and workforce preparation courses.

Dr. Jack Friedlander, SBCC Acting Superintendent/President, also will discuss the creation of the CE Visioning Task Force and give additional details about the proposed Center for Lifelong Learning. Made up of college and community stakeholders, the CE task force is charged with developing program ideas and making recommendations to the college for how to maintain a robust Continuing Education program during a period of reduced state funding and changes in state priorities. The Center for Lifelong Learning is a proposed self-supporting program within the college which will offer a full range of fee-based and externally funded courses and programs driven solely by student demand and interest.

Participants at each forum will have an opportunity to learn more about the role of the CE Visioning Task force, which is co-chaired by Dr. Ofelia Arellano, SBCC Vice President of Continuing Education, and Yolanda Medina Garcia, Parent Education Instructor, and how community members can take part in the task force’s work groups. Individuals who are not able to attend the forums but are interested in applying to join a work group should submit a statement of their background and/or interest not to exceed 150 words to InfoCETaskForce@sbcc.edu by no later than Thursday, February 16. Final selection will be made by a CE task force subcommittee.

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