College to Offer 11-Week Courses

While their parents may have taken college at a leisurely pace and used the time to find themselves, today’s students want to get the most out of higher education in the shortest amount of time, Pierce College officials said.

To accommodate those students, Pierce College will begin offering classes that meet twice as long per session but for a shorter duration, Pierce President E. Bing Inocencio has announced.

The 11-week courses, which begin today, include subjects ranging from foreign languages, geology and anthropology to psychology and office administration.

“We hope the short courses will prove to be a creative way to serve our students, many of whom can’t attend college on the traditional 20-week-long semester schedule,” said Carmelita Thomas, vice president of academic affairs.

The move is the latest in an effort to rebuild enrollment at the Woodland Hills campus, which has undergone a steady decline over the past few years.

With a new president, college officials are trying new programs and offering alternatives to bring students to school.

Other new services include a “Weekend College” program that offers 36 popular and transferable courses on Saturdays, as well as satellite campuses in the far West Valley and Agoura Hills area to serve students who may not want to travel to the Woodland Hills campus. The college also hopes to attract students from four-year universities who want to complete their lower-division courses at lower costs.