College Changes Course on Offerings : Education: The campus in Moorpark is replacing its community service classes with a new, business-oriented schedule.

When Moorpark College had to drop two-thirds of the 166 self-enrichment classes it offered last spring because hardly anybody wanted to take them, officials knew that it was time for a change.

Out went the “How to Do Your Own Wallpaper” course the college had given for more than five years. Gone was “Cooking Vegetarian Dishes From India.” Officials, in fact, chucked the school’s entire non-credit, community service classes program. Instead, they contracted with a private firm and designed a new schedule of classes with an eye to the faltering economy.

In a matter of days, Moorpark College will become the first Ventura County community college to see whether a catalogue of courses designed to give business people an edge sells better than the largely leisure-oriented selections that local colleges have doled out for years.

Officials at Ventura and Oxnard colleges say they too have seen enrollment in their community service classes fall since the recession began a few years ago, and are responding by altering the mix of courses in their catalogues. Neither, however, is making changes as radical as those at Moorpark College.

“We tried to ask the essential question--what can we do to create a niche for ourselves that will really help the area get a jump start on the economy?” said Jim Niles, director for the college’s community services program.

The college’s answer is contained in a slim white booklet entitled “Your Passport to Prosperity.” On April 23, for instance, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., people willing to shell out $50 can learn about “Communicating Across the Gender Gap at Work.” For $85 on May 14, they can listen to a professional copywriter and graphic designer explain “How to Produce Dynamic Newsletters That Sell.”

Mike Rounds, a Palos Verdes-based marketer who has taught community services classes at Moorpark College in the past, created the new package and is providing it to the college under a contract.

In the past, Moorpark College, like Oxnard and Ventura colleges, hired staff to run its own program, but in recent years, it at best broke even, Niles said. The new contract has Rounds putting up the costs of the program, Moorpark College providing the facilities, and the college and Rounds splitting the proceeds.

Niles said the college hopes to make about $30,000 this spring, all of which will go into the its general fund. Last year, the college lost $9,000.

Officials at all three community colleges say the main reason that traditional self-enrichment classes are losing enrollment is a decline in discretionary spending.

“It’s the economy, I assume,” said Margret Hoag, student services assistant for Oxnard College’s program. “These are classes that are not absolutely necessary for people’s income.”

However, they say, the programs also face increased competition from adult education centers and parks and recreation departments, which have also begun to offer a selection of leisure courses.

“They are offering very similar classes they also call community service programs,” Niles said, “and we did see a definite impact on our enrollment.”

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While Moorpark College decided to completely overhaul its catalogue, Oxnard and Ventura colleges have taken a more conservative approach. Hoag said Oxnard’s next community services catalogue will offer an array of new sports-oriented classes such as fishing and boating, in an attempt to add spice to a schedule that had stayed largely the same for many years.

Oxnard College will also add more career-oriented classes to its selection.

Ventura College officials say they will add more business-oriented classes, but for the moment plan little other fine-tuning. They have canceled about 20% of their classes this spring, however, because of low enrollment.

Financially, “we’re holding steady,” said Sharon Dwyer, the college’s community services supervisor. “But we’re having to take a really hard look at the classes we are offering.

“It’s a real struggle.”