College to Offer Accelerated Classes

Pierce College has introduced a program to reduce the length of a semester from 16 to eight weeks to help students meet their educational objectives faster.

“We want to help students get through college as quickly as possible because a two-year education should be just that--it should take two years,” said William Norlund, vice president of academic affairs.

The program differs from traditional eight-week courses offered by the school in that the amount of time spent in classrooms has been doubled, said Ina Geller, Pierce spokeswoman.

“You are actually getting 16 weeks of instruction because the courses meet for longer periods,” she said.

For example, a course that normally meets for three hours a week meets for six hours under the new program.

Courses available under the accelerated program are history, philosophy, political science, sociology, economics, English, anthropology and geography. Most begin Monday and can be used toward an associate of arts degree or to transfer to a four-year college.

Under the program, students who did not get classes they needed at the beginning of the semester have first dibs, Geller said.

“These are high-demand courses,” she said. “If a student couldn’t get it when they registered in the fall, now they have another chance.”

There was a special registration period for those students Monday and Tuesday. New students can register for any courses left over today through Friday.

For information, call the admissions office at (818) 719-6404.

Many students have taken longer that two years to get their associate degrees because they failed to get the classes they needed, Geller said.

“Ultimately, we want students to be able to get their education here on their timetable and not have to wait to get into classes,” she said.

The new program, Geller said, is also designed to boost enrollment, which has dropped from 20,000 students to 15,000 over five years.

“It shows the commitment of our new president, Dr. Mary Lee, to enhance the educational program at Pierce College,” Geller added. “We want the new students and continuing students to realize that we understand what their needs are and what their goals are.”