CSUN Offers Classes at Santa Monica Campus : Education: Program brings upper-division business courses from instructors in Northridge closer to students from the Westside.
Forty Santa Monica-area students are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in business from Cal State Northridge without ever setting foot on the campus.
Under a program launched last week, participants can take upper-division business courses from California State University instructors at Santa Monica College. Students can also pursue a liberal arts degree from Cal State Dominguez Hills via the community college.
Students traditionally attended Santa Monica College in pursuit of associate of arts degrees. Those seeking a bachelor’s degree would transfer to a four-year college for upper-division courses.
Organizers say the partnership makes classes more convenient by eliminating Westside residents’ lengthy commute to an unfamiliar campus.
“The advantage is it’s closer to home, much more convenient [and in] familiar surroundings,” said Bruce Smith, spokesman for Santa Monica College.
The classes are offered in the evenings. Courses in economics and business communications began last week, and additional classes will be offered throughout the academic year.
Cal State Northridge has a satellite campus in Ventura, but this is its first cooperative effort with a community college for a remote teaching site, said William Roberts, associate dean for the university’s school of business communications.
Business courses were chosen as the courses to be offered at Santa Monica College because of the demand from students, Roberts said.
“We have a number of students that are on the Westside,” Roberts said. “It seemed like a good way to eliminate some driving--send one teacher rather than 40 students.”
Other upper-division courses may eventually be offered through the partnership as well.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with Santa Monica College in offering these classes to the community and we look forward to future ventures together,” said CSUN President Blenda J. Wilson.
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