3 Campuses Report More Students on the Books

While some students scrambled to sign up for classes at Ventura County’s three community colleges on the first day of school Monday, enrollment was already up by more than 4 percent compared with last year.

On the first day of class last year, 25,984 students were registered at Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges. On Monday, 27,039 students had enrolled at the three campuses.

When late registration is completed at the end of the month, officials expect at least 2,000 more students will have signed up for classes.

“It feels good to be here on campus again,” said Rogelio Barajas, 24, who was on his way to class at Oxnard College on Monday. “The campus is pretty crowded with students. But just give it a few more days and they’ll start dropping off.”

District officials think otherwise.

“We’re holding our breath that the numbers will continue to grow,” said Barbara Buttner, a spokeswoman for the Ventura County Community College District. “And they typically do.”

In part, the increase can be attributed to new and “accelerated” courses at the three campuses, officials said. Many of the classes involve training people for jobs, mainly in computer science and electronics.

But some new classes this semester are a bit more unusual.

For example, at Ventura College on Monday, a class in metal sculpture was packed. Gary Lewis, who has taught welding at the college for 21 years, said he had tossed around the idea of the class for years, and finally decided to give it a try.

“Usually my welding classes are pretty straightforward,” Lewis said. “They’re meant to help people get jobs. This is the first time I’ve done anything as artsy as this.”

In his class, students equipped with gas torches will use scraps of metal--from soup cans to barbecue grates--to create artwork.

Last year, Pam Dayley, a student in Lewis’ beginning welding class, went beyond welding the varied joints required in the course. She also welded an 8-foot-tall sunflower and several 2-foot-long fish, including salmon and sturgeon.

Dayley’s elaborate art pieces further encouraged Lewis to teach the sculpture class.

“I let her do her projects and they turned out great,” Lewis said. “I decided to juggle a few classes and finally offer the class.”

Dayley, who is taking the new course, has sold a few pieces of her metal artwork and hopes to sell more. Her sunflower and fish sculptures won fourth place in a fine arts contest at the Ventura County Fair, which ended Sunday.

“This has been a lot of fun,” Dayley said. “I’m excited about the class. When you think of all you can do with metal, the possibilities are endless.”

At Moorpark College, which recently became an official Microsoft testing center, several new computer courses are being offered. Students who complete a course can take a test to earn a Microsoft biotechnology technician certificate.

And at Oxnard College this semester, firefighting and dental hygiene--pilot programs last semester--will be offered on a permanent basis.

In addition, for the first time, accelerated eight-week computer courses are being offered at the college.

Officials at all three colleges emphasized that more such classes are available this year. Courses that normally take about four months to complete are compressed to eight weeks.

Meanwhile, students at Ventura College started the new academic year Monday without a president of the Associated Student Body. During elections in June, student Susan Carrasco garnered nearly half of the 647 votes cast, but she was later disqualified by ASB officials, who accused her of campaign misconduct.

ASB officials gave the presidential title to runner-up Monica Sanchez. Administrators then stepped in and ordered a runoff between Sanchez and Carrasco.

On Monday, student body advisor Richard La Paglia said that if Sanchez agrees, a runoff election will be held in about three weeks. If Sanchez declines, Michael Kohli, who finished third in the election, will be asked to run against Carrasco, La Paglia said.

“It got totally out of control,” said Diana Escota, 20, acting president of the group. “It’s kind of sad. Some people who were involved with ASB won’t be returning because of it.”