LAKEPORT — The Mendocino College Lake Center will offer community college classes this fall beginning on Aug. 20.
Registration is in progress online at the college website or through walk-in registration at the Lake Center, located at 1005 Parallel Drive in Lakeport. Early registration is advised to help guarantee placement.
The college”s Lake Center offers about 200 college classes each year, with most fall classes starting this month. Some classes begin after Labor Day to accommodate students employed in summer jobs.
“One of the things most important to students is a choice for scheduling that meets their needs,” Lake Center Dean of Instruction Mark Rawitsch said. ?That”s why we also offer some of our general education classes in Lakeport only one day a week in three-hour blocks. Some students can”t afford the time and gasoline it takes to come to college several days a week. With careful planning with our academic counselors, Kurt Combs and Guillermo Garcia, students can set a class schedule allowing them to meet other important family or employment commitments without missing the chance to attend college classes.”
Garcia joined the Lake Center staff in July and, in addition to regular academic counseling, he will also serve as the college counselor for Native American students in Lakeport and Ukiah.
The Mendocino College Lake Center offers community college classes designed to meet the needs of university transfer students, those interested in developing job skills and others needing to brush up their basic skills in college English, math and study skills.
High school students can also meet some graduation requirements or begin their college careers by taking college classes locally. Mendocino College has waived unit fees for currently enrolled high school students.
Fall Lake Center classes cover a range of general education college degree and university transfer topics including English, math, history, biology, geology, anthropology, psychology, music, art and more.
Lake County residents can also use community college classes to improve job skills or to plan for a new career. Lake Center classes supporting this goal include those in administration of justice, child development, college and career success, computers, economics, English as a second language, elementary and intermediate algebra, environmental science, sociology, philosophy, health, math lab and conversational Spanish.
“Each semester the Lake Center schedules college classes in both day and evening formats to meet local educational needs,” Rawitsch said. “Our Lakeport program serves as an introduction to the California Community College System and its network of student support services such as academic counseling, financial aid, low-cost college classes, university transfer guarantees, scholarships and more.”
Rawitsch added, “A major mission of the state”s public community colleges is to help provide quality education at the lowest possible cost to students and their families. Many students can qualify for financial aid, fee waivers, grants, loans and scholarships, so no one should think that they can”t afford to go to college. Interested students just need to take that first step and contact us to explore all the ways we can help.”
Serving the local business community, evening Lake Center business classes this semester include introduction to management from 6 to 8:50 p.m. Wednesdays and many courses in the college Business Office Technology program series such as medical transcription, PowerPoint for presentations, business calculators, word processing, database management and more.
New to Lakeport this fall will be one class in the college”s Sustainable Technology program series. Introduction to residential electrical systems will be offered on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. “The Saturday electrical systems class is a good place to begin the new Sustainable Technology program and is being offered in Lakeport for the first time so local students interested in construction careers can begin the program or simply take the one class to improve their construction job skills,” Rawitsch said.
The class is a core requirement for the new Sustainable Tech Residential Performance and Efficiency Certificate of Achievement. Other sustainable tech classes are available this fall in Ukiah and Willits.
The Lake Center learning lab offers student assessment computers, distance education study stations, access to all college online classes, college library resources and a student study area. “Students who may not have their own computers can use Lake Center facilities to work on college projects using college computers in our learning lab or computer lab,” Rawitsch said.
The cost to enroll in classes is $46 per unit. Financial assistance allows for fee reductions for students who qualify.
According to Rawitsch, more than half the students who attend Mendocino College qualify for some form of financial aid. Many meet the guidelines that eliminate the unit fees and others receive grants to cover college costs.
Grants do not need to be repaid. All students interested in receiving financial aid should make early plans to complete the appropriate paperwork.
The fall semester continues through Dec. 14. Admission, registration and counseling services for any class offered by the college, including online classes or others at the main campus in Ukiah, are available at the Lake Center.
For more information about upcoming Mendocino College classes or to make a Lakeport counseling appointment, consult the college”s fall schedule online at www.mendocino.edu, visit the Mendocino College Lake Center or call 263-4944.
