LTCC mapping out a way to offer community education
By Kathryn Reed
Lake Tahoe Community College hopes to return to its roots a bit this fall by offering community education.
While the state mandates the dollars it doles out to two-year institutions be largely spent on courses geared toward students who will transfer to four-year colleges and for remedial purposes, it hasn’t always been that way.
Tom Greene
When LTCC opened in 1975 it had a true community education component. This was in large part funded by a 5-cent assessment place on properties statewide. A local 72-cent property tax was in place to fund LTCC.
At that time community colleges also set their own fees.
When voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978 it changed how property taxes to this day are collected in California as well as the funding structure for education and other entities.
One reason LTCC is reintroducing community education is because of how the state reimburses the school for classes. In recent years more elective type courses are not being reimbursed. Many of these, like physical education, are popular in South Lake Tahoe. But the college is losing money without the state reimbursement.
Tom Greene, vice president of Academic Affairs and Student Services, spoke to the LTCC board March 22 about the need to hire a part-time community education coordinator.
After the meeting he told Lake Tahoe News he expects in the next month or so to have more structure to the program. Bringing back community education was a component of the February strategic planning session.
“It will give us a great deal of flexibility,” Greene told the board. “It will be an alternative revenue stream and it meets the unmet needs of the community.”
Although the program per state law is not supposed to make money, instead break even, it’s possible to incorporate into the fee structure the wear and tear of the facility and utility costs. This is where the college may reap a savings of sorts.
“I imagine if it’s not self-supporting, it will not be long lived,” Greene said.
Specific courses that might be offered are far from being finalized. But there was discussion about bringing back Kids College, offering culinary classes, having a mini version of the Spanish institute, or weekend seminars.
Part of the flexibility Greene spoke of was timing of classes – this could be for a day, hours or a weekend. Plus, the requirements for instructors are not the same as regular LTCC classes.
Cynthea Preston, dean of Instruction, said, “We have a lot of vocational classes that would be better in community education.”
Hopefully this program can, once again, be available to the community. I enjoyed both taking and teaching classes years ago because of the reasonable time commitment and variety of offerings.
Yes, I hope this comes to fruition. As a relatively new resident to the area I was impressed at the wide array of offerings to the community and now they have all disappeared before I had the chance to partake.
It is my hope that our college returns to what I believe the roots of a community college should be; a service to transfer students and also one that serves the needs and learning desires of the community-regardless of their age. Kids’ College has been gone now for two years and it is truly missed. Kids’ College not only provides educational programs for youth to develop life-long learning skills, it’s a perfect avenue for LTCC to tap into their future market of students in the transfer program. Thank you for returning to this discussion. Yeah!!!!
This isolated community benefits dramatically from the “community” classes. The outdoor & culinary classes are a wonderful way to bring together a cross section of our population.
Continuing education is important to the people who are not interested in transferring but want to be engaged in life long learning & improving their health.
The Community College is not supposed to be a vocational school or one which teaches what should have been learned in high school. It is an institution of HIGHER Learning. If a graduate of the 2 year program can’t transfer seamlessly into a 4 year school, then it isn’t doing the job for which is was established.
Next year, why not use the $10,000 blown on a rail jam and use it to fund the “community” classes?
Tahoeadvocate: You are mistaken. The published mission of California Community Colleges has three equal elements: (1) transfer education, (2) vocational education (now known as Career & Technical Education), and (3) basic skills education.
Lake Tahoe Community College is following this mission.
Kid’s College lost $10,000 a year. The only thing that is not missed is the deficit.
Tahoeadvocate: The published mission statement of California Community Colleges contains three equal elements: (1) transfer education, (2) vocational education (now referred to as career and technical education), and (3) basic skills education.
LTCC is following this mission precisely and community education will allow the college to further serve the residents of South Lake Tahoe.
I am for doing everything possible for our youth because they will be taking care of us adults when we are old folks.
Ernie,
Those who depend upon reciprocation as a motive for their good works are often disappointed