Continuing Education: connecting the community with personal or professional development
BY: OLIVER PULCHER
Staff Writer
Colleges make up an important part of any community. However, for the non-enrolled, there isn’t a direct connection to that college. Many colleges organize attempts to connect with the community through pre-existing events like Oktoberfest. Unless community members are readily able to enroll, the colleges run the risk of having a disconnect with the community. Meramec’s Continuing Education program invites community members the opportunity to join and participate in classes for fun, and personal or professional development.
Continuing Education is open to all. According to Janet Fleming, the Director of the Continuing Education program for STLCC, the Continuing Education programs have had students taking courses, ranging from infants to 90-year-olds.
Around 1,000 courses per semester are offered, with the Continuing Education school year spanning three semesters. Classes range from Arts and Crafts to personal and professional development courses.
Some of the non-standard course examples include Phlebotomy, a course on drawing blood samples, which also allows one to gain the clinical experience necessary for a job as a phlebotomist. Classes are also offered on such subjects as the basics of voice acting and getting into the voiceover industry, languages ranging from Arabic to Spanish, writing and photography.
“My personal favorite course has to be any of the arts or painting courses we offer at Continuing Education. I find them really fun!” said Fleming.
Classes are priced individually; some are free, while others are costly for their professional enrichment nature, said Fleming. Community members who are 60 years old and over are eligible for a senior discount on courses. Financial aid does not apply to Continuing Education courses.
Enrollment is always open and students can register any time through several options such as registering online, over the phone, in person, or by mailing in an enrollment form. Any students with questions can contact the Continuing Education department with the number (314) 984-7777 or through the contact information on the Continuing Education website, said Fleming. There isn’t a limit to the number of courses any one person can take and flexibility is allowed for varying schedules.
