Public Relations

For Immediate Release Contact: Clare Geisen (805) 652-5504
August 7, 2007 Director, Administrative Relations


REGISTRATION STILL OPEN FOR MOORPARK, OXNARD, AND VENTURA COLLEGES

Fall semester begins at Moorpark College, Oxnard College, and Ventura College on August 20, and there is still time to register for courses at all three campuses and satellite centers. Students can apply, register, and complete their orientations online, as well as in person. In addition to full semester day and evening courses, the colleges offer weekend courses, short-term courses, one-day seminars, and online courses. Hundreds of courses begin in September, with others starting in October and November. Offering more than 3,000 courses in 100 majors and programs, the three colleges provide general education, transfer preparation, career programs, skills’ enhancement, and lifelong learning classes.

Among the new courses at Ventura College are Tai Chi, Hiking for Fitness, Personal Fitness Training (can lead to certification as a personal trainer), Conversational French, Conversational Japanese, Spanish for Law Enforcement, and Spanish for Teaching Personnel. Two newly redesigned courses in Agriculture are Pest Management and Landscape Plant Identification. A new program – Environmental Science and Resource Management – offers Intro to Environmental Science, Conservation of Natural Resources, and Environment and Natural Resource Management.

The Ventura College Promise, a program sponsored by the Ventura College Foundation, pays enrollment fees of all recent Ventura County high school graduates, regardless of family income, during their first year of attendance at Ventura College. This same promise is extended to students who have successfully completed their GED requirements or who have completed high school coursework but have not yet passed their exit exam. Expenses covered by the Ventura College Promise include the per-unit cost of classes, the Health fee, the Student Center fee, and the cost of an Associated Student Body card. There is no minimum/maximum number of units that must be taken and no minimum grade point average or assessment score that must be met.

To qualify, an applicant must identify an educational goal, take an assessment examination, work with a counselor to develop an education plan, complete a Financial Aid Application (FAFSA), apply for the Ventura College Promise, and be enrolled within 12 months of high school (or GED) completion. Interested individuals can contact a Ventura College counselor at (805) 654-6448 or the Ventura College Foundation Office at (805) 654-6461.

Several new Web courses at Oxnard College include Intro to Cultural Anthropology, Intro to Business, Intro to Computer Information Systems, Intro to Sociology, Intermediate Composition, College Composition, Composition/ESL Emphasis, History of California, Elementary Spanish, Elementary Algebra, and First Half Cisco Certified Networking Professional Prep.

The new Dental Assisting Program at Oxnard College offers Intro to Dental Assisting, Beginning Radiology, Intro to Chairside Dental Assisting, and Dental Specialties, while the Environmental Partnership Program enables students to develop entrepreneurial skills in science through oceanographic coursework aboard the research vessel, Shearwater, in partnership with Channel Islands National Park marine biologists. Qualified students receive $2,500 upon completion of projects and eight units of required coursework.

Oxnard College recently opened its new Student Success Academy, providing open-entry basic skills instruction in math, English, and reading. The new Computer Skills Center provides an array of courses from Intro to the Internet and Intro to Windows to MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access). A new Life Fitness Center with state-of-the-art fitness equipment is now open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday with Physical Education faculty helping students develop fitness and weight reduction plans.

In addition to many evening and online courses for the working adult, Moorpark College offers day students interested in transferring to a university an engaging way to take general education courses. Called Learning Communities, these courses combine two three-unit courses taught by two professors from different disciplines, for a total of six units.

Relative Truths, Absolute Truth is the title of the Philosophy/Anthropology learning community. Enroll in Intro to Philosophy and Cultural Anthropology to explore knowing and believing by considering the differences and similarities between people and cultures. Students interested in film and psychology can explore The Psychology of Fear in the Cinema. Some of the scariest contemporary American films are examined against basic psychological principles. Enroll in Intro to Psychology and Humanities Contemporary American Film to become part of this learning community.

Attend a FREE Freshman Orientation and Social hosted by the Office of Admissions and Outreach at Moorpark College on the Campus Quad on August 16 at 2 p.m. For detailed information, call (805) 378-1409 or email mcoutreach@vcccd.edu.


A complete listing of fall courses for each college is available online at ww.moorparkcollege.edu, www.oxnardcollege.edu, www.venturacollege.edu, and www.vcccd.edu. With California resident fees at just $20 per unit, the California community college is still the best value in higher education, costing thousands of dollars less than a California state or private university. Students who have not yet graduated from high school can enroll at any Ventura County community college concurrently and will not be required to pay enrollment fees.

The Ventura County Community College District is a partner in the 109-campus California Community College system. The District’s three colleges, Moorpark, Oxnard, and Ventura, offer programs in general education for transfer to four-year universities, occupational and vocational fields, developmental programs, community service and continuing education, and provide opportunities to engage in co-curricular campus activities. For more information, please visit us at www.vcccd.edu.