Guest Opinion

By Paul DeMark

College of the Redwoods, Director of Communications and Marketing

In these challenging economic times, College of the Redwoods is committed to connecting and assisting with the educational needs of the communities we serve.

CR is experiencing a record enrollment increase over the past two years. By the end of this 2009-2010 school year, the college will have grown an amazing 34 percent since 2007-2008. By the end of this year, CR will serve over 10,000 students.

Last year, CR grew 14 percent compared to the pervious year. The state rewarded CR's growth with a $2.3 million increase in funding. We expect the growth for this academic year alone will be 20 percent.

Unfortunately, because of California's budget crisis, the state is not paying for enrollment growth for any of its 110 community colleges. In other words, CR will not receive any additional state funds to compensate the college for educating more students.

CR recognizes that with increasing unemployment and the escalating costs of attending California State University and University of California schools, we need to respond to the community. We are using $1 million from last year's enrollment growth money to sustain our career technical education and academic transfer programs. CR knows the community has been there to support the college in the past and CR is investing in the community now.

This million-dollar investment supports students who are coming to CR to retrain for new technical careers or complete their first two academic years before transferring to four-year universities.

Over the past 18 months CR has expanded educational access by dramatically increasing the number of online, night and weekend classes. Additionally, CR has opened up new instructional sites in McKinleyville and Arcata and increased course offerings at the Eureka Downtown Site. Starting in fall 2010, CR will open a new Garberville Instructional Site to serve Southern Humboldt/Northern Mendocino residents.

Last year CR partnered with the Humboldt County Economic Development Department to receive a $2 million U.S. Department of Labor grant. This grant is being used to offer more career technical education programs to train North Coast residents for jobs. In the fall semester 2009, CR used grant money to offer water management and wastewater treatment classes and a paramedic course. In spring semester, the grant is funding new semester-long classes in solar photovoltaic electrical installation and solar water thermal installation as well as an expanded schedule of welding courses.

We welcome the community to sign up for spring semester classes, which begin on Saturday, Jan. 16. Sign up online at www.redwoods.edu. CR is serious about making a positive difference in the lives of North Coast residents.