A Full-service center in Marina/Seaside

By Carl Pohlhammer

As we begin a new administration and the coming new year, MPC has a great opportunity to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow at its Marina Center and by expanding it budding "distance learning" program.

The "12th Street Gate" Center has classrooms appropriate for academic classes. That location should host a full program of "general education" classes, so that students from Marina and Seaside can take their first year close to home. "Full service" includes counseling, college preparatory courses, basic skills classes, English as a second language courses, financial aid, and other student services. Many years ago, MPC provided such offerings at its Ft. Ord campus. I taught at that campus and was an early advocate of a full service campus on our present properties now called the Marina Center.

Besides serving the north county community better, such a full service academic and vocational center will provide additional benefits. First, it would alleviate the parking problem at the main campus. Second, it would help protect our beautiful environment by providing MPC services closer to where students live, it would help take cars off the highway thus alleviating the worsening traffic situation and, by contributing less to our consumption of oil, it will help protect the quality of our air and will result in less oil contaminated run off reaching the ocean.

An increasingly important way for MPC to reach out to a wider student audience will be through its distance learning program. We have an excellent new library and instructional technology center capable of making vast resources available to students through on-line contact. Many instructors are interested in developing fully on-line or hybrid (partially on line) courses. This type of approach has great potential for college growth and for meeting the needs of the community. The board should encourage the expansion of our distance learning program; it should be open to proposals for helping faculty develop such courses and for finding appropriate and fair remuneration for such work. As a community college teacher of more than 40 years experience, I can bring new insights to board discussions and policy making on this issue.