Beginning at the end of March, Skyline College will be offering a wide selection of short (less than semester-long) courses to anyone interested.

Short courses that have traditionally been a Skyline staple such as CAOT (Computer Applications & Office Technology) classes will continue to be offered along with more core academic classes such as English, math and history.

According to Dean of Language Arts Anita Martinez, the idea for short courses stemmed from a need for increased enrollment as well a valuable opportunity for students.

“We felt that it would be a great way to address two needs-number one, to have enrollment grow, and, number two, to offer some courses that students might need so that they can move on in their educational career,” Martinez said.

Donna Bestock, dean of social sciences and creative arts said that because money has been tight, fewer sections have been offered and students weren’t getting into the classes they needed because they were closed. It was not until recently that they were given permission to do some adding.

“We’re giving students a shot at classes they may not have gotten into,” Bestock said.

Students now have the opportunity to take short classes that will allow them to transfer and move through sequences as well as take supplemental courses that will help them in the classes that they are already taking.

For sequences, Martinez cited an example that Spanish 112, a short course being offered later this month, is part of a sequence of Spanish classes. If a student had taken Spanish 110 in the fall and was hoping to move on to Spanish 120 this coming summer or fall and failed to enroll in Spanish 112 earlier, they would now have the opportunity to do so.

However, Martinez reminds students that, while these classes are only eight weeks long, they cover the same amount of curriculum as is covered in a full semester.

“[Students] need to be prepared for a faster pace” she said.

Bestock is optimistic about the program and foresees its expansion over the coming semesters as including additional classes offered in music and art, as well as more honors courses.

“We’ll be doing some research on the classes that we’re offering this spring,” she said. “By next spring, we’ll be much more certain about what students’ needs are.”

Information on these and other courses offered at Skyline may be found on the college Web site at http://www.skylinecollege.edu.