CT Post, January 3, 2010
HCC Readies for Another Enrollment Jump
New Programs,
Courses Await Students when Classes begin Jan. 22
Fresh from a record double- digit enrollment increase in the fall
of 2009 semester, Housatonic Community College (HCC) is preparing from another
increase to its enrollment next semester.
In the fall semester, the college enrolled 5,609 students at its newly expanded
downtown Bridgeport campus. That represents an increase of some 10.4 percent
over the 5,018 students who registered in the fall of 2008, and a 111 percent
increase over the 2,653 who registered in the fall of 1996, the college’s
last semester at its old Barnum Avenue campus in the city’s east end.
“ We have been active in the community and encouraging people to take advantage
of our programs to further their career goals,” said HCC President Anita
T. Gliniecki. “Based on this, we anticipate an enrollment increase in spring
2010 semester and increased the number of classes we’re offering to accommodate
that increase.”
Gone is the space crunch that plagued the college in the past. Eighteen months
ago, HCC opened its new Beacon Hall on the Southern perimeter of the campus,
which doubled the size of the college.
“ However, we encourage students to register early to ensure that they
get the classes they want when they want them,” Gliniecki said.
Next semester, students will find a selection of new courses and programs. One
is the Pathways to Teaching Careers program, which prepares student for careers
as teachers of biology, chemistry, English, foreign language, mathematics
and physics. Graduates of this program who meet minimum requirements are automatically
accepted into the School of Arts & Sciences at Southern Connecticut State
University to pursue their major, and have the opportunity to apply to the School
of Education to pursue state certification.
Another is the Graphic Design: Multi Media option. This new program focuses on
the multimedia area of the graphic design industry, including fundamentals
of web design, animation, and digital video.
One new course associated with this program is Digital Video Editing, which will
prepare students for planning and capturing digital video footage. In the
course, students will assemble and edit footage into short movies using Apple
Final Cut Pro.
Topics to be covered will include editing and trimming, audio mixing, timeline,
QuickTime movies, output to tape and using filters and effects.
Other new courses include: • Sign Language II – A
second course in the study of Sign Language used by the Deaf Community in the
United States, this course continues to cover the fundamentals of the basic structure
of sign- language grammar, vocabulary, finger- spelling/ numbers, visual- gestural
communication, and information related to Deaf Culture and History. Special
emphasis will be placed on its application in education.
• Sports Psychology – This presents a comprehensive
study of the psychological concepts related to fitness and sports behavior. The
course covers the history, evolution and foundations of this emerging field of
study and practice. Topics include personal goal setting, motivation, imaging,
personality characteristics of athletes, competitive anxiety, psychology
of coaching, team cohesion, and the effects of sports on spectators.
This course will be helpful to those interested in organized sports activities.
• Advanced Digital Photography – The course consists
of an advanced study of photographic aesthetics, capture and printing techniques,
and the history of photography. Students will utilize the latest image- editing
software including Abobe Photoshop, Bridge, Aperture and Lightroom to create
a portfolio of sophisticated digital images that reflect their personal
creativity and vision. Students are required to provide their own manually adjustable
digital cameras (single-lens reflex preferred), printing substrate as specified,
and other photographic equipment and materials.
• Spanish for Medical Personnel – This is a course containing
the same language skills as Spanish 102 with an emphasis on vocabulary and content
related to the medical field. It provides medical personnel with the basic
Spanish skills needed to interact with Spanish speaking patients in the health
care delivery system. It also describes the diverse Spanish cultures and explains
their role in health idioms and phraseology.
For more information, contact Admissions at 203- 332- 5100. Classes start Jan.
22.
Housatonic is located less than 150 yards off I- 95 (Exit 27) and Rte. 8 ( Exit
1) in downtown Bridgeport, a block from the Arena at Harbor Yard.
Anson C. Smith, Public Relations Coordinator
Housatonic Community College
900 Lafayette Blvd.
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Tel: 203-332-5229, Fax: 203-332-5247
E-mail: asmith@hcc.commnet.edu