New Course Offerings

A total of 11 new course offerings have been added for the Fall 2023 semester in the areas of education, computer information systems, biology and chemistry.

The new education courses include EDU 112, Teaching Lab Seminar III; EDU 207, Physical Science for Elementary Ed; and EDU 217: Inclusive Practices in Elem Ed. In W2024, we will also offer EDU 230, Early Childhood Teaching and Learning and additional math and science courses for Early/Elementary Education students.

Department chair Cheryl Almeda said a new associate of arts degree in Early/Elementary Education will be offered during the Winter 2024 semester. Most of the related courses are already available, but EDU 230, Math 153 and 155 and EDU 209 will first be offered in 2024. Classes are offered in many modalities - online, hybrid and face-to-face.

"We're responding to the community's needs," Almeda said. "There's such a huge need for parapros and teachers."

She said the new AA degree in early education includes two tracks. Students can prepare to transfer to a four-year university to complete a bachelor's degree in "Birth - 3rd" and "PreK - 5th" grade bands and become a teacher, or they can move directly into the workforce with the credentials to become an elementary school paraprofessional or other educational assistant.

The new biology courses are BIO 115, Human Anatomy and Physiology I and BIO 215, Human Anatomy and Physiology II. They use a lecture and laboratory format to illustrate the concepts of anatomy and physiology and provide the foundation for further study in the health careers.

Health Careers Chemistry, CHM 115, has also been added. The one-semester course combines the basics of general chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry with an emphasis on concepts directly related to health fields.

CIS 140 is Intro to Cyber Security. Students will learn the risks and threats to an organization's data and presents a structured approach to safeguard these assets. In CIS 240, Cyber Defense, students are introduced to various testing tools to analyze networks for vulnerabilities and prevent, detect and combat cyber security threats.