Santa Ana College has added short term classes through the GR8 Weeks program to make up for low enrollment numbers at the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester.
The GR8 Weeks program features 8, 10, 12 and 14 week courses. Classes started last week and are scheduled to run through next year. There are over 200 courses scheduled in a variety of disciplines, including the arts, dance and communications.
The courses are designed to address low student enrollment for the fall semester. Overall enrollment has dropped 17% since last fall. Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Jeffrey N. Lamb, attributes the drop to students disliking the online format for classes and instead waiting for in-person classes to resume.
Lamb believes the condensed class schedule is a “good solution for students, especially those in art and athletic type courses.”
Fine Arts, Performing Arts and Kinesiology courses have been hit the hardest since the pandemic began. According to statistics from the Office of Admissions and Records, the total enrollment for Kinesiology courses last year was 2,365 students. This semester saw a 40% drop, with just 1,421 students enrolled. As for the Fine and Performing Arts, there are 3,128 students enrolled, down from 5,440 in 2019.
Brian Sos, Director of the Fitness Specialist Program, has had success with the GR8 Weeks program in the past. feels that it “really comes down to the student knowing their capacity to take on the amount of work and balance it with their lifestyle.”
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