The Tri-Valley and East Bay Abound with Lifelong Learning Opportunities

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

With the need for skills development playing a greater role in our lives than ever before, continuing education is growing increasingly important, no matter what your career path. Fortunately, the Tri-Valley and East Bay offer a variety of learning opportunities, whether you're looking to pick up an advanced degree, a new certification, or simply to broaden your horizons.

Universities

The Bay Area is home to some of the greatest institutions of higher learning in the world. One of the benefits of being in the Tri-Valley is the ability to take advantage of the reach of many of these that offer special opportunities for educational excellence.

Golden Gate University
536 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105-2968
800-GGU-4YOU
www.ggu.edu

Another path to a degree or professional certificate is offered by Golden Gate University and their online CyberCampus. Students can apply, register, take classes, and even interact with their professors and fellow students without having to travel to a classroom. CyberCampus courses are taught by the same faculty and are held to the same academic standards as courses offered in traditional classroom settings, and although the web-based format is unique, the courses are the same as those offered in-person at any Golden Gate University location.

GGU's CyberCampus offers a variety of certificate programs as well as undergraduate and graduate degrees. Fields of study include Accounting; Business and Management; Finance; Financial Planning; Healthcare Management; Human Resources; IT Management; International Business; Law; Marketing and Public Relations; Operations and Supply Chain Management; Preparation in Language and University Studies (PLUS); Project Management; Psychology; Public Administration; and Taxation.

John F. Kennedy University
100 Ellinwood Way
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523-4817
(800) 557-1384
www.jfku.edu

JFK University offers degree completion programs for undergraduates, graduate and doctorate degrees, and certificates in fields including psychology, law, management, liberal arts, holistic studies and museum studies. The school emphasizes a collaborative learning environment along with a flexible class schedule, with classes held late afternoons, early evenings and weekends at its three Bay Area locations in Pleasant Hill, Berkeley and Campbell.

The university features a practical learning approach, integrating a field component into many of its programs. For example, graduate psychology students provide counseling services at one of the University's three community counseling centers, and law students have the opportunity to work as interns at on-site legal clinics.

JFK University's Continuing Education division offers non-degree coursework. Programs are offered in the fields of psychology and mental health, nursing, law and nonprofit leadership.

University of Phoenix
2481 Constitution Drive
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 273-8100
www.phoenix.edu

Since its founding in 1976, the University of Phoenix has grown to over 200 locations around the world, in addition to a robust offering of online courses. At the school's Livermore Learning Center - one of five Bay Area University of Phoenix locations - students can earn a number of both undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates.

For example, Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in both Health Administration and Management, as is a Master's degree in Information Systems. Additionally, the Livermore location offers a certificate in Information Systems Security and a teaching credential program, as well as distance-learning degree programs for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an MBA.

As a school that focuses largely on adult learners, University of Phoenix courses and degree programs have been designed to accommodate working professionals with features like evening classes, flexible scheduling, and continuous enrollment.

University of San Francisco, East Bay Campus
1 Annabel Lane, Suite 115
San Ramon, CA 94583
(925) 867-2711
www.usfca.edu/regions/eastbay/

The degree programs offered by the University of San Francisco at its four regional campuses, including one in the East Bay, are the same values-based, academically rigorous courses of study offered on its main campus, but designed with the adult learner in mind. Low student-faculty ratios create an environment for active, collaborative learning experiences. The school emphasizes hands-on learning in its adult classes, providing opportunities for students to share their own knowledge and experiences. Group discussions, case studies of real life events and companies, small seminars, skill practice sessions, group work activities, team projects, and give and take discussions are the typical activities to be found in a USF adult learning program. Similarly, most regional campus programs are designed so students attend class one night a week and earn their degrees at a flexible pace.

USF's East Bay Campus offers classes and programs in three major academic divisions: the School of Management, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing and Health Professions. School of Management undergraduate programs cover fields such as Business Economics; Information Systems; Organizations, Leadership, and Management; and Public Administration, also available with concentrations in Law Enforcement Leadership and Nonprofit Administration. Graduate programs in the school cover Organization Development; Information Systems; Public Administration; and Health Services Administration. The School of Nursing offers a number of paths from RN to MSN while the School of Education provides training which can lead to a teaching credential, a Masters in Teaching, or a career in Counseling with a specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Colleges

The college system is well represented in the Tri-Valley with many offerings available to employees and residents. Nearby facilities offer a wide-ranging curriculum for educational enrichment.

Las Positas College
3000 Campus Hill Drive
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 424-1000
www.laspositascollege.edu www.clpccd.org

Livermore's Las Positas College, along with its sister school, Chabot College in Hayward, comprise the Las Positas Community College District (LPCCD). The district was founded in 1961 to serve southern Alameda County in university transfer, technical training, continuing education, workforce development, contract education with local businesses, and cultural enrichment. In total, the LPCCD serves 24,500 students and employs more than 2,000 administrators, faculty and classified staff.

Las Positas College offers a host of opportunities for both young and adult learners. In all, the menu includes 24 Occupational Associate Degrees, 17 Transfer Associate Degrees, and 44 Certificate Programs, as well as career and technical training for those entering the technical and para- professional work force.

For example, career-oriented classes are offered in fields including Applied Technology (welding), Automotive Technology, Business, Computing, Early Childhood Development, Health Sciences, Journalism, Physical Education, Public Health and Safety, Visual and Performing Arts, and Viticulture, Enology, and Horticulture. Many classes are offered on a flexible schedule, enabling students to upgrade their skills or train for a new career while continuing at their present jobs.

The LPCCD also operates an OSHA Training Center, the only authorized OSHA Training Institute Education Center in Northern California. This branch of the organization provides safety and health training on most current OSHA regulations and subject matter.

The college also provides custom training solutions for business through their Training and Development Solutions, the district's corporate services division. More information on these programs is available at www.tdsolutions.org.

St. Mary's College of California
1928 Saint Mary's Road
Moraga, CA 94556
(925) 631-4000
www.stmarys-ca.edu

As a liberal arts college following the traditions of both Catholicism and Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, St. Mary's College of California encourages students to probe deeply the mysteries of existence, emphasizing the freedom and dignity of individuals in addition to an awareness of economic and social justice. The graduate and professional programs at St. Mary's serve as agents for personal and public discovery, encouraging innovative ideas, new research, and progressive change in society.

The college's graduate and professional programs are taught through three different schools: the School of Economics & Business Administration; the Kalmanovitz School of Education; and the School of Liberal Arts. Together, they offer three different MBA programs; an MS in Financial Analysis; programs in Early Childhood Education, Reading and Language Arts Leadership, Teaching Credentials in both single and multiple subjects; Kinesiology; an MFA in Creative Writing; and undergraduate and graduate degrees in Leadership.

Extended and Adult Education

Whether a University Extension course or Adult Education, several institutions offer instruction on a wide variety of topics. Through these courses, participants can gain relevant skills and knowledge from a selection of stellar educators.

Amador Valley Adult & Community Education
215 Abbie Street
Pleasanton, CA 94566
(925) 426-4280
www.pleasanton.k12.ca.us/EducationalServices/AdultEducation/

Working under the auspices of the Pleasanton Unified School District is Amador Valley Adult and Community Education. The group's mission is to provide lifelong educational opportunities and personal enrichment while both addressing the unique interests of individuals and meeting changing community needs in Pleasanton and the surrounding communities of Alamo, San Ramon, Danville and Sunol.

Many classes in numerous subject areas are offered each semester. Programs include Career Technical Education, Health and Safety, Computer Classes, English as a Second Language, GED, Parent Education, and Independent Study. The department also sponsors personal enrichment classes on topics such as wine appreciation, money management, and conversational foreign languages.

Examples of current and upcoming programs and classes include pharmacy technician training; special education training; getting the most out of your Macintosh computer; retirement planning today; basic first aid; and conversational language classes in Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin Chinese.

A full course catalog and online registration forms are available at the organization's web site.

California State University, East Bay Continuing & International Education
25800 Carlos Bee Boulevard
Hayward, CA 94542
(510) 885-3605
www.ce.csueastbay.edu

California State University, East Bay Continuing Education provides professional development training in a vast number of fields, offering more than 70 degree and certificate programs, with popular areas of study including Behavioral Health and Science, Business and Management, Corporate Training, Computer Science, Education, Engineering and Project Management, Legal, and Real Estate/Construction Management.

CSU East Bay Continuing Education programs emphasize quality of instruction and a personal touch. Classes are taught by instructors with both industry experience and academic excellence, and the program's smaller class sizes and instructor-to-student ratio allows for more mentoring, and coaching.

In addition to facilities in Hayward, Concord, and Oakland, the university also offers online classes. For example, an innovative online two-year degree completion program allows students to receive a B.S. in Business Administration by taking classes over the Internet. The school even offers two M.S. degrees in education online. Other degree programs include a one-year intensive MBA and a specialized MBA for global innovators.

CSU East Bay's list of certificate programs is long and includes areas such as green supply chain professional; early childhood development; emergency management training; entrepreneurship; game design; human resources management; nonprofit management; paralegal studies; project management; supply management; and many more. The university also offers courses meeting continuing education requirements in fields such as law and teaching.

Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program
2600 Kitty Hawk Road, Suite 117
Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 455-4800
www.tvrop.org

The Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program (ROP) provides hands-on career exploration and training to students throughout the Tri-Valley. Courses are held on high school campuses in Dublin, Livermore, and Pleasanton, as well as facilities including TV Channel 30, the Dublin San Ramon Services District Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (Pleasanton), and Dublin Beauty College.

While the Tri-Valley ROP's programs are primarily targeted towards high school students and they are given priority enrollment, they are also provided to adults. For example, the Water Pollution Control program allows for hands-on experience at an operating wastewater treatment facility, training students to perform preventative maintenance on process equipment and instrumentation; read and interpret charts, meters, and gauges; collect lab samples, and perform simple analytical tests.

Program graduates will be familiar with the equipment at a treatment plant and understand the biological, chemical, and physical processes that remove harmful contaminants from wastewater before it is recycled or returned to the environment and be eligible to take the State Water Resources Control Board Grade 1 Operator Certification examination.

UC Berkeley Extension
1995 University Avenue, Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 642-4111
extension.berkeley.edu

The continuing education branch of the University of California, Berkeley, UC Berkeley Extension offers 1,500 courses each year in addition to 80 different professional certificates and specialized programs of study. Founded in 1891, the organization strives to provide a Berkeley-quality education to adult students and those who are looking to change or advance their careers. The school also offers teaching credential and licensure courses for continuing education units as well as online classes. With over 30,000 enrollments each year, it's clear that they are succeeding in their mission to extend the research and scholarship of UC Berkeley worldwide by increasing access to higher education, contributing to the global information economy, improving the workforce, and enriching the local community.

UC Berkeley Extension's 80 professional certificates and specialized programs of study cover topics in ten major areas, including Art and Design; Behavioral Health Sciences; Business; Computer Technology and Information Management; Education; Engineering, Construction, HVAC and LEED; Environmental Engineering and Management; Humanities, Languages, and Personal Development; Sciences, Biotechnology, and Mathematics; and Writing, Editing, and Technical Communication. For information on specific programs, access the school's web site at the address below.

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