This content was published: September 8, 2006. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC joins Vernonia's new learning center
Photos and story by James Hill
PORTLAND, Ore. – This fall, Portland Community College’s presence in Vernonia will get stronger and better.
The City of Vernonia has established a Community Learning Center, opening this month. PCC will have a presence in the new center by offering credit and non-credit classes beginning fall term. In the future, the college could offer Adult Basic Education and GED courses as well.
“We will be utilizing local qualified faculty as much as possible to staff the course offerings,” said Kelly Marks, Columbia County education program coordinator. “We are discussing the possibility of bringing additional services, specifically admissions and testing for larger groups of potential students, to the community and hope to be able to offer this as appropriate beginning fall term.”
Due to some staffing transitions, the city was unable to furnish the learning center as originally planned. So PCC stepped in and was able to provide support by donating surplus furniture and equipment. Marks says she anticipates further donations in the near future to help the operation of the new learning center.
In addition to being on site in Vernonia, PCC has provided at no cost a complete set of Teleweb course tapes to the new Vernonia Community Learning Center. These tapes will allow access for local residents to distance learning classes via Teleweb. These will be particularly useful for those residents who are not served by internet service or cable television access, by which most distance learning courses are delivered. This initiative will increase PCC’s offerings to the Vernonia community by approximately 20 classes per term.
For more information, about PCC’s services in Vernonia contact Kelly Marks at kmarks@pcc.edu, or 503-614-7775.
Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon, serving approximately 91,000 full- and part-time students. For more PCC news, please visit us on the Web at www.pcc.edu/news. PCC has three comprehensive campuses, five workforce training and education centers, and 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »