2003 summer session sizzles with opportunities for students

KPC will offer a wide range of classes during the 2003 summer session. Due to many requests from current students and the community at large, KPC has put together the most ambitious summer session offered in many years. There will be 29 courses to choose from this summer. The schedule now is available online at the KPC Web site at www.kpc.alaska.edu. Registration is available to students online 24 hours a day, by telephone from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday or in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Like classes held during the rest of the year, KPC classes typically need to have 12 students enrolled in order to offer the class.

"The last thing I want to do is cancel a class, but without 12 students we're operating at a loss and we can't afford to do that especially as things get tighter fiscally," said Director Gary Turner. "So, please tell your friends to sign up for a class or two."

The summer classes are ideal for students already enrolled at KPC, for college students coming home for the summer, and for high school grads who will be going to college out of the area in the fall.

In the past, KPC has not honored its popular "Jump Start" program during the summer. However, since there are so many courses being offered this year, summer classes will be eligible for "JumpStart" tuition rates. This year's high school juniors who will achieve senior class standing in the fall will be permitted to take up to six credits under "JumpStart" as long as they get their counselor's signature on the "JumpStart" form. This gives these students an opportunity to take a class while living at home during the summer, so they get a head start on knocking out those credits. At $25 per credit, there's no better deal on tuition anywhere else in the state, and parents should encourage their kids to take advantage of this great opportunity.

KPC also will offer nine professional development courses for area teachers this summer. The college is serious about providing these types of courses in the summer months when these hard-working professionals have spare time to learn more about their field.

Career Center resources

In an effort to continually improve service, KPC's Career Center Coordinator Krista Timlin now has state-of-the-art computer software known as Electronic Applications for Students and Employers (EASE) to assist her clients.

The software provides KPC students and other Career Center clients online access to job and internship postings, mentoring, scheduling of on-campus recruiting, interviewing, career planning events and workshops, faculty contact information and information about other center services, resources and links. EASE also will enable the center to provide employers with direct online access to a screened pool of applicants for jobs and internships, as well as automatic notification about relevant career, recruitment and interviewing events. The software enables the center to track students and clients for ongoing needs assessment and follow-up, which may assist the center, employers and community resource agencies in planning and program development.

Career Center services are available to the public, as well as KPC students. To make an appointment, call 262-0337.

Who's Who

KPC's Who's Who highlights the faculty and staff who work hard to make KPC a college of first choice. This week KPC would like to introduce the welding instructor.

Who: Fritz Miller

Time in Alaska: "I've been here since March 8, 1978, and I came to work in a new industry and to see Alaska."

Hobbies/interests: "Designing and building metal fabricated projects. One of my interests is weld inspection as a Certified Welding Inspector."

Memorable job: "I was trained and worked as a fingerprint technician for the FBI in 1970 in Washington D.C. I returned to a less-populated Oregon coast to finish school at Oregon State University, where I started my welding career. The need for certified pipe welders and the wide-open spaces of Alaska just drew me here like a magnet."

Five years from now: "(I'll be) welding in Alaska."

Favorite thing about KPC: "Great co-workers and the no-nonsense attitude to get the job done. Everyone at KPC is committed to the success of our students."

This column is provided by Suzie Kendrick, community relations coordinator at Kenai Peninsula College.