The Community Colleges of Ventura County District Board of Trustees Area 1 Ms. Mary Anne Rooney, Chair Area 2 Ms. Cheryl Heitmann, Trustee Area 3 Dr. Larry O. Miller, Vice Chair Area 4 Mr. Robert O. Huber, Trustee Area 5 Mr. Arturo D. Hernández, Trustee Student Trustee Ms. Tanya Pulley District Administrators Chancellor Chief Executive Officer Dr. James M. Meznek Vice Chancellor Business Services/ Financial Management Ms. Sue Johnson Vice Chancellor Human Resources To Be Named Associate Vice Chancellor Human Resources Ms. Patricia Parham Associate Vice Chancellor Information Technology Mr. Vic Belinski College Administrators President, Moorpark College Dr. Eva Conrad President, Oxnard College To Be Named President, Ventura College Dr. Robin Calote Student government officers with their scholarship awards and President Calote (rear). 2006 • 2007 General Catalog and Announcement of Courses Ventura College 4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 654-6400, 986-5855, 378-1500, 656-0546 www.venturacollege.edu Ventura College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 10 CommercialBoulevard, Suite 204, Novato, CA 94949, (415) 506-0234, an institutional accreditingbody recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U.S. Department of Education. The College Catalog is available in alternate formats upon request from the Educational Assistance Center, (805) 654-6300. Ventura College has made every reasonable effort to insure that the information provided in this generalCatalog is accurate and current. However, this document should not be considered an irrevocable contractbetween the student and Ventura College. The content is subject to change. The College reserves theright to make additions, revisions, or deletions as may be necessary due to changes in governmentalregulations, district policy, or college policy, procedures, or curriculum. The College will make everyreasonable effort to inform students of significant changes that occur after publication of this document. Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007 FROM THE PRESIDENT As the President of Ventura College, I am pleased to welcome you to an institution that has a proud tradition of innovative instructional programs and support services, an outstanding faculty and staff, and a beautiful campus! Ventura College has served four generations of students since we opened in 1925. Students attending our College can earn associate’s degrees or complete certificates in more than 75 programs, learn a new profession or sharpen their vocational skills, all while participating in student activities, leadership opportunities, and athletics. VC is very successful at transferring students to four-year universities. We are among the top 23% of all California Community Colleges (CCCs) transferring students to the University of California (UC) system, and in the top third of CCCs transferring students to the California State University system. Officially designated a Hispanic-serving institution by the U.S. Department of Education, Ventura College is among the top 7% of CCCs accounting for Hispanic students transferring to the UC system, and we are nationally recognized for our success rate in awarding associate’s degrees to Hispanic students. In 2004-2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, we were second in the state for community colleges with enrollment between 10,500 and 12,500 in transferring students to the CSUs and the UCs. More than 12,000 students enroll at Ventura College every semester. Our students range in age from high school students earning early college credits to retirees exploring new fields, and all those in between who are pursing degrees, sharpening their professional skills, or just learning more about a topic of personal interest. Our goal is to continue to provide educational programs that will meet the life-long learning and employment aspirations of our diverse student population. Ventura College is receiving a $117 million face-lift as a result of the recent passage of a bond measure. Many buildings on campus are in the process of being renovated or replaced. The campus is very proud of its new, magnificent 100,000 square foot Library and Learning Resource Center that offers students 525 computers for both laboratory and drop-in use. An upgraded Sports Complex is in the final stages of completion, a one-stop Student Services Center will open this fall, and the new Advanced Technology Center and Health Sciences Building will follow in the next couple of years. We offer a variety of support services to ensure your success, including academic and career counseling, tutoring, financial aid, and a center for students with learning and physical disabilities. Our child development center provides developmentally appropriate toddler and preschool programs. Education can fit into your busy schedule, with choices of day, evening and weekend classes at a variety of locations including the Ventura campus, the East Campus in Santa Paula, and other sites in Ventura and Fillmore. We also provide flexible, quality educational opportunities by offering a full range of general education and CSU transferable online courses. On behalf of the administration, faculty and staff of Ventura College, welcome! We wish you every success in your academic endeavors. Robin Calote, Ed.D. President Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007 VISION STATEMENT * We believe in the power of education to change the lives and economic futures of our students and their communities. * We succeed when our students can apply what they have learned to create new knowledge, to engage in meaningful employment, and to actively participate as informed members of society. * We celebrate the power and diversity of ideas, cultures, races, lifestyles and learning styles. * We expand educational opportunities and enrich the learning environment through traditional classroom instruction, distance education technologies, experiential learning, and meaningful co-curricular activities. * We have a passion for excellence, and hold ourselves and our students to the highest standards of conduct and performance. MISSION STATEMENT The mission of Ventura College is: to offer academic and vocational programs leading to the completion of associate degrees or certificates; to prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities; to provide remediation to those who need to improve their basic skills; to support the state and region’s economic viability through workforce development; and to provide continuing education opportunities that enhance personal growth and life enrichment. The college serves high school graduates and others who are able to benefit from the academic and vocational opportunities it offers. Courses are provided using both traditional and distance learning delivery systems. The faculty and staff of Ventura College are committed to student success and strive to create an environment of continuous improvement through the establishment of measurable and/or observable student learning outcomes that can be used to assess student performance, improve instructional and service delivery, and guide institutional decision-making. Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007 STATEMENT OF VALUES The Ventura College community is committed to following a set of enduring core Values that guide it through changing times and give rise to its vision, mission and goals. * Respect We believe in the personal dignity and full potential of every individual and in fostering positive human values in the classroom and in all our interactions. * Integrity We are committed to maintaining an open, honest and ethical environment. * Quality We are dedicated to achieving excellence in the broad range of academic programs and services we provide to our students and the community. * Collegiality We are committed to creating a professional and supportive environment where students, faculty, and staff can achieve personal growth and fulfillment. * Access We believe it is essential to provide and nurture learning opportunities for all individuals. * Innovation We recognize that change is constant and that it is imperative that we continually evaluate our performance and seek new and improved approaches to providing educational programs and services. * Diversity We are dedicated to embracing and responding to our increasingly diverse student body. * Service Ventura College values its importance to the community and is dedicated to enhancing the community’s quality of life and to meeting its needs. * Collaboration We believe that better results are achieved by working together, whether as colleagues on College issues and decisions or by actively seeking to form partnerships with other organizations to address mutual Goals. Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007 VENTURA COLLEGE PLANNING GOALS To assure that there will be no financial barriers to education for lower and middle-income students, Ventura College will: • Work with the Ventura College Foundation to develop a program to underwrite the first-year enrollment fees for all qualifying graduating high school seniors in our service area. • Develop systems that will provide increased awareness of financial aid processes and greater assistance in completing financial aid forms and requirements. • Work with the Ventura College Foundation to expand public awareness of scholarship opportunities at both the community college and transfer levels. To reach non-traditional and underserved populations, the College will: • Expand outreach efforts at the East Campus. • Expand the offering of online and hybrid classes. • Identify meaningful incentives to encourage more faculty to develop online classes. • Expand outreach efforts to increase concurrent enrollment of qualified high school students. • Provide opportunities for the faculty to become more aware of the multiple intelligences / learning styles. • Expand efforts to make those with a limited ability to speak English feel welcome on the campus. • Examine the structure of course offerings to ensure that the college can accommodate working adults. • Offer fast-track, low-unit classes that will appeal to retired adults. • Work with the Ventura College Foundation to expand the Dare to Dream scholarship program to encourage non-high school graduates to consider attendance at Ventura College. • Expand support services for a wide variety of unique student populations, including foreign students, re-entry students, out- of-state students, etc. To improve the ability to respond more rapidly to the changing occupational needs of the community, Ventura College will: • Examine both campus and district curriculum systems to identify bottlenecks in the approval process. • Examine the number of units required for certificates and the course scheduling patterns for occupational programs to assure that the pathway to a career can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. • Reactivate occupational advisory committees for vocational programs. To increase the visibility and viability of the college’s occupational programs, Ventura College will: • Revise the organizational structure in order to provide better support for career education. • Develop and pilot one or more modular, fast-track occupational programs that will lead to employment within six months. • Participate in the development of a district-wide occupational brochure (with companion program-specific brochures) for recruitment and outreach purposes. • Market occupational programs in appropriate arenas; i.e., Chambers of Commerce, local newspapers. To increase the visibility and viability of the college’s occupational programs (continued) • Host on-campus meetings with employers, faculty, and counselors to discuss career trends. • Host meetings with counselors and faculty to increase understanding of vocational programs and requirements. • Increase faculty and administrative participation in local business organizations; i.e., Chamber of Commerce, Ventura County Economic Development Association. • Provide information on employment trends at flex day activities. • Increase services of the Career Center. • Encourage newspaper articles on successful students and programs. To expand the opportunities for students to connect with others outside of the classroom, Ventura College will: • Take steps to re-establish an attractive, centralized social hub for the campus and to create pleasant study spaces for students at various locations throughout the college. • Develop a formal Arts & Lectures program and expand awareness of the college’s consolidated calendar of campus events. • Continue to seek funding for and offer campus/community cultural programs. • Increase internships and work experience offerings. • Provide service learning opportunities and credit. To reach the predominantly younger student population served by the college, Ventura College will: • Improve the usefulness of its Web site, using input from faculty, staff and student focus groups. • Expand its recruitment efforts to include greater use of the Web and other technologies designed to appeal to younger students. • Expand the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool. • Conduct research to identify how Ventura College students currently gain information about the college. To improve student retention, Ventura College will: • Conduct institutional research to identify the major variables impacting student retention. • Develop and pilot programs that encourage students to identify and declare a commitment for a specific educational or occupational goal. • Develop and pilot systems to recognize benchmark levels of student achievement as they progress toward their identified goals. • Increase the opportunities for students to identify with a cohort and/or to work in a learning community. • Provide intervention programs to identify and assist students who may be falling below the expected level of student achievement. • Expand efforts to acquire funding to support tutoring and supplemental instruction. • Include the issue of student retention as a central focus for professional development activities. Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS General Information .................................................................................................. 9 Campus Telephone Numbers ................................................................................... 11 Admissions Information............................................................................................13 Academic Calendar...................................................................................................21 Academic Policies .................................................................................................... 22 Instructional Support Services ................................................................................. 29 Student Services.......................................................................................................31 Special Programs ..................................................................................................... 37 Degrees, Programs, Transfer Information ................................................................ 39 Announcement of Courses ....................................................................................... 81 Credit Courses .......................................................................................................... 85 Non-credit Courses .................................................................................................. 211 Faculty and Administration ....................................................................................... 213 Appendices: Student Conduct Code ....................................................................................... 221 Student Grievance Procedure ............................................................................ 223 Privacy Rights Governing Student Records.......................................................224 Academic Freedom ............................................................................................ 225 Solicitation ......................................................................................................... 226 Publicity Code and Information Dissemination .................................................. 226 Use of Student Image, Likeness or Voice Captured at Public Events................226 Parking & Campus Traffic .................................................................................. 226 Equal Opportunity Statement ............................................................................. 228 Student’s Right-to-Know Completion and Transfer Rates ................................. 229 Policy on Harrassment/Discrimination .............................................................. 229 Sexual Assault....................................................................................................232 Student Financial Services ................................................................................. 235 Student’s Right-to-Know Campus Security and Crime Awareness ................... 238 Glossary of College Terms ....................................................................................... 240 Index ......................................................................................................................... 243 Maps ......................................................................................................................... 245 CREDITS Cover Design – Barbara Harvey Photos – David Breslin, Robert Chaparro, Nelson Emery, Fernando Flores, Barbara Harvey, Elizabeth Kohr, Alisa Sparkia Moore, John T. Moore, Angelica Ramos-Navarro, Swimming World Magazine, Jay Varela, Psychology Club and Paramedic Photos, courtesy of respective departments. Production – Christina L. Garcia Ventura College Catalog 2006-2007