CVC offers a class for every lifestyle
By Whitney Welch, coordinator of public information

Students no longer need to plan their lives around school. They can plan school around their lives. Cedar Valley College offers a wide array of class options beyond the typical daytime classroom setting. With so many options, anyone can get a college education.

Cedar Valley offers eight different course styles for students to choose from: day, evening, weekend, online, hybrid, telecourse, telecourse plus or flex term. All of these classes grant college credit and get students on their way to earning a degree or certificate.

Day classes occur between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and are held during the week, typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mondays and Wednesdays or Fridays. These classes are most commonly attended by full-time students, or those who have part-time or evening jobs.

"Last semester I took day classes because they were the most convenient for me with my night job," says Gaston Banks, a CVC student.

For those who work during the day, CVC also offers a wide array of evening classes beginning after 5 p.m. In addition to evening classes, weekend courses are also available.

For students who want to earn a degree but don't want to physically attend class on campus, online, telecourse or telecourse plus classes are the way to go. Students can register for courses, buy books and take their class all via the Internet. People who like variety benefit from CVC's hybrid classes, which take advantage of both the traditional classroom setting and the Internet.

"Instead of meeting two days a week like traditional classes do, students enrolled in hybrid classes only meet on campus once a week and complete the rest of the class online," says Diane Minger, CVC marketing and management professor. "Students generally have assignments to complete online and a discussion board available to them."

Like hybrid courses, telecourses offer another way for students to get college credit without having to be on campus every class session. Telecourses are taught through video broadcasts using cable TV, PBS broadcasts or leased videotapes. In addition, students enrolled in these classes are required to come to campus to take tests and attend orientation. Telecourse Plus classes offer the videos plus online interaction with the instructor and other students in the course.

Lastly, the final class option students have is CVC's flex term classes. Flex term classes are offered during the fall and spring semesters, beginning every month. Generally, these classes are a month long and each class session runs longer than a traditional day or evening class. In addition, flex term classes can be added by students after the semester has started if the specific class has not yet begun.

For individuals beginning their college careers or returning to college after a long absence, or for those who are fulltime students or have fulltime jobs, CVC has a class that will fit any lifestyle.