Central College in Pella is expanding its online course offerings to community members, giving them a chance to pursue classes outside of a degree program. People can enroll as a “guest student.”
Leslie Duinink, Central’s dean of undergraduate education, says that can include professionals looking to build skills, or people who want to pick up a topic of interest.
Duinink says, “Sometimes we have topics that are really super-interesting to people that we find and we make available for folks to take.”
Some courses have been offered to the community in the past, but Duinink says offering them online means more classes are available.
“We really wanted to open that up to more people that may be interested in picking up a class or two and enrolling as a guest student,” she says, “not necessarily seeking a degree.”
The guest students will receive Central credit on an official transcript. They would not be eligible for financial aid.
Two sessions will be available this summer, along with a session during winter break.
(By Maura Curran, Iowa Public Radio)