ARTS
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Comic Con fans gather at Long Beach
Women’s volleyball loses to Cal Lutheran
ARTS “The Visit” delivers an unexpected twist
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Volume 73, Issue 1
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Wednesday, September 16, 2015
www.elaccampusnews.com
MESA offers scholarships to increase transfer rates
Distance Education Office
Distance Education Office moves off campus BY JOSHUA INGLADA Staff Writer The Distance Education Program Office is moving from East Los Angeles College’s main campus to a new building located 1.5 miles away. ELAC’s Administration arranged for the move to take place because the program was becoming too large for its previous room. The move began before the semester started on Aug. 20. “The program was growing and space was non-existent where we were,” Multimedia Specialist Juan Chacon said. He and the other staff members formerly operated in different rooms for the DE Office. One of the reasons for the move is to group the staff together to make the program more effective. “Since we moved in, we have yet to set everything up properly. We still need to show students how to use their log-in information, look up assignments and how to request adds,” Distance Learning Coordinator Pauletta Daw said. “We hope to have everything set before the winter session arrives.” For most of this year the DE office was previously located at the Teaching and Learning Center by the Student Store. Before that, the program was situated in G1-110. “It looks like this will be our new home for the next year or two,” Chacon said. The DE office offers assistance to students through its online classes and answers concerns through e mail. Its courses range from Administration of Justice, Computer Science, English 28 and Communications. There are more than 200 online and hybrid/blended courses offered through the DE office. Hybrid/blended courses are held both on-campus and online simultaneously. “This program has existed for a long time in order to help students who live in remote areas. Students who have illnesses that prevent them from stepping into a classroom, but not a computer can use this to help them,” Daw said. Online classes are also convenient for those who don’t have the time to be on campus. “If you’re in the military and you want to keep studying, then you can. Students who work all day or spend time with the kids can log-in in the evening,” Daw said. “It also works well for students who have face-to-face classes all day and wish to take an extra class.” There is some concern over whether or not the move will make students procrastinate to drive or walk to the new location off campus. “If there’s more money and new buildings set up by the school then maybe we can move back in,” Chacon said. The newly renovated building will house the DE office at 1055 Corporate Center Drive on the second floor, Suite 201. It takes five minutes to get to the new building from ELAC. The DE office hours are from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and 1:30-4:30 p.m. For more information on the DE office and its services, call 323-415-5313 or go to elac.edu/online.
ELAC Ó YOU ARE HERE
BY IVAN CAZARES Staff Writer The MESA (Math, Engineering and Science Achievement) program offers eligible freshmen STEM scholarships of $3,000 and $4,000 to those who advance to the sophomore level of the program. MESA’s goals are to increase the number of students who transfer and at minimum earn a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. “We accept anyone, but focus on groups that are underrepresented like Latinos,” Director of MESA Dr. Armando Rivera said. Out of 246,732 students who received a bachelor’s degree in 2010, 18,613 of them were Hispanic, according the United States Department of Education and National Center for Education Statistics. Applicants must meet the criteria of financial aid need set by the Department of Education. They must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and must have declared a STEM major. These majors include Biology, Computer Sciences, Mathematics, Chemistry and other sciences. A full list of qualifications and other requirements can be found in the Academic Programs section of the East Los Angeles College website, as well as an attachment containing the application located on the right side of the STEM home page. “We work with students who show interest in the program. We push them to see a tutor and a counselor. STEM courses take up a lot of time,” Rivera said. Applicants must print the application and turn it into Shahriar Sharifi in E7-210B on Friday. According to U.S. News/ Raytheon, STEM Index High School student interest in STEM fields reached an all time low in 2004, however, a 2014 report by the college testing organization ACT showed that almost half of ACT-tested graduates showed interest in STEM fields. The results of the international survey PISA conducted in 2012 showed that U.S. students scored below average among those of participating countries. President Barack Obama initiated the “Educate to Innovate” campaign in 2010 with the purpose of having American students outperform their competitors. The number of Elans receiving STEM scholarships has increased from 15 during the program’s first year to 32 during its fifth year.
STEM Continued on page 2
News Briefs
Blood Drive
There will be a blood drive today and tomorrow by the lunch truck and free speech area from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Those who wish to donate must bring a photo ID. For more imformation call or text Cheryl Berlow at (310) 945-6137.
Flu vaccines
Flu Vaccines are available at the Student Health Center in G8-119 today from 4:30-7 p.m. Students will need their health fee reciept or sticker and their Student ID’s. For more information, call (323) 265-8651.
Biographer Meet and Greet
Meet biographer Rita Joiner Soza of “Helen Miller Bailey: Pioneer Educator and Renaissance Women Who Shaped Chicano Leaders” and former students of Dr. Bailey at Vroman’s Bookstore on Saturday at 4 p.m.