Interest in ACC classes at the Grambau Center has been favorable; more input sought

Alpena Community College president Olin Joynton was in Rogers City Monday to tell members of the Rogers City Area Schools Board of Education that there continues to be positive developments in regard to offering college level courses at the Grambau Education Center in January. Joynton told the board that ACC is looking at possibly doubling the class offerings in Rogers City. Tentatively, there could be classes conducted in the morning between 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., along with evening classes. The class offerings will be available to high school juniors and seniors interested in the dual enrollment concept, as well as adults interested in advancing their education. When the new partnership between ACC and the school district was announced late last month, Joynton said there were two components that were vital to helping move this project along. ACC needed to know what classes students were interested in taking in Rogers City and there is a need for qualified instructors. Joynton said he has been receiving favorable responses on both fronts.

?I WOULD REALLY like to compliment the community on their input. Keep the cards and letters coming,? Joynton said. ?We would like to do more here.? Officials have stressed that the classes are not just for people in Rogers City, but also for all area residents. ACC has traditionally offered a U.S. History course, along with general psychology in the evening at the high school. If ACC rents space at the Grambau Center, those classes would move to the second floor as well. ?The responses we have received indicate interest in English composition and political science courses. I think that will expand the offering of courses in the general education area. These are what students refer to as the basics,? Joynton said. ?It reminds me of when I was in Texas, we had done a survey among the students that went to the community college where I was working there,? he said. ?The theme of the survey was: What is the number one reason why you attend to this particular community college? ?I was very proud of the high quality of the faculty and the great facilities we had. It turned out that some of those factors were low on the list. The number one reason was that we offered the courses that they wanted at the times and locations where they needed to access the education.?

JOYNTON HOPES the classes will be a benefit to people in the community. He said the attraction of adult students ties into a declaration by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who has started a new campaign called ?Return to Learn,? which is targeted at 1.5 million people in Michigan who have taken college classes but have not completed a certificate or degree. ?If you go to our website you?ll see a return to learn logo and a link to the governor?s effort,? said Joyn

ton. ?This has been characterized as both dual enrollment for high school students, juniors and seniors that are ready for college level courses, and also people in the community who are looking for a way to advance their education without having to drive all the way to Alpena.? Joynton, who has a weekly program on the television station in Alpena, had board member Allan Smolinski as a special guest to talk about the proposal over the weekend. Some school officials in Rogers City would be thrilled to have a tenant on the second floor of the Grambau Center, which would justify keeping the 80-year-old building open.

The cost of heating the two-story structure without having any classes conducted in the building has been a major concern. Interim superintendent Paul Mancine said, ?My dream someday is for you to become a site for ACC,? he told the Rogers City school board. ?We?ll see where it all goes.?