For Kodiak College, First Day of Classes Serves as Look Forward

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Yesterday was the first day of classes for Kodiak Island Borough School District middle schoolers and high schoolers, as well as for new and returning Kodiak College students. For some, that means the end of summer. For others, it’s the beginning of an even brighter season, at least for the mind: the school season.

Kodiak College Director Alan Fugleberg says he’s excited about the new opportunities on campus. He explains over the last three years, Kodiak College has rebuilt its industrial art programs and ventured into the maritime trades through the state’s Alaska Technical Vocational Education Program. It’s enabled them to make investments they wouldn’t have otherwise pursued.

“We’re getting into the first real full year of use of our brand new industrial arts building space that we leased beginning about a year ago, and it is out on East Rezanoff, and that building houses our welding program as well as our maritime trades program.”

Fugleberg says they’ve also added certified wielding inspectors to their faculty, which means the college no longer needs to fly in inspectors from the mainland.

There are also some new ideas in the works that will benefit the community as a whole.  Fugleberg says, later this semester, they’ll look into providing affordable courses to students and the public.

“They’re non-credit, they can be everything from learning how to use Windows 10 to an art class or something like that, and where in the past Kodiak College has offered these oftentimes for credit, these will now be non-credit, low-cost courses and the reason is because there’s a demand for it, but the cost attached to it as being a for-credit class it cost prohibitive.”

He says they’re looking for class ideas, seeking instructors, and otherwise building the program.

Fugleberg mentions a college development that is currently ongoing. Students from the Chugachmiut tribal organization, which represents the Chugach region, are visiting to meet their professors and learn about Kodiak College first-hand.

“They’re here as part of their education program. The plan as I understand it is for the students to visit Kodiak from time to time, and they’re here as our new students, and they’re learning about our campus community. They’re distance students, so the bulk of their courses will be taken through e-learning or online.”

He explains those students will just be visiting for a few days this week.

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