NEWS

WCC Board of Trustees announces new programs to begin winter semester

Christina M. H. Fleming, Board of Trustees chairwoman, has been hosting the monthly Zoom meetings since COVID-19 limited in-person presence on campus. Voice File Photo

By Debra Destefani
Deputy Editor

Two new programs planned for winter 2021– Human Resources Essentials and Sports and Entertainment Management– were introduced Tuesday during WCC’s monthly Board of Trustees meeting.

Both of the new programs will be additions to the Business Department.

A third program, the Addiction Studies certificate (part of the Behavioral Sciences department) was originally created to be a post-associates certificate, but will no longer require students to have a degree in order to apply. Four classes will be combined to create the new certificate.

The changes to the Addiction Studies certificate were recommended for approval on Jan 9.

Recommended approval of the Human Resources Essentials program by the Curriculum and Assessment Committees was proposed on July 16.

The Human Resources Essentials program will “teach practical skills to students pursuing this field,” said Kimberly Hurns, vice president for instruction at WCC.

Details were laid out in a document shared with the trustees.

“We saw a need for a quick pathway, especially for working students, to gain quick HR credentials. By using existing courses, we can create a program that leads to a certificate,” said the document.

Sports and Entertainment Management, an 18 credit program, was recommended on April 9. The program plans to introduce students “to the variety of sports and entertainment employment opportunities such as ticket sales, event management or representing a professional athlete or team.”

The program will also introduce students to up-and-coming fields, with classes such as Introduction to Esports and Sports and Entertainment Marketing.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “demand from the public for more movies and television shows, as well as the increasing popularity of sports, will contribute to job growth for the entertainment and sports occupations.”

The next Board of Trustees meeting is planned for Oct 27 via Zoom.