CSI to offer new classes this fall
By Jean Jacques Bohl
This fall, the College of Southern Idaho will offer new classes at the Blaine County Campus located at the Community Campus, 1050 Fox Acres Road, in Hailey. Most classes will start the week beginning Monday, Aug. 22.
“Prospective students will need to register before that date,” Hallie Starr, director of CSI Blaine County, said.
The course catalog will be available to the public on Thursday, Aug. 18.
For the first time since the Great Recession hit the Valley in 2008, CSI will offer a comprehensive plumber apprenticeship program. The program takes four years to complete. Enrolled students will take 72 hours of theoretical instruction per semester and will need to accrue 8,000 hours of work time in order to take the state licensing exam and become journeymen. Classes will start Sept. 6. There is also a four-year electrician program available that follows the same guidelines.
Thanks to a grant from St. Luke’s Wood River, two new biology classes will be added to the course catalog: an anatomy class and a human physiology class.
“These two classes will be prerequisites for anyone wanting to pursue a career in higher level health professions,” Starr said.
Last semester, about 200 college students enrolled in credit classes. CSI offers an associate degree in liberal arts at the Blaine County Campus. High school students can also take two college-level English classes.
“The State of Idaho has a $4,125 purse for students in grades 7 through 12 to take college classes while in high school,” Starr said. “This is for Advanced Placement classes and fees. Wood River High School offers a number of dual credit classes.”
The funds are available. Dual credit classes are taught at the high school by high school teachers who have been approved by CSI.
Credit classes are also free for senior citizens not pursuing a degree.
CSI will also have new classes in the noncredit enrichment offerings, including a new class called Developing Intercultural Competency. It will explore how to communicate with other cultures and appreciate the differences, and will be offered on Oct. 18.
A four-week class called Entrepreneurship – Building And Telling Your Business Story will provide the tools needed to make effective business presentations to prospective interested parties. Conversational language classes in French and Spanish will be available along with a class teaching sign language. Another class will compare the three monotheistic religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The class has a reading list.
CSI will continue to offer free English-as-a-Second-Language classes. There will be two levels. Adult students thinking about taking college-credit classes can also enroll in the College Readiness program. It will help students overcome deficiencies in English and math and prepare them to become successful when taking credit classes. The program is free.
For more information call (208) 788-2033,
(800) 680-0274 (Idaho and Nevada)
or info@csi.edu.