The Interim University Center was established on the College of the Canyons campus in January 2002 as a temporary facility while funds were being raised to build a permanent Center.

1. What is the University Center? What is its mission?

The Interim University Center, Santa Clarita Valley is an exciting concept in higher education. The Center, one of the first of its kind in the country, is the facility in which partnering institutions offer educational programs not otherwise available to the residents of Santa Clarita Valley. The mission of the Interim Center is to provide immediate access to upper-division and graduate level educational opportunities and coordination of academic support services through its affiliation with partnering universities, and to plan for the expansion of curriculum/program offerings and enhancement of services in the permanent University Center.

2. What degrees and credentials are currently available or planned for the Center?

A complete listing of current degrees and education credentials is maintained on the University Center web site ( www.canyons.edu/offices/univctr ). As planned or tentative programs become official, those will be added to the listing along with the term in which they are scheduled to begin.

3. If the Interim University Center already provides facilities for degree programs, why do we need to build another facility?

The 7600 square foot interim facility was intended as a short-term solution to a much greater need and quickly became too small. Although it was anticipated that class size would eventually exceed the capacity of the interim facility, class sizes exceeded room capacity within months after the Interim Center’s opening in January 2002. In order for new institutions and new degree programs to be added to meet the needs of the community, the larger building is needed. The COC Foundation is currently raising funds for the construction of the permanent facility, which may begin as early as Spring 2005.

4. Will the permanent Center be entirely classrooms and office space?

Situated on the southwest corner of the COC property overlooking Interstate 5, the permanent Center is expected to have 26 ‘smart’ classrooms, 6 laboratories, several seminar rooms, a lecture hall/theater, video teleconferencing rooms, offices, and a food service court. Access to the Center will be from the South Parking Lot off Rockwell Canyon Road.

5. If a student completes lower division requirements at COC in a program that articulates to a partnering institution, is the student guaranteed admission to that university?

Each partnering institution is expected to work with the COC counselors to insure the transferability of lower division coursework. Provided the student completes the approved courses with satisfactory grades, meets other admission requirements of the partnering institution, and the institution’s program is not impacted, the student is given priority for admission and registration.

6. Does the Center grant degrees or credentials?

The Center will not award any degrees or credentials. Instead, the participating universities and colleges provide their faculty, grant the degrees or credentials, and award the actual diplomas.

7. Are only public universities (i.e., CSU or UC) allowed to offer degree programs at the Center? Are all partnering universities accredited?

Both public and private universities and colleges are invited to participate in the Center. Each university must be accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

8. Will there be a single catalog or schedule of classes to let the public know what programs and classes will be offered?

The Interim University Center staff is working with the partnering institutions to develop an appropriate format for a consolidated schedule of all classes. Due to the complexities of working with several institutions that each operate on a slightly different schedule, the proposed consolidated schedule may only be available in print at two times during the year. Meanwhile, the Interim University Center web site will continue to provide up-to-date links to each of the partners’ term schedules.

9. When and where are classes held, or are these programs entirely online?

The Center is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. Each partner schedules their respective class times, with some programs being offered during the day and other programs available in the evenings and on weekends. Classes are held at the University Center or elsewhere on the College of the Canyons campus. On few occasions, a course may require that it be conducted at an off-campus site within the Santa Clarita Valley.

Each participating institution determines whether distance education technology is appropriate for any or all classes in a program. An institution may also offer online courses to augment regular classroom instruction. The Center is equipped with the necessary technologies to facilitate an institution’s program delivery.

10. Is taking a course or program at the University Center more expensive than commuting to a traditional campus?

The cost of taking a course from a participating institution at the University Center varies by the institution providing the course, the course level (undergraduate/graduate level), the delivery mode, etc.

11. Will a student ever have to attend classes on the university’s main campus?

Every effort is made by each of the participating institutions to provide the full curriculum in the Santa Clarita Valley. If a student chooses to deviate from the university’s planned offerings in selecting courses, then the student may need to complete that coursework at the university’s main or regional campus.

12. Must a student be admitted before taking classes?

No. Most participating institutions allow non-admitted students to begin taking classes prior to applying for admission. There are exceptions, so it is best to consult with an institutional representative first.

13. Must a student be a resident of Santa Clarita Valley?

No. A student must be a resident of the United States or be attending school on an approved F-1 Visa.

14. Does a student apply for admission or financial aid through the University Center?

No. A student must apply for admission and all financial aid and scholarships through the chosen institution. Each of the participating institutions offers financial aid to eligible students attending classes at the University Center.

15. Do students participating in a program at the Center pay fees to COC or to the Center?

Neither. With the exception of parking, students pay all fees directly to the university or college in which they are enrolled. Parking fees are paid directly to COC.

16. Can a student take classes from more than one university at the same time?

Yes. A student can take courses from more than one university by registering at each institution. The process for transferring earned units from one university to another is subject to the institutional requirements.

17. Will it take longer to finish a degree or credential if a student takes classes at the University Center?

Not necessarily. Most of the programs offer a sufficient number of classes each term to allow a student to move through the curriculum at the same, or even quicker, pace as the traditional campus-based counterparts.

18. How soon can someone start a program?

Many of the programs offered at the University Center allow students to begin at essentially any time. There are a number of other programs, though, that operate as a ‘cohort’ or cluster; these programs have various start times throughout the year. In either case, it is best to check with the institutional representative or University Center staff.

19. Can the community use the Center for other than partnering educational programs?

Yes. Both the interim and permanent Center facilities are available for use by organizations within the community for non-educational related activities. Information on rental fees is available from the University Center staff.

20. Where can I go for more information?

Call the University Center staff at 661.362.5474, visit the web site at www.canyons.edu/offices/univctr, or stop by the office in the Interim University Center on the College of the Canyons campus, Room Y-110.