CATALOG 2010-11 - Cascadia Community College

Contents DisclaimerCascadia Community College has madereasonable efforts to provide in thiscatalog information that is accurate.However, the college reserves the right tomake changes in procedures, policies,calendars, requirements, programs,courses, and fees. When feasible, changeswill be announced prior to their effectivedate, but the college assumes noresponsibility for giving any particularnotice of any such changes. Nothingcontained herein shall be construed tocreate any offer to contract or anycontractual rights.Limitation 0f LiabilityThe college’s total liability for claimsarising from a contractual relationshipwith the student in any way related toclasses or programs shall be limited tothe tuition and expenses paid by thestudent to the college for those classes orprograms. In no event shall the collegebe liable for any special, indirect,incidental, or consequential damages,including but not limited to, loss ofearnings or profits.A UNIQUE LEARNINGENVIRONMENTCascadia is a public community collegeoffering two-year degrees for transfer touniversities, certificate programs, basiceducation, and ESL for adults, and abroad range of non-credit courses andprofessional training. The college alsoconducts business-specific customizedcontract education and skill-training.Cascadia is located along BeardsleeBoulevard in Bothell, at the intersectionof I-405 and SR-522. Co-located with theUniversity of Washington Bothell, thecampus location was planned to serve thefast-growing area of northeast King andsouth Snohomish Counties. Fifty-eightacres on the campus are under long-termrestoration to high-functioning wetlands.A paved trail with educational signageborders the wetlands and is open to thepublic. The campus design has won thehighest prize awarded by the AmericanInstitute of Architects for “drawingtogether the learning community andprotecting their communal experiencewhile retaining its connection to theworld outside.”Cascadia’s legislatively assigned servicedistrict includes the cities of Bothell,Woodinville, Kirkland, Kenmore, Duvall,Carnation, Sammamish, Redmond, andmany smaller communities.A Learning CollegeCascadia Community College was rankedNo. 2 on Washington Monthlymagazine’s September 2007 list of“America’s Best Community Colleges.”The Washington Monthly is a nationalpublication based in Washington, DC.In an accompanying article, author KevinCarey noted that Cascadia placed numbertwo in the list of top thirty institutions,and in those measures correlated withstudent engagement and graduation rates(the extent to which teaching is “active andcollaborative”), Cascadia topped the list.The League for Innovation in theCommunity College selected Cascadia asone of 12 Vanguard Learning Collegesnationwide. This prestigious award wasbestowed upon colleges proven to bestudent-focused and continuouslystriving for innovation and excellence.Group WorkCascadia’s students have flourished in anenvironment dedicated to learnercenterededucation. Cascadia believesthat all students must develop the abilityto work effectively in small groups.Teamwork furthers each of the corelearning outcomes and is a vital skill fortomorrow’s workplace. Employersconsistently say that the ability tocommunicate, problem-solve, makedecisions, and interact with diverseviewpoints in a group setting is vital tobeing successful in the workplace.Students will find classes throughoutCascadia’s curriculum that require themto work in groups on a variety of projects.eLEARNINGCascadia Community College offersflexible learning through online, hybrid,and web enhanced courses. Onlinecourses can be an attractive alternative tocommuting to campus. Hybrid courses,which blend classroom and onlineinstruction, also give students greaterflexibility. Visit the eLearning website tosee if online or hybrid learning is right foryou.Learning CommunitiesLearning Communities offer analternative to the traditional individualcourse approach. These programs arebased on specific themes, and synthesizeknowledge and ideas across differentdisciplines. Learning Communities are acohort of students enrolled in two classesin which they experience an explicitlydesigned common theme that links thetwo content areas. Students learn tounderstand patterns and makeconnections among different schools ofknowledge, and to integrate their studieswith personal experience. A typicalLearning Community might meet twodays a week for four hours daily. Thecourse may include workshops, seminars,lectures, online assignments, field trips,group projects, and writing assignments.Seminars play a crucial role in thelearning process. Participants learn toanalyze and critique arguments, cooperatein group discussion, read critically, anddebate logically. Writing assignments andgroup projects allow students to clarifyand express their ideas and makeconnections among many subjects.Learning Communities represent anintegrated educational approach.Study AbroadCascadia Community College, bymembership with the Washington StateCommunity College Consortium forStudy Abroad (WCCCSA), offersquarterly study abroad options. Studentsearn credit when studying abroad inplaces such as England, Italy, Costa Rica,Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and more.Classes are taught by faculty fromWashington colleges and from the hostcountry, and fulfill state requirements.Students’ lives change by interacting withother cultures, gaining a globalperspective, and enhancing their learningand development. Some study abroadprograms allow students to become morefluent and comfortable in anotherlanguage. Call the International Programsoffice at (425) 352-8415 or e-mailinternational@cascadia.edu for moreinformation.GENERAL INFORMATIONCascadia Community College Catalog 2010-11 5