Double major? Try double college

Tucked away off Durham-Pentz Road, Butte College beckons a wide variety of students seeking higher education—welcoming students from Chico State as well.

At the 928-acre main campus as well as its Chico Center, the community college offers general-education as well as training courses. Students take math, science and language classes but also can take welding, firefighting and fashion.

Josh Sosine transferred from Chico State to Butte in the fall of 2005 because he knew he wanted to get into the Fire Academy. Sosine, 20, finds the academics of the academy to be just as intense as its vigorous physical training.

“We work like the military, but we have different objectives,” Sosine said.

The 40-hour-a-week program provides E.M.T. (Emergency Medical Technician) training and also teaches basic firefighting skills. Other programs offered at the main campus include automotive technology and nursing.

Students not interested in a particular program can pick and choose their courses. One of Butte’s attractions is cost: just $26 per unit.

Butte College has an open admissions policy, so anyone over 18 is automatically “accepted.” Chico State students can take courses at the two Butte locations during the summer and winter sessions to pick up extra units. Students can also enroll in Butte and Chico State at the same time if they wish.

The Butte Transfer Center can assist with the unit-transferring process, not only with Chico State but with the UC campuses and private schools as well. According to the Chico State Admissions Office, students can go to www.assist.org to find out which courses can be transferred to which schools.

With the recent passage of Measure A, an $85 million bond issue, Butte has revamped itself with a new Learning Resource Center, the fire training tower and the Chico Center, located off Forest Avenue. With fresh resources available, college Public Relations Manager Lisa Delaby said students can find the programs that suit their interests.

The automotive technology program, for instance, focuses on teaching students about motor sports. “We offer so many different options for careers,” Delaby said.

The nursing program got a financial boost recently. During the 2005 fall semester, Butte College received the Healthy Community Forum Grant of $192,000 annually for the next five years. This grant has enabled Butte’s nursing program to double in size, from an original 40 students to 80 starting in January.

Still, other courses and classes fly under the radar. Julie DeMaggio teaches Fashion Retail Buying and Fashion Show Production at the main campus but had to cancel the latter class this year because not enough students signed up. She hopes there will be enough interest next year for the spring semester fashion courses.

Students can get an A.A. degree in fashion merchandising and can also get a certificate of achievement in fashion design.

“I want to open the door to people who are interested in fashion,” DeMaggio said, “People don’t know we exist because our department is so small.”

All fashion classes are transferable to most California State University schools. Although Butte College is not located in a metropolitan area, it still can be a jumping-off point for a career in fashion.

“Just because we’re not in the fashion mecca,” DeMaggio said, “it doesn’t mean you can’t still learn about it.”