A-B Tech to offer four-week classes this spring

December 10, 2010

A-B Tech will offer a new schedule of four-week classes starting with the spring semester that allows students to be full time while taking only one class a month.

“The average age of our students is 28,” A-B Tech President Hank Dunn said. “Many of them are working or caring for children in addition to going to school, so it’s not unusual for life to happen sometime during a semester. Their work hours change or their child gets sick, and before they know it, they’ve missed so many classes, they wind up dropping out with no credits to show for that entire semester.

 “These new four-week classes mean students don’t have to take more than one class at a time ever again, and they don’t have to make it through a full 16-week semester before they earn any credits.”

The new format offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a single subject for four weeks. Each class contains the same content as a 16-week class and provides the same amount of credit.  Financial aid is available for eligible students who enroll at least half time, even if just taking one class at a time. A student can receive full financial aid if registered for 12 credits in the new format.

“Four-week classes will give students flexibility to fit their lifestyle,” said Sam Dosumu, Vice President of Instruction at A-B Tech. “A typical semester is 16 weeks long. That’s four, four-week terms. If a student takes a single, three-credit-hour course for each of those four-week terms, he or she will have 12 hours of credit by the end of the semester, enough to meet the requirement for full-time status.”

Four-week courses allow part-time students to choose the weeks they want to attend class during a semester and take a break in between.

“Four-week terms are perfect for working adults, single parents or anyone who’s pressed for time or having difficulty juggling multiple classes,” Dosumu said. “They’re also ideal for university-bound students because of the variety of transfer courses available.”

The scheduling allows students to concentrate on assignments, projects and tests without other classes competing for their time. “Research shows that students who focus on one class at a time retain more knowledge and tend to stay in college to accomplish their educational goal,” Dosumu said.

A-B Tech offers more than 60 programs of study and several scheduling options including nights, weekends, online and four- and eight-week courses. Four-week terms are scheduled Jan. 10-Feb. 7, Feb. 8-March 7, March 8-April 5, and April 6-May 10.  Registration is under way. For more information, visit abtech.edu or call 254-1921, ext. 144, 145 or 7520.