WMCC Saves You Tons of Commuting Time With Courses At Various Locations
Katharine Eneguess, President of White Mountains Community CollegeAccording to U.S. Census figures, Americans spend more than 100 hours each year commuting to work. While this might not be the average in the North Country, we all know people who live in the Androscoggin Valley who commute to the Conway or Littleton areas for work. Likewise, we all know Conway and Littleton residents who commute to Berlin or Gorham for work. This is especially true for those whose positions require advance education and training and who work in fields in which local job openings might not be available.
Commutes in the North Country, however, are different from commutes in many other parts of the country. Other people have to take a vacation in order to enjoy the scenic drives many of us residents take every work day. Speaking as someone who drives more than a few miles to work every day, I can tell you, the beauty of the scenery never gets old.
That said, we here in the Community College System of New Hampshire have long realized that time spent on the road can crowd out time spent in the classroom. That’s why we have the community college system in the first place, to provide educational and professional opportunities to citizens in all parts of New Hampshire. The main campus of the White Mountains Community College is in Berlin, the only city in the North Country, but we serve a larger region than the Androscoggin Valley and have worked hard to make it possible for those who, due to other responsibilities, can’t make it to our Berlin campus on a regular basis.
We have academic centers in Conway, Littleton, and Woodsville which offer, among other courses, basic skills and general education courses. Classes are generally held in the evening hours at the centers, making it possible for those with day jobs to build a foundation for their higher education without commuting a long distance. Students can even complete a number of associate degree and certificated programs at the Woodsville and Littleton centers.
All the centers offer help with college admissions procedures, academic advising and support, and financial aid information. At the Conway Academic Center, located in the MWV Technology Village on 53 Technology Lane off Route 16, John Paine, program coordinator, sits ready to help students and prospective students. John can be reached at 447-3496, e:mail jpaine@ccsnh.edu. His office hours at the center are Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday. The Littleton Academic Center is at 646 Union Street. Program coordinator at the center is Melanie Collins, who can be reached at 444-1326, email mcollins@ccsnh.edu. The Littleton office has staff available to assist students Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The Woodsville Academic Center is in the Woodsville High School at 9 High Street. Tom Allen is the program coordinator there, and he can be reached at 747-2565, email tallen@ccsnh.edu. His office hours are Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the courses and programs available at our academic centers visit our web page link on them at www.wmc.edc/satellite/satellite.html. If you’re thinking about enrolling in classes next January, now is the time to begin those conversations with college staff members. You can also gain assistance by calling our admissions office at WMCC at 800-445-4525 or 752-1113, extension 3000.
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