The University of Phoenix has found a new home downtown. This is their first location to open in downtown as part of their ongoing effort to provide the opportunity for working adults and students to attain a quality education.
Located in Columbia Square on Columbia and A streets on the eighth floor, the newest learning center is home to approximately 100 students. The new location currently includes just three classrooms, but administrators plan to expand that by an additional three to four classrooms on the 11th floor. The learning center, which opened in November 2006, launched its MBA program along with a bachelor of science and business management programs in January, according to San Diego campus director Kim Savich.
Before the university expanded into the downtown area, the classes were held mainly in hotel plaza convention areas. This latest move into a more substantial, classroom environment provides another stable option for students’ education. With Kearny Mesa Learning Center being its largest learning center, the university can now reach students in downtown as they continue to expand their physical and online campuses, Savich said.
“We’re just excited about the opportunity. Downtown is a brand new physical location for us. As with all of our learning centers, our number one goal is to graduate our students, and we’re excited about the opportunity to open up downtown,” Savich said.
The new learning center’s curriculum currently emphasizes criminal justice. Approximately 95 percent of the students at the new center study criminal justice. They too are excited about the move out of hotel rooms and into the classrooms, Savich said.
Part of the advantages to moving to a dedicated classroom space includes access to better technology and resources that will help students learn. The university employs the latest Smart Board technology. These touch-sensitive interactive whiteboards provide access to data, research and other important education tools, said Mark Reinhardt, area chair for criminal justice at the University of Phoenix.
Students also have a new Student Resource Center, which has computers for students to use, telephones and copy machines, said Reinhardt.
“It gives students an opportunity where they didn’t have before, in downtown, to take breaks during class and use the learning center”¦where they can finish term papers, do research or whatever they need to do,” Reinhardt said.
Reinhardt works for the Federal Judiciary but is also an adjunct educator at the new learning center. He teaches almost all of the different courses in the graduate and undergraduate criminal justice programs and is one of 35 adjunct faculty members. The instructors comprise a wide range of professionals in the field of criminal justice. From superior court judges and federal agents, to police officers and private investigators, all of them bring their knowledge and experience to provide specialized instruction to the students, Reinhardt said.
Access to the latest technology and top professionals in the field in a small classroom setting is an important part of the nontraditional approach to educating working adults who don’t have the time or flexibility for a public university setting, Reinhardt said.
The University of Phoenix is the largest accredited private university in North America and has several learning centers in San Diego County. There are University of Phoenix learning centers in Kearny Mesa, Chula Vista, Oceanside and San Marcos. For about 30 years, the university has been offering educational opportunities for working adults.
Through their physical and online classrooms, the University of Phoenix offers advantages to students using the latest technology, myriad online courses and degree programs that give students a competitive edge in their chosen field, Reinhardt said. For more information about the University of Phoenix, visit www.phoenix.edu.