UCI Extends Educational Arm Towards Stockings

By Jeff Benson – Daily Pilot – December 17, 2004

The college is offering gift certificates that can be redeemed to pay for enrichment courses in its secondary, extension period.

If you're a fan of gift cards but tired of buying them from the old standbys - bookstores, movie theaters and restaurants - there is an alternative. Secondary education' is on sale as a stocking stuffer.

The UC Irvine Extension, a continuing educational arm of -the university that has been seeking ways to market its classes for years, is inviting the public to purchase aft certificates in any dollar amount.
The program has offered gift certificates for more than seven years, but no one really knew about them, extension spokeswoman Ruta Graff said. This year, it's launched a full-blown campaign by advertising them on campus and by making them available on its website, http:// www.extension.uci.edu.

The extension offers classes ranging from one to 18 meetings, costing from $35 to $5,600. Most of the classes run several weeks and cost several hundred dollars, Graff said. The aft certificates can be used like credit toward the entire amount of the classes, she said.

"I've always been one who promoted the idea personally for my own family and stuff," Graff said. "I think it's a great idea because you can really tailor it to a persons interests. We offer a wide variety of classes, and I really believe in education as something to do, especially for young people, when they sometimes don't know what they're interested in." Along with the gift certificate, recipients will receive copies of the extension's course catalog each quarter so they can be updated on new course offerings.

Kirwan Rockefeller, the UC Irvine Extension arts and humanities director, said the classes are designed for personal enrichment and vary in price due to course length. Some of the classes last only three meetings, while others last an entire winter term, he said.

Students can choose from dozens of courses such as "Photographing People;" "Wines of America or Italy;" "Spa Management;" "The Da Vinci Code: Fact, Fiction or Myth;" "Appraising Fine & Decorative Arts" and "Yoga or Buddhism Studies." "I think lifelong learning is important for professional career development," Rockefeller said. "You always get a leg up, and you get that extra bit of information that keeps you competitive and on top of your game. And you learn things you might not have paid attention to in school the first time."