April 26, 1999

To: Campus Colleagues

From: UCSC Extension

Re: UCSC Extension Dean Janice Corriden retires on a high note

Dean's 28-year history--A life's mission to establish UCSC Extension as a high-quality lifelong learning enterprise

This month University of California Extension, Santa Cruz, Dean Janice V. Corriden will retire after 28 years of serving the UCSC campus and UCSC Extension in Silicon Valley and the Central Coast, leaving behind a successful legacy.

During Janice Corriden's distinguished tenure as Dean, the growth of UCSC Extension has been explosive. In the last fiscal year, UCSC Extension offered over 3,000 courses and achieved more than 52,000 enrollments. Compare these figures with the fiscal year 1980-81 when Janice Corriden assumed leadership of the organization--these were 15,460 enrollments in 523 courses. These figures were about at the same level when UCSC Extension was first established in 1970.

"When I took over as Dean, says Corriden, there was a $350,000 deficit. My greatest challenge and hardest constant struggle was to balance the budget--making education pay for itself--while carrying out a mission to offer a balanced group of life-enriching and professional development programs and to be truly an extension of the UCSC campus with its full range of disciplines. With this outlook, the growth of UCSC Extension, now with six classroom facilities, is reflected in the growing number and breadth of certificate programs in response to the training demands of industry; the specific educational needs of the region; and the economic climate of the times."

Looking within the infrastructure of the organization and its purpose, Corriden notes, "The success of UCSC Extension depends not only on the excellent programming of its Continuing Education Specialists to offer worthwhile concepts and ideas that will be of value to our students; but that we, as a lifelong learning organization, offer a balance of business, career and technical education with courses that enrich all the different parts of a person's life."

Chancellor Greenwood comments on Dean Corriden's record of success: "The rapid expansion of UCSC Extension's academic offerings is a reflection of more than our society's increasing interest in lifelong learning. Extension's growth is also a testament to the abilities of Dean Corriden and her staff, who have consistently worked to ensure that their continuing education curriculum is responsive to the needs and wishes of the people of California's Silicon Valley and Central Coast. We are very proud to be educational partners with Dean Corriden's high-quality enterprise."

Today, the majority of UCSC Extension's enrollments is in software and hardware technologies, closely followed by business and management and art and design, in response to the growing demand in high-technology training particularly in the Silicon Valley and Monterey County.

According to Corriden, continuing education for the University of California Extension system is regionally focused. "I have learned over the years that each University of California Extension has its own audience. For example UC Davis is right at the Capitol doorstep offering programs relative to the Sacramento region and UCLA is nestled in the film industry with certificate programs that wouldn't work for us," says Dean Corriden.

"Silicon Valley has tended to shape us. Industries and technologies in Silicon Valley are changing so rapidly that it is critical for employers to invest in a well-trained and educated workforce. UCSC Extension must be at the forefront in serving the learning and training needs of its vibrant regional service areas. "

In 1997, Extension opened classroom facilities in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Marina, and also opened multimedia and graphics labs. Last year the UCSC Extension Cisco Internetworking Lab opened its doors for hands-on advanced network training at Extension's Santa Clara site. In Cupertino, the UCSC Extension's high-technology videoconferencing laboratory for UCSC's master's degree program specializing in network engineering was made available to busy engineers in Silicon Valley.

UCSC Executive Vice Chancellor John Simpson notes, "Dean Janice Corriden's leadership is illustrated dynamically by UCSC Extension's role in bringing a campus-based master's program in computer engineering to Silicon Valley professionals seeking additional training. Nearly 30 students, who come from leading high-tech companies, were accepted into this new program this year. For them, instruction takes place in UCSC Extension's high-tech classroom in Cupertino, which provides state-of-the-art video and audio originating from UCSC's main campus. Dean Corriden's legacy is this kind of partnership, one that benefits the residents and businesses of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties."

University Extension strives to reflect the values of the University of California in its outreach to the adult population in all its service areas. Unlike other continuing education providers--both public and private--University of California Extension values the importance of the other side of education to develop balanced living and continues to offer courses for self-enrichment and wellness in our daily lives that humanities and the arts afford.

Dean Jan Corriden notes, "The economy has a cyclical nature, people are moving from just taking career oriented courses. As this economic picture continues, baby boomers are maturing and have disposable income for early retirement. I see this audience preferring to take courses that stimulate the mind. There are classic courses like languages, studies in Shakespeare, various philosophies, and traditional Western literature that is now popular and that is timeless," continues Dean Corriden. This audience makes time for an unpaid second career or volunteerism, and enjoys taking general continuing education courses that enhance creativity and personal interests. "

In the last two years, Corriden maintains that colleges, state universities and community colleges are offering a much wider selection of courses for older students and non-traditional students.

UCSC Extension Associate Dean Tim Johnson, who started the first computer technology branch of UCSC Extension in Santa Clara and oversees all new public programming, maintains:

"Under Janice Corriden's leadership, UCSC Extension has become a model of continuing education and leader in serving the continuing professional and meeting the personal learning needs of our community, the wide spectrum of industries and specialties of Silicon Valley and the Central Coast. She has followed through on Extension's strong commitment to providing hands-on, state-of the art labs and help build our successes in engineering and hazardous materials management and proceeded to establish major programs in business and management, arts and humanities, education, communications, intercultural studies, corporate training, and international studies. Dean Corriden leaves an indelible benchmark in UCSC Extension's history."

Janice Corriden, a transplanted Londoner, came to this country as a young woman and was graduated from UC Berkeley. She obtained a master's degree from the Graduate School of Public Health at University of Pittsburgh. She began her career at UCSC Extension overseeing programs that serve communities in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Silicon Valley. Dean Corriden is an Honorary Member of UCSC Foundation Board. Her immediate plans after retirement are to spend time to literally "stop and smell the roses"--work in her garden, read her favorite books (biographies and history), spend quality time with her husband of 38 years and son age 19, and travel to England to visit family members. Dean Corriden will continue to do volunteer work in the community with seniors, such as the Grey Bears, and serve on local boards.

Maintained by:pioweb@cats.ucsc.edu