Redding Academic Center
by Hoyt Smith
Three of National University's academic centers celebrated their fifth anniversary this fall, marking half a decade of dramatic expansion and growth that practically spans the entire length of California from Mt. Shasta to Mt. Helix.
The Redding academic center marked five years of service In September. National University was welcomed to 2195 Larkspur Lane in 1999, when the Redding City Council, the Redding Chamber of Commerce, regional legislators and local business welcomed the University to the community. During its first year of operation in Redding, staff and faculty served a total of 167 students. To date, Redding has accommodated more than 1,200 students in Shasta County and the surrounding area. National currently employs 80 full-time and part-time faculty in Redding and offers approximately 25 degree and credential programs on site, as well as several offsite programs and internship programs.
"In the five years we've been here, we've become the premier institution of higher education in this region," said Bernell Hirning, National University's associate regional dean for Redding. "Overall, we've made an extremely positive impact in our community, and we proud of the role we play in so many people's lives," he added.
National University celebrated its five-year milestone in Kern County In November. It was on November 3, 1999 that more than 250 local people, including members of the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, the Kern County Board of Supervisor, the California Assembly, and the Bakersfield business community gathered at 4560 California Avenue to celebrate the arrival of California's second-largest private non-profit university. During its first year there, National served 159 students. To date, it has served more than 4,850 students in Kern County and the southern San Joaquin Valley region. The University currently employs 11 staff faculty in Bakersfield and offers approximately 25 degree and credential programs on site, as well as several offsite programs and internship programs.
"A lot of lives have been changed for the better and there has definitely been a positive ripple effect within the community," said Melissa Bellinger, the associate regional dean for Bakersfield.
Five years ago on November 16, a large crowd gathered in La Mesa to dedicate National University's new 23,000-square-foot, two-story academic center at 7787 Alvarado Road.
During its first year of operation in La Mesa, National University hosted 3,008 students in class. To date, it has served more than 20,000 students at the state-of-the-art facility, which includes 20 classrooms, two computer-equipped classrooms, a student computer lab and a library resource center.
"We're currently offering about 25 classes per month in La Mesa, said Walt Tobias, National University's associate regional dean for San Diego. "The location serves as a convenient hub for students in East and South County, with easy access to major commuter corridors."
