This semester will be the last for The University of Memphis' Continuing Education recreation and entertainment courses. Following several reasons for their cancellations, some 500 leisure courses will officially end at the beginning of the spring semester. However, corporate business- related classes will still be offered.
Dan Lattimore, vice provost of extended programs, said one of the major reasons was money. Recently, Continuing Education had $214,000 in total deficits, and the cost of operation, lack of enrollment and increased competition from non-profit organizations have all contributed to it, he said.
Recreation and entertainment or leisure classes include such courses as knitting, speed cleaning, and candy making.
Lattimore said Continuing Education has suffered in deficits for the last three years, but most of it could be attributed to competition, which includes community centers and churches. He said many other facilities charge very little or nothing at all.
"We don't want to compete, because we don't have that reserve," Lattimore said.
Lattimore also said the cost of space has been high and to find it on campus has been rare.
Lattimore said the lack of enrollment and professors have also increased the deficit. On average last fall each leisure class enrolled about 15 students, he said, but the number dropped to eight this semester. He also said the number of University professors available for Continuing Education courses has been dropping.
"I'd say there are very few teaching," he said.
Continuing Education officials, professors and students have all given mixed reactions to the situation.
Matt Woo, an alumnus of The University, took guitar classes under Continuing Education with Howard Vance's Guitar Academy. He said he paid $135 a month for 10 courses before his class was cancelled earlier this fall due to a lack of students.
"It was a good deal," he said. "I was disappointed at first, but I understand if they had to get rid of some classes."
Howard Vance, part-time instructor with Continuing Education, said the adjustments were not necessarily needed. He said he paid for all of his facilities and expenses and The University's only cost was in putting his course in the catalog.
Even though area churches are making up for the classes, he said, it is still a loss to the community.
"I love teaching the classes and doing a service to the community," he said. "I personally don't think it was the right thing to do."
Eric Haddock, the course program developer for Continuing Education, said there has been a competition in the market that was not there at the time. There are many different competitions for leisure dollars today, he said.
"It's just a change. You have to roll with change and do the best you can to move on," he said.
