UCI extends educational arm toward stockings

Jeff Benson

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 gift 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, https://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 gift 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 person’s 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 DaVinci

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.”

* JEFF BENSON covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617.