Multimedia students at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College can now take a course well past many of their peers' bedtimes.
The CSTCC class, which deals with multimedia programming, was introduced last November and meets twice a week from 10:30 p.m. to approximately 2 a.m. in an unused computer lab.
The idea for the late-night class was conceived by animation instructor Jason Caudill.
"He discovered that students in multimedia tend to be 'night people' and come to life at 10 p.m. They may have evening jobs of some sort," said Paul DeNu, dean of information and engineering technology at CSTCC.
Thus far, the program has been met with success. "Students are quite interested, and their performance has been very good," DeNu added.
As far as expansion, the school is undecided. "We're not expecting to spread this to other areas right now unless there's an outcry, but we would consider it," he said. "The building is vacant this time of night; it's definitely open."
DeNu indicated that audio classes are another possible direction the college could take. "We're hoping to have after-hours bands in here for these courses," he said.
Penn administrators, though they are looking at expanding night class options, do not believe that offering a class that late in the evening would be beneficial.
"We are looking into offering more evening classes aside from College of General Studies classes," College Dean Rebecca Bushnell said.
"It's very much on my mind and the minds of the undergraduate deans. It goes to the question of getting the best between when faculty can teach and when students can be there."
Bushnell is not in favor of using the same late-night times as Cincinnati State, however. "Ten-thirty p.m. seems to me extreme," she said.
School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston agreed that "Penn has no plans to offer classes in that time slot."
Michael Delli Carpini, dean of the Annenberg School for Communication, said, "I do not want to close off any possibility 100 percent ... but given the potential drawbacks to this ... I don't see it in Annenberg's near future."
He cited drawbacks including "issues of security, additional costs and the difficulty of getting faculty to work these hours."
