College Excel offers four accredited college courses

Taught in our private classroom at ACE by hand-picked OSU and COCC professors, these classes enable our students to experience college-level teaching and work in a small, safe environment. They also allow our academic team to observe students as they learn, so they can help students identify their strengths and weaknesses, and the skills they need to succeed in the classroom.

Worth 3 credits each, CE courses are required, unless students have already passed a similar course prior to CE. Students may start their college studies with only our private courses. More confident students should take CE courses along with courses at OSU-Cascades or COCC. All CE courses complement our Life Skills curriculum, further supported by a student's Life Coach.

• Procrastination & Motivation (HD 100PM) Course is designed to help students become a better student. The ability to understand and control both procrastination and motivation gives students the opportunity to take more control of their lives. Explores the reasons why we procrastinate and how we can decrease our procrastination. Specific tools are developed and the importance of motivation in reaching our goals is discussed. Fall Term.

• Software Applications (CIS131) Students will learn and understand the beginning and intermediate features of applications software (Office 2007, Windows XP, Excel, Powerpoint) necessary for future college courses and to solve and analyze business problems. Fall Term.

• Personal Finance (BA 218)  Gives students skills in basic money management and living within budgets. Helps students deal with financial institutions, apply for loans, and establish personal credit. Develops understanding of managing major household expenses. Develops skills in renting, buying, and selling residential property. Also addresses buying and leasing transportation, personal income taxes, different types of insurance, and investment planning. Fall Term.

• Human Relations (BA 285) Sound human relations are essential to success in any context. Students utilize group exercises, discussion, and lectures to fully explore these issues. Winter Term.

• Human Sexuality (HHP 231) Students will explore physiological, sociological and psychological factors relating to human sexual behavior. Topics include male and female sexual anatomy, gender identity and roles, relationships and communication, fertility management and sexual diseases and dysfunctions. Spring Term.  

• Geography Of Oregon (GEOG 207) Students surveyed of the state of Oregon focusing on natural environment, economic developments and human geography. Two all day field trips included visits to Fort Rock, Newberry Crater National Recreation Area and the Columbia River Gorge. Students also spent three days and two nights at the Steens Mountains and Alvord Desert region of Eastern Oregon.

• Shakespeare Review in Ashland (ENG 140) Reading and critical analyses of plays by Shakespeare and others dramatists performed by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and other theaters in Oregon. Students saw five plays including Romeo and Juliet; As You Like It, Taming of the Shrew and two contemporary plays, Gem of the Ocean and On the Razzle.

• Introduction to Creative Writing: Nonfiction (WR 240) Introduces students to writing creative nonfiction, adapting the personal essay to multiple purposes, such as science or nature writing, travel writing, memoir, biography, and journalistic essay. Prose craft exercises, critical reading of published authors and responding constructively to other student work are essential learning processes.

• Fundamentals of Public Speaking (SP 111) Emphasizes enhancing the relationship between speaker and audience through the content, organization and delivery of short oral presentations. Helps relieve student speech anxiety.

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