Midland College Cogdell Learning Center to offer introductory, for-credit, History classNovember 10, 2021

In addition to classes at the main campus and online options, this coming spring semester, MC will also offer History 1301 at the Cogdell Learning Center, Room 101.  The course begins January 19 and meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00-11:20 a.m.. Students can register now for this spring semester class. 

The MC Cogdell Learning Center, located at 201 W. Florida Avenue, exists because of the generosity of Bill Pace Cogdell, a local businessman who passed away in 1997.  It is a hub in South Midland for English as a Second Language (ESL), U.S. citizenship and GED® preparatory classes.  It is also an outreach center for people who live and work in southeast Midland to find out more about Midland College programs and college admission.  In addition, MC’s Business & Economic Development Center is housed at Cogdell and the Diesel Technology Program classrooms and labs are situated across the street.  It has been several years since MC has offered a college-level academic transfer course at the center.

“History 1301 is hopefully the first of many credit classes MC will begin to offer at Cogdell Learning Center,” Jennifer Myers, associate vice president of Workforce Education said. “MC wants to raise awareness of the Cogdell Learning Center in the community. We want to invite students who usually take classes on the main campus to visit the Cogdell Center, and we also want to offer the opportunity for our ESL and GED graduates to take a college course in a familiar space. We hope it will help them see college as an attainable goal.”

MC History professor, Dr. Jaime Águila will teach the class. 

“I have been very interested in teaching credit classes at Cogdell Learning Center,” Águila said. “This course is about History, but its initial offering is about opening doors to reach additional students who may not feel comfortable taking the leap to college. The course will be taught in English, but I also speak Spanish, so I hope that is a comfort to students.” 

History 1301 covers U.S. History up to 1877. Themes include American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and creation of the federal government. The class includes lectures, essays, tests and textbook reading. Students must have satisfied the TSI readiness requirement in reading as a prerequisite. 

“Dr. Águila is very passionate about teaching and has a unique style,” Frank De La O, MC Dean of Social/Behavioral Sciences and Business said. “He is an effective, interesting lecturer who is willing to help his students with assignments. He requires a lot of essays, but he provides guidelines and goes through drafts with students. He has a great way of coaching soft skills. Dr. Águila has also traveled throughout Latin America and Europe, so he is able to connect with people of varying cultures.”