Welding's final semester, program ends with 2008

By: Karin Dickinson

Posted: 9/22/08

The Welding Technology Center at CSM is closing. Instructors are pushing the remaining advanced students to finish projects and to ready themselves for certification testing before time runs out.

The cost of electricity, gas, and metal is too high to maintain the program any further.
"It's the economy," said Associate Professor Durella Combs, long-time instructor of advanced welding and a graduate of CSM's Welding Technology Program. "China is going through an industrial revolution, and, as a result, the price of steel has more than tripled," she said.

Part of the program's problem is low enrollment. Combs speculated if there had been larger numbers of graduating students from the program, CSM may have made a greater effort to save Welding Technology.

"We generally have a 15:1 student to teacher ratio," she said. While the small class size was better for the students and staff, it proved to be a drain on funding.

The goal of the program was to prepare students to enter the workforce. "We train for qualification, not certification," Combs said in reference to the extensive studies in welding theory and practice taught as part of the program. Professional welders in the field need to be re-certified every three to six months to ensure the safety of themselves and other workers, she said.

CSM's Welding Technology program offered training in several styles of work, including stick, MIG, TIG, low hydrogen arc, and oxy-acetylene welding, cutting, and brazing. On top of at least 15 hours of lab time per week, advanced students spent roughly four hours in class learning welding theory in Welding 210. The end result was a class of highly trained professionals.

Matthew Owens, 22, graduated from the program last spring. He is one of many students who have felt a deep loss at the pending termination of Welding Technology. "It's the only program with hands-on experience….There's no comparison to hands-on experience," he said.

Only advanced students were admitted back into the program this term, but the center still keeps its doors open for beginners who have unfinished projects. "Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:10 to 10:00 a.m. are the drop-in time for students who were in the beginning class," Combs said.

"I think it's a horrible mistake," said drafting student Mitchell Hughes, 21. As a former beginning welding student, Hughes was outraged when he was turned away from the program this semester on the grounds that only advanced students were allowed back. "Community colleges are there so you can find out what you want to do, and the welding program did just that. And now it's gone," he said.

Desperate welding students may turn to San Francisco City College to continue their studies in welding plate, pipe, and sheet metals, practice with electric arc welding, inert gas welding, tungsten inert gas welding, inner shield, and oxyacetylene welding techniques. Chabot Community College in Hayward and another school in Oakland both also offer welding programs CSM beginners may enroll in, but many students may not be able to continue their studies because of high costs and transportation complications.

"It's very unfortunate, but there's just no room at CSM for Welding Technology anymore," Combs said. "It's just too expensive."