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If there is a problem with being a Continuing Educator, it is that there is virtually no down time. Our Continuing Education office operates like a business, open from 8:30 am - 8:00 pm every day except Friday, when we close at 4:30 pm. And, we are open Saturdays from 8:00 am - noon. We run full throttle twelve months per year. For our staff, the traditional vacation spaces between semesters have become completely blurred, as preparations for the next semester begin many weeks prior to the end of the current one, and vacation spaces have become filled with academic activities, including course offerings meant to meet the needs of a changing market place. No wonder when we are asked at the beginning of a new semester, "How was your break?" we respond, "What break?!" It is the universal response of all continuing educators.

Another problem faced by Continuing Educators is that people in general have no idea what we are about. We must constantly explain what "continuing education" means and give examples. Faces contort as people attempt to understand, but in the end, it is difficult to comprehend that a college can serve so diverse a clientele. Continuing Education serves a wide array of students, from the traditional college freshman who enrolls as a first-time freshman, to the high school dropout who seeks a GED, to the displaced homemaker who seeks to re-enter the work force, to the incumbent worker who is taught new skills at the work site by SCCC adjunct faculty. Still, the tendency is for the general public to think of college students only in terms of the traditional day student and to never consider the others as part of the equation that makes a community college truly comprehensive.

So it is that we came to name this electronic newsletter Stone Soup. We wear many hats, serve many people, and accomplish many purposes all in the name of ensuring that SCCC is a fully comprehensive community college. As you read the articles we present in this issue, we hope that you will gain a better understanding of the role played by your Continuing Education Division in meeting the educational needs of Schenectady County and the greater capital region.

Enjoy!