Pierce College is a big campus. With 426 acres, it’s difficult to keep its students safe all the time.
According to the Title IX page on the Pierce website, among the nine ways a student can stay safe is to take a self defense class, which Pierce does not offer.
Pierce should provide self defense classes in its regular curriculum.
In the Spring 2024 semester, LA City College offered a single unit self defense class (KIN 217 Self-Defense Skills), in which “the student develops the basic skills of self defense, beginning with lateral movement, strength and cardiovascular fitness, agility and awareness of self in one’s environment.” Basic skills included techniques such as kicking, blocking and striking.
And in the upcoming summer and fall semesters, it appears that only LACC, Southwest College and Harbor College are offering self defense classes.
But all these community colleges are too far for the average Brahma to get to.
Even though there have been events that feature free self-defense demonstrations such as the May 2019 “RESIST” event and April 2013’s Denim Day, Pierce should do more to provide students with a full semester’s worth of self defense lessons that are only a few hours long.
If part of the responsibility to stay safe falls on the student, then Pierce should give students the opportunity to learn self-defense skills.