Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, State Center Community College District was recently recognized as an MSI and an HSI.

State Center Community College District has over 1,000 students on visas, with approximately 650 of those student visas. The majority of international students come from Asia, with the “top ten” countries represented being Taiwan, Indonesia, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, and the Philippines.

For groups, the International Center can provide private bus pickup or make taxi arrangements at the airport. Super Shuttle or another shuttle service as the most cost-effective means of getting from the airport to the Cal Poly Pomona campus. A taxi from the airport is $25 to $30 and the hotels have shuttles as well.

No. Maintaining home stay networks is a tremendous amount of work, and CITD does not have the resources to make this possible. Perhaps in the future.

Housing options vary based on time of year and the budget of the trainees. For long-term arrangement, the International Center can sometimes find space in the nearby Fresno State apartments. Depending on what option is selected, trainees can prepare their own meals, patronize local restaurants, or dine at one of several hotels.

Public transportation around Fresno is not very extensive or reliable. While certain areas are relatively well served by buses and trains, including downtown. We recommend that you work with the International Center to hire a van and driver in order to expose your group to all that Central California has to offer. However, if a group will be here for some time, we can assist participants in the use of public transportation in order to take care of everyday business.

Fresno Center for International Trade Development can organize cultural excursions for training groups if desired.  Cultural excursions can be tailored to the client's wishes.  Polupar itineraries include: Sequoia Park, Yosemite, Agribusiness Tours, Dairy Grapes, Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Sacramento, Buch Owens Tulare Ag Museum, Irrigation Center.  Culture excursions do inncur a cost in addition to the training fee to cover transportation and guide costs. 

Yes, the Fresno Center for International Trade Development organizes study tours and site visits, drawing on the expertise of the Fresno Center for International Trade Development staff, faculty and local professionals. The International Center can also organize internships and on-the-job training if the trainees have adequate English-language skills.

Fresno Center for International Trade Development customized training courses can be as short as a few hours or as long as several months. Standardized courses also vary in length, although the academic calendar at State Center Community College District is on (mid-August to mid-December, January to mid-May).

Yes. Fresno Center for International Trade Development offers both standardized and customized training courses. The staff experts at the International Center work with the sponsoring organizations to develop training that meets the needs of the group. Fresno Center for International Trade Development staff is also available for short-term consulting both in the U.S. and abroad. Please contact Candy Hansen at (559) 241-6566 or via email at candy [dot] hansen [at] scccd [dot] edu to discuss your particular needs and how Fresno Center for International Trade Development might meet them.

Fresno Center for International Trade Development can draw on over 500 faculty members, business partners and lecturers to provide training across an extremely broad diversity of fields. Specific areas of expertise are represented by the five colleges and nearby that make up Fresno Center for International Trade Development’s academic offerings. These are:

• Agriculture
• Cold Chain
• Bio fuels
• Business
• Education
• Engineering
• Environmental Design
• Hospitality Management
• Management
• Personnel
• International Market
• Economic Developments
• Science

Fresno Center for International Trade Development can also provide training in the following specific areas: Information Technology and English as a Second Language. Certain certificate programs are offered through the CITD and US Department of Commerce.

Through collaboration with local business, government organizations, or other educational Institutions, Fresno Center for International Trade Development is able to develop training programs in a variety of other areas. The International Center has coordinated programs in agribusiness, international marketing, export, import, judicial procedure, labor movements, career counseling, and lobbying to name a few.

It is impossible to give an average training figure for Fresno Center for International Trade Development training. Some of the factors affecting the cost include: length of the training, size of the group, the topic, whether field trips and other off-campus activities are requested, whether translation is requested, and whether technical classrooms or laboratories are required. The training fee typically covers trainer pay and benefits, classroom space, materials, field trip transportation and guides, translation (if necessary), and coordination costs. Please contact Candy Hansen or Frank Nunez at 559-241-6566 or via email at candy [dot] hansen [at] scccd [dot] edu to discuss your specific situation and receive a quote.

Yes. We often organize these sorts of programs, with English language training part of the day or part of the week, and discipline-specific training the remainder of the time. The English-language training can be adapted to include specific vocabulary and concepts relevant to the skills being studied. Depending on the abilities of the group, the discipline-specific training can be in English or translated into the native language.

The majority of Fresno Center for International Trade Development training is provided in English, with interpreter when necessary. However, Fresno Center for International Trade Development has many faculty members fluent in several languages. Depending on the topic, training might be available French, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Persian, Japanese, Russian, Armenian, and other languages. When a faculty member with the necessary language ability is not available in the necessary discipline, Fresno Center for International Trade Development can interpreters on campus or locally or we can work with the client to accommodate its interpreters. We recommend providing two interpreters so that each one can rest and continue to operate at peak efficiency throughout the day. For certain technical subjects, it is also very important to ensure that the interpreters have the necessary technical expertise. The CITD has interpreting equipment and headsets.

All Fresno Center for International training emphasizes “learning by doing” and includes some field trips and hands-on experience. Faculty use group work, interactive activities, and participatory methods of teaching. In order to encourage application to models learned, a short-term training course might include action planning during its last few days. Training often uses computer models, and fully equipped computer labs are available for training. Faculty often have extensive industry experience and do outside consulting, ensuring that they will remain up to date with trends in their fields. Meetings with local community and businesses are usually included in training.

Yes. Individuals can receive either one-on-one training or enroll at State Center Community College for certificate courses or degree or non-degree programs.

Training can be provided for individuals or groups up to about 20-25 in size (larger groups can also be accommodated, but they should be divided into different tracks to keep class sizes reasonable).