POTSDAM -- Enrollment continues to grow for SUNY Potsdam's Winterim, with a total of 385 students signing up for courses during the 2011 session.

"Students from both SUNY Potsdam and other institutions are becoming more and more aware of the many benefits of enrolling in a Winterim course and continue to ask us to increase the number and variety of courses that we offer during this mini-session," said Dr. Tom Fuhr, the College's director of extended education.

Winterim consists of a three-week session for online courses, and a two-week session for on campus and travel courses, which began on Jan. 5. The session attracts current SUNY Potsdam students and visiting students from the other Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley (SUNY Canton, St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University), as well as from other public and private colleges throughout New York State.

The number of students participating in Winterim 2011 has increased 3 percent over last year.

Two international travel courses are being offered through Winterim 2011 this year.

"Voyage to the Galapagos and Amazon Rainforests" is an interdisciplinary course focusing on biology, geology, anthropology and environmental studies. Eleven students and seven faculty members and chaperones are making a two-week journey to spend time in Quito, Ecuador, as well as the Tiputini Biodiversity Station and the Bellavista Cloud Reserve in the Amazonian rainforest and the Galapagos Islands.

Additionally, "Jamaica Service Learning Abroad" is a course on the diverse people, society, culture and music of the Caribbean and West Indies. In Jamaica, students participate in daily training sessions and service work at the local schools and care centers in their area of education specialization.

Some other interesting courses attracting a large number of students this year include "Alexander Technique," "The History of Rock Music" and "Weight Training and Racquetball."

In addition, three film studies courses, "The College Cult Comedy," "Sidney Poitier Films" and "The American Baseball Movie," have been a hit with students.

For more information about Winterim at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/ExtEd/winterim/WinterimWelcom