Janet Masters

Biography

I was born in Alameda CA but grew up as an Air Force "brat" in several states and countries. Since I went to 14 schools before graduating high school, it was great to spend 4 years at UC Santa Barbara for my B.A. in Art History before moving to the Bay Area, where I got my M.A. in Art History from San Jose State.

I taught at West Valley in the mid-late 1970s as a part-time instructor of art history and art appreciation and a gallery management class. I got a grant from the curriculum committee to write a study guide for art history, which later was expanded and published by Prentice-Hall/Simon and Schuster/Pearson.

In 1978, I moved to the private sector: marketing semiconductors and networking products. I wrote technical documents, developed training materials, and coordinated trade shows and conferences--both as an employee and as an independent contractor.

In 2009, I joined the part-time faculty in the non-credit Older Adults Program (OAP), then part of Community Education. As of Fall 2024, the Older Adults Program is part of the Health and Human Development Division. Our Program offers FREE, non-credit classes for adults 55+. OAP in-person classes are taught off-campus at retirement communities, nursing homes, and community centers. We also offer classes online via Zoom, which many independent active adults prefer.

All my classes are listed as NCAD 140 Forum on Local and Global Topics. Each class section has a specific focus, each semester. Spring 2022 includes: Modern Art, Wonders of the World (natural and man-made), California History, Great Music, as well as Archaeology and my newest class--Optimal Aging.

I teach NCAD 140 Forum on Local and Global Topics. Some of my sections are offered in-person. Some ae online via Zoom. Each section covers a specific subject. The exact topic focus changes each semester as many OAP students continue year after year. My subjects include American History, Anthropology and Archaeology, Art History, Music History, Wonders of the World, and World History. Refer to the college catalog for a current schedule of NCAD140 classes. Please contact me if you have any questions.