WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains will offer a variety of short courses during the 2014 fall semester that will appeal to community members and students alike.
The courses, all of which are offered in late afternoon and evening hours, will provide personal enrichment for area residents and serve as a special interest course for students who wish to gain an extra credit hour or two, university officials said.
“Our faculty’s primary purpose in offering these courses was to reach out to community members with classes that were focused, useful, fun, and to be honest, short, just because it’s sometimes difficult for people who are not full-time students to take a course for the typical 16-week semester,” said Dennis Lancaster, interim dean of academic affairs.
The courses, which can run from four to five to eight weeks or even the full 16 weeks, focus on specific topics that will provide opportunities for lifelong learning, he said. “Plus, they are taught by full-time faculty or full-time staff members who are experts in their respective fields,” he added.
Classes that will be offered as part of this initiative include:
• Introduction to Riding (AGR 162 01) – a one-credit-hour introductory course with a focus on safe and effective techniques for both English and Western riding. (Full semester)
• Forage Production (AGR 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that covers production of cool season grasses, legumes and warm season grasses adapted to the Ozarks. (First five weeks)
• Beef Production (AGR 197 02) – a one-credit-hour course focusing on management of the beef herd, including reproduction, feeding management and selection using performance records. (Second five weeks)
• Understanding Girl Bullying and What to Do About It (CFD 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class designed for parents, teachers, school counselors and administrators who want to collaborate to identify and address relational and social aggression in their schools. (First eight weeks)
• Parenting from the Inside Out (CFD 197 02) – a one-credit-hour class that offers practical applications which go beyond the “how to” ideas to give parents and caregivers a deeper self-understanding and interpersonal relationship with their child. (Second eight weeks)
• Explosive Child (CFD 197 03) – a one-credit-hour class that will present specific, practical ways to recognize the signs of an impending explosion, defuse tension and reduce frustration levels for the whole family. (First eight weeks)
• Introduction to Game Development (CGP 197 01) – a two-credit-hour class that provides practical, hands-on experience with game programming, level design and asset manipulation. No prior experience is required to take this course. (Second eight weeks)
• Introduction to 3D Modeling and 3D Printing (CGP 197 02) – a two-credit-hour class in which students will learn the fundamentals of computer-based 3D modeling of objects followed by an introduction to 3D printing of their designs. Students will need to be at ease on computer applications like Microsoft Word or Excel. (First eight weeks)
• Business Computing: Microsoft Office (CID 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that offers practical, concentrated instruction to help students improve skills in the use of several programs within the Microsoft® Office Suite. Extended emphasis will be given to Excel and Word. (First five weeks)
• Reading Economic Statistics (ECO 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that introduces students to basic measures of economic performance in the U.S. and provides sources for obtaining data. (First eight weeks)
• Mark Twain: Life and Literature (ENG 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that will offer insights into Mark Twain’s life and literature. (First five weeks)
• Writing Rebellion: Key Documents of the American Revolution (ENG 197 02) – a one-credit-hour class that will offer close readings and discussion of several revolutionary works produced by American writers during the Revolutionary Era. (Second five weeks)
• Marketing With Social Media/Blended (EPR 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class in which students will learn how to use social media to market and promote a small business. (First five weeks)
• Marketing With Social Media/Online (EPR 197 1L) – a one-credit-hour class in which students will learn how to use social media to market and promote a small business. (First five weeks)
• Starting a Small Business/Online (EPR 197 2L) – a one-credit-hour class that teaches students what to expect when they open a small business. From financing, taxes and licenses to marketing, students will learn how to open a business properly and legally from the first steps. (First five weeks)
• Business Plan Basics/Online (EPR 197 3L) – a one-credit-hour class that will teach students the six critical features of a business plan. (Second five weeks)
• Bridging the Generational Gap (EPR 197 04) – a one-credit-hour class that will take a look at what cultural and historical events have shaped each generation, how society has influenced each generation, and even how marketing affects and is ultimately impacted by each generation. (First five weeks)
• Death and Dying (PSY 197 01) – a one-credit-hour course designed to help students be more aware of the processes that occur when dealing with death and dying. Students will take with them a better understanding and awareness of death and dying and will have guidelines that will be practical for daily living. (First eight weeks)
• Stress Management (PSY 197 02) – a one-credit-hour class that deals with the identification of and practical ways of handling stress in our daily lives. The biology/psychology/sociology model will be used to explain how stress affects humans biologically, psychologically and socially. Specific tactics for stress reduction also will be discussed. (Second eight weeks)
• Grammar Schmammer: Learning Spanish Through Song (SPN 297 01) – This one-credit-hour class skips the traditional, grammar-intensive language introduction and focuses on “hearing” Spanish and learning vocabulary in context. (First five weeks)
• Beginning App Inventor for the Non-Programmer (TEC 197 01) – a one-credit-hour introductory course that will give first-hand experience in developing Android mobile applications. No prior programming experience is necessary or required. (First five weeks)
• Digital Storytelling and Presentation Graphics (TEC 197 02) – a one-credit-hour introductory course that provides students with broader knowledge and skills in designing and developing a digital presentation using various digital storytelling or presentation graphics software. Minimal experience using Microsoft PowerPoint is recommended but not required. (First five weeks)
• Mobile Technology in Everyday (TEC 197 03) – This one-credit-hour introductory course will provide a better understanding of the ways mobile technology and applications interact with everyday life and learning. No experience in using mobile technology is necessary or required. (Second five weeks)
More detailed information about these courses can be found at http://wp.missouristate.edu/Academics/ShortCourses.htm.
Area residents interested in taking any of these classes should contact the admissions office at 417-255-7955 for information about the admissions and registration process. Non-degree seeking students enrolling in one or two credit hours for the 2014 fall semester will pay $119 for a one-credit-hour class or $238 for a two-credit-hour class. Some courses do have supplemental course fees. For a full listing of tuition and fees, go to www.wp.missourstate.edu/recreg/costs.htm.
“While we’ve offered courses like these in the past, we have never offered so many at one time with so much diversity in topics,” Lancaster said. “Looking ahead, we plan to offer additional courses like this in early January 2015 during the early weeks of the spring semester.”
For more information about these or other fall semester classes, contact the Missouri State-West Plains admissions office at 417-255-7955 or visit www.wp.missouristate.edu.