WEST PLAINS, Mo. – Missouri State University-West Plains will offer a variety of short courses during the 2015 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.
“Short courses are a fun, relatively low-intensity way of finding out more about a specific subject or just expanding your general knowledge about the world,” said Dr. Dennis Lancaster, dean of academic affairs. “The faculty members offering these courses have chosen topics that fit right into their own personal passions, which, of course, makes the courses a lot more fun and engaging.”
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 added.
Classes that will be offered this fall include:
• Introduction to Horses (AGR 161 01, OL) – a two-credit-hour introductory course focusing on the scope and role of the horse industry; responsibilities of ownership; selection, breeds development and uses; and basic care, nutrition, health care, conditioning and facilities. (Full semester)
• 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)
• Greenhouse Management (AGR 200 01) – a one-credit-hour class that focuses on sustainability in the greenhouse environment, including construction, heating, cooling and environmental control systems; developing planting materials and watering and fertilization systems; regulation of light, temperature, plant growth; and insect and disease management. (First eight weeks)
• The History of Photography (ART 098 02) – a one-credit-hour course that surveys the history of photography from its beginnings to the present. (First eight weeks)
• Digital Photography (ART 098 01) – a two-credit-hour class designed to teach basic skills in digital photography, give students a working photography vocabulary and expose students to some basic photo enhancement techniques. (Full semester)
• The Great Immunization Debate (CFD 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that provides a realistic study of vaccinations, exploring the risks, benefits and alternatives to immunization. (First eight weeks)
• Birth Order and It’s Role in Development (CFD 197 02) – a one-credit-hour class that explores how a child’s place in the family may directly impact personality development. (Second eight weeks)
• Business Computing: Microsoft Office (CIS 197 01) – a one-credit-hour class that provides 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, and a detailed overview will be provided for Outlook, Access and PowerPoint. (First five weeks)
• Sherlock Holmes: The Classic Cases (ENG 184 01) – a one-credit-hour class that will be a study of some of the classic cases of the most iconic detective in the world of fiction, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Approximately 20 stories will be required reading and will be supplemented with viewing of film adaptations of five of the stories. (First five weeks)
• African-American Biography: Richard Wright (ENG 184 02) – a one-credit-hour class studying the classic American autobiography Black Boy by Richard Wright. This grandson of slaves and son of an illiterate sharecropper was one of the first African-American authors to protest white treatment of blacks, becoming a leading American author with the publication of Uncle Tom’s Children in 1938 and Native Son in 1940. Black Boy chronicles Wright’s childhood experiences in the Jim Crow South and his coming of age and development as a writer. (Second five weeks)
• Mark Twain: Life and Literature (ENG 184 03) – a one-credit-hour class that will offer insights into the life and literature of the most prolific and influential American author. Students will be asked to revisit some of his most popular works by reading excerpts from The Innocents Abroad, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Life on the Mississippi, as well as read some of his lesser-known short stories and a selection of speeches and letters. The readings will be supplemented with a viewing of Ken Burns’ documentary Mark Twain. (Last five weeks)
• Introduction to Entrepreneurship (EPR 110 1L) – a three-credit-hour class that introduces students to the requirements for starting and operating a successful business. (First eight weeks)
• Sales and Customer Service (EPR 130 1L) – a three-credit-hour class that helps students learn the skills necessary to serve as an effective interface between customers and the organization offering products and/or services. (Second eight weeks)
• Marketing with Social Media (EPR 197 01, 1L) – a one-credit-hour class that will teach students how to use social media to market and promote a small business. (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. (Second 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. (Third five weeks)
• Applied Electricity and Electronics (TEC 200 1L) – A three-credit-hour course that will introduce students to the production and use of electrical energy in motors, generators and electronic circuits. (Third 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 2015 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.
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.