Mercer County Community College’s Center for Continuing Studies is offering courses this winter and spring for those who want to enhance their business skills.
For those seeking the latest in office computer systems, Mercer offers training in the most commonly used Microsoft Office 2010 programs, including Word and Excel from beginner to advanced.
Among the classes — taught in four evening sessions — are Microsoft Excel I from Wednesday, February 8, to Monday, February 20; Microsoft Project from Tuesday, February 21, to Thursday, March 1; Microsoft Excel II from Wednesday, February 22, to Monday, March 5; Microsoft Word I from Wednesday, March 7, to Monday, March 19; and Microsoft Word II, from Wednesday, March 21, to Monday, April 2.
Web design and graphic design courses are also being offered, including a web developer/programmer certificate program, which has been redesigned to provide participants with two tracks: Microsoft or Open Source.
Those interested in these and/or other computer classes should check for dates and times in the spring course bulletin at www.mccc.edu/ccs. (Information about Web Developer and Programmer courses begins on page 21.)
New this semester is “Adaptive Lean Six Sigma Green Belt,” which teaches efficiency in the workplace, from Saturday, February 11, to Saturday, March 17. The course combines the waste elimination methods of Lean with the reduction tools of Six Sigma.
Classroom examples and simulations are used for hands-on practice. Designed for executives and managers, the course helps prepare participants for the American Society for Quality Green Belt certification exam. It is also appropriate for those working in manufacturing, engineering, and the healthcare field, particularly hospitals. The instructor is John R. Muka, a certified master black belt, who most recently served as the Lean Six Sigma director at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
The CCS also offers hundreds of online courses for both professional development and personal interest. These online classrooms provide opportunities to listen to audio lectures, view slides, and engage in online discussions with instructors and other students. A long-time partner is ed2go, with most courses running for six weeks and including 12 lessons.
The center’s partnership with another online provider, the Learning Resources Network (LERN), continues to expand. Professional courses offered this spring include LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation from Monday, February 6, to Friday, March 30; the Virtual Meeting Planner Certificate from Monday, February 6, to Friday, April 13; Creating Cell Phone Apps for Your Business from Monday, March 5, to Friday, March 30; Facebook for Business from Monday, March 5, to Friday, March 30; and Successful Survey Techniques, from Monday, March 5, to Friday, March 30.
Three additional LERN courses are designed for instructors seeking to teach online. The courses, which can be taken in any order, are Designing Online Instruction from Monday, February 6, to Friday, February 10; Building Online Learning Communities from Monday, March 12, to Friday, March 16; and Advanced Teaching Online; from Monday, April 16, to Friday, April 20. The courses may be taken individually or in combination at a reduced cost.
For more course information, including registering, contact the Center for Continuing Studies at 609-570-3311 or visit the MCCC website at www.mccc.edu/ccs. Classes are held on Mercer’s West Windsor campus at 1200 Old Trenton Road.
