At West Virginia University this summer, you can learn how to whitewater raft, speak Chinese, write a grant, plant a garden or travel the world.
Outdoor courses, foreign languages, study abroad �€and traditional courses from business to biology �€are just a few of the many summer offerings that get under way May 22 with Summer Session A.
In addition, said Sue Day-Perroots, dean of Extended Learning, approximately 60 classes are offered online �€more than in any other year, giving students who return home for the summer and those who remain in town and work more flexibility.
The first summer session begins May 22 and continues through June 30. Courses may begin at any time during that period and vary in length from one to 12 weeks. Session B starts on July 3 and runs through Aug. 11, with courses beginning on or after July 3.
�€?Once again, summer sessions offer a great way for students to earn more hours toward graduation, fill core requirements, improve their grade-point average or expand their horizons through study and travel opportunities,�€? Day-Perroots said.
The Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences is offering a course in home gardening, a three-credit course where students will maintain their own vegetable and flower garden.
�€?Grants and Grantsmanship,�€? also offered by the Davis College, covers all of the steps in the grant-writing process.
Outdoors, the Davis College is offering courses in whitewater skills, trail work and volunteer management. Whitewater skills will teach students basic whitewater safety and self-rescue skills, while Coopers Rock State Forest will be the setting for trail work.
The Office of International Programs is offering several study abroad opportunities. Students can study Spanish and Portuguese in Brazil; ceramics, economics or painting in China; French or politics in France; business in Germany; history or design in Italy; engineering in Mexico; and Spanish in Spain. For more information, go tohttp://www.wvu.edu/~intlprog/faculty_led.html.
The College of Business and Economics is again offering a business minor that can be completed in two summers. The minor consists of seven courses, six of which are offered online. For more information, visit the business minor Web site athttp://www.be.wvu.edu/student/minor/.
WVU will become the first college or university in the state, and one of only three in the country, to offer a personal trainer minor. The program, approved by the WVU Faculty Senate April 10, will also begin this summer.
And, remember, summer students have access to the Student Recreation Center, Libraries, Health Service and Mountainlair, among other amenities.
For information on summer courses, how to register, costs, financial aid and more, go to:http://www.wvu.edu/summer/.