From birth to death and beer to pets, West Virginia University is developing new summer courses designed to attract students and professionals to campus. WVU Extended Learning, which manages the summer term, recently awarded more than $120,000 to six colleges to develop the courses.

The grants were competitive and only 10 of 17 proposals were funded. The criteria for the grants included an on-campus component, the ability to serve new audiences and the potential for self-funding in the future.

The new courses that will be offered are:

Barley to Beer – This new eight-week course will look at the agricultural science behind the beer industry as well as the cultural issues. There will be a strong emphasis on health issues and responsible drinking. The Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design will offer the class on campus and with a podcast for students who want to take the course online. Sven Verlinden is the faculty leader.

Companion Animals – This course explores the special relationship that exists between humans and companion animals. Traditionally taught online, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design is developing an on-campus component for closer interaction with the instructor along with a service-learning component (e.g. volunteering with an animal shelter) as well as attendance at regional events sponsored by the American Kennel Club or Cat Fanciers Association. Hillar Klandorf is the faculty leader.

International Honors Leadership Academy – This will be an intensive month-long summer program aimed at incoming first-year honors students as well as students from the Royal University for Women in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The program is a partnership between the Honors College and Leadership Studies Program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. The program will develop campus and community leaders with an international dimension. Lisa DeFrank-Cole is the faculty leader.

Law School Preparation Institute – The College of Law wants to reach a diverse group of undergraduate students who may not otherwise consider a career in law. The college will seek 25 undergraduate students at any West Virginia college or university. They will have a one-week immersion course offered over two summers and a one-week internship in a law office. Grace Wigal is the faculty leader.

Art History – The development of WVU’s new Art Museum will provide an enhanced on-campus component to this popular online course in the College of Creative Arts. Students will take most of the material online but then get a behind-the-scenes look at the Art Museum’s collection. They will select one work from the collection and explore it through different art historical methodologies. The course, which also fulfills the undergraduate writing credit, will end with a group project that proposes how their works of art might best be exhibited together in a museum setting. Cindy Persinger is the faculty leader.

Lactation Management Workshop – Breastfeeding rates in West Virginia are lower than the national average and the opportunities for lactation programs for continuing education are limited in the state. The School of Nursing will offer workshops in the summer to provide professional development for health care providers. By training the trainers, they will promote the benefits of breastfeeding to new mothers throughout the state. The workshops will involve classes in Morgantown or Charleston, online discussion, case studies and role playing. Ilana Chertok is the faculty leader.

Palliative Nursing Care – End-of-life care is an increasingly important area of health care. The School of Nursing wants to prepare undergraduate nursing students as well as other nursing faculty for this area. The course would include both online and onsite meetings to provide quality interaction between faculty and students. Angel Smothers is the faculty leader.

The City as Text – High school juniors will have a unique opportunity to explore a wide range of social science majors by using the City of Morgantown as their textbook. The class explores the culture, the people, the architecture, the economy and the history of the area. This popular class, offered by the Honors College, will give high school students a personal experience on campus while enabling them to earn college credit. Marie Leichliter is the faculty leader.

Educational Leadership Studies Assessment Institute – This workshop is designed for administrators, faculty and graduate teaching assistants at any West Virginia college or university. The participants will learn how to develop assessment plans with learning outcomes. The College of Human Resources and Education will offer the training in July 2010. Elizabeth Jones is the faculty leader.

Teachers for a Global World – The College of Human Resources and Education is creating four courses in practicum and technology to prepare K-12 teachers for global awareness, cultural sensitivity, respect for diversity and technological savvy. Along with developing 21st century skills, the courses will provide a rural, urban and international clinical rotation of experiences as well as focused local school experiences with master teachers. Thirty high-ranking freshmen will be recruited. Joy Faini-Saab is the faculty leader.

WVU offers thousands of courses in the summer on-campus, online, around the state and the world. WVU’s flexible summer schedule includes classes that are one, three, six and 12 weeks long. For details, visit http://summer.wvu.edu .

-WVU-

lr/02/09/10

CONTACT: Sue Day-Perroots, WVU Extended Learning
304-293-2834, sue.day-perroots@mail.wvu.edu