Community Service Education
The Outreach School NEWSLETTER - Spring 2007 - (Volume 10 Issue 1)
Backyard Conference Center
The University of Wyoming Conference Center will be open for business in about a year’s time! This will be a great addition to the campus and an ideal location to host conferences of up to 475 people. In the meantime, did you know there is a small conference center that already exists on campus?
Beta House is an ideal location for small meetings of up to 50 people. During the summer and weekends year-round, this location gives conferences first priority. The building has a large meeting room, 3 breakout rooms and a large parking lot just to the east. UW Catering can handle all your catering needs from breaks to buffets. Office support is available and the main meeting room has wifi connections. We have a sound system, an LCD projector and other AV equipment to make your meeting a success. Coordinators are available to handle onsite needs (registration, equipment checks) and in addition, we offer services such as pre-registration, speaker contracts, service orders, bill payment, marketing and evaluations.
Our pricing can be separate for room rental, coordination services, and/or other needed services, or we offer a complete meeting package with a per day per person rate that encompasses room rental, AV equipment, onsite assistance, 2 breaks and lunch. We’ll set up the rooms, including tablecloths and water pitchers on the tables, create welcome signs, provide meeting pens and paper and parking permits. If you need help setting up meetings, we would like to be your solution.
Please give us a call for prices and availability. Costs can be handled with departmental IDRs.
In addition to our coordination services, we also create programming based on customer needs. Information is gathered by surveying customers and the general populace, finding instructors and assisting in designing syllabi. This past semester we began focusing more on some of the areas of distinction of the UW Academic Plan and continue to do so with our spring lineup.
Classes are being offered in business (basic business skills, starting small businesses, buying and selling homes, money management), history (Wyoming landmarks, prehistoric rock art of Wyoming and behind the scenes at the AHC), environmental issues (Wyoming wildlife, environmental impact, winter survival), internalization (Arabic, Spanish, Judaism) and health (healthy cooking, reading labels, homeopathy, relaxation and exercise).
Also, we are currently working on several certification programs that UW departments have approached us about; our services include conducting needs assessments, researching competition, assistance in setting prices and creating and collecting evaluations as well as the standard assistance of pre-registration, web pages, and financial management.
An energy tour, which includes stops in eastern Wyoming and northwest Nebraska, is being offered by UW Community Enrichment Programs April 15 - 19.
With energy costs making headlines in recent months, the 5-day trip has been designed to show a variety of both common and alternative energy resources in the Rocky Mountain Region. Numerous destinations along the way will provide participants the opportunity to learn about different energy options throughout eastern Wyoming, southwest South Dakota and northwest Nebraska. Visit the Wind Farm at Terry Bison Ranch, the Antelope Valley Power Plant in Wheatland, the Futures in Energy Training program in Casper, the Accidental Oil Co. in Newcastle, the Lumber Mill in Spearfish, Chadron State College, Crow Butte Uranium Mine and the Silo House.
The registration deadline for this tour is March 30. For a trip itinerary and cost information, please contact Simon Harrison at (307) 766-6801 or simon@uwyo.edu. A complete listing of enrichment classes available can be found at uwyo.edu/outreach/enrichment.
Back to Top Coordinator Attends National Conference
Denise Marquiss, Conference and Marketing Coordinator, attended The Special Event 2007 Conference and Trade Show. “IGNITE Your Imagination” was the theme for this educational conference, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and was sponsored by International Special Event Society (ISES) and National Association of Catering Executives (NACE).
Attendance was higher at this conference than at any other and offered educational tracks that covered every area of professional interest. Business and Professional Development, Food Services, Event Management, Sales and Marketing, Design, Wedding Trends, and Event Tools and Resources were all addressed.
This was the inaugural year of the Academic Event Professional conference, a forum where campus planners learn from academic industry peers, can exchange ideas to help develop professional event skills, and learn how to use these skills within their own environments. Later in the week The Special Event, “Lessons Learned”, was held. This session for campus planners allowed time to share ideas with other academic professionals and continue the networking that is so helpful.
For the second year, Denise participated in the Hands-On-Hundred Work Study Program. For a reduced registration fee, attendees agree to volunteer to assist with two events, working two five-hour shifts during the week. Denise said “it was a great opportunity to work with industry peers and experience hands-on, behind the scenes decorations and production of some spectacular events”.
Back to Top Harrison Heads Enrichment Program Simon Harrison is the new Project Coordinator for the Community Enrichment Program, and comes to us from a background largely in academe. He is originally from Sherwood in England, well known as the home of Robin Hood. After receiving his Joint Honors Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and American Studies from the University of Nottingham, England, he came to the University of Wyoming to obtain his Master’s Degree in American Studies. Simon loves living and working in the USA, and hopes to make wonderful Wyoming his permanent home.
Weed Management/Pesticide Applicator Recert., Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 The Wyoming Weed Management Association will hold it first-ever meeting in conjunction with the University of Wyoming Pesticide Applicator Recertification and The Wyoming Weed Management Workshop for Professionals January 30 through February 1, 2007 at the Parkway Plaza Hotel in Casper, WY. Participants include commercial and private pesticide applicators, land managers, farmers, ranchers, and anyone interested in invasive plants and weeds. These meetings have been combined to bring together as many people as possible in the state and surrounding area to increase weed education and strengthen collaborative weed management efforts. A wide variety of weed issues including new invasive plants in the state, agronomic weed control, turf and horticultural weed issues, rights-of-way weed control, revegetation, and much more will be covered during the three days.
For more information about the workshops, please contact Stephen Enloe (307) 766-3113 or Mark Ferrell (307) 766-5381.
Renewable Energy Conference, February 7 “Roping the Wind” will be held at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper. For the fourth year CANDO, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Wyoming Business Council will be offering alternatives to Wyoming agriculture producers and rural landowners. This year’s conference will be on Wednesday following a Farmer’s Market Symposium on Tuesday. The events have a separate registration and you can attend either one or both.
Exciting innovations in several technologies including geothermal power and wind turbines will be showcased. Updates from the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority on transmission projects and a discussion on agreements between landowners and developers of large wind farms, along with other topics will be covered. Visit CANDO at www.ropingthewind.org to register or for further information.
GRO-Biz Conference, February 21-22 The Wyoming GRO-Biz office (Government Procurement Opportunities for Small Businesses) annual conference offers small businesses in Wyoming and the surrounding region an opportunity to market their business to more than fifty federal and state contracting agencies. Business owners will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with contracting officers and learn more about the contracting process and how to successfully obtain government contracts. GRO-Biz partners with the following organizations to help connect small businesses to government business prospects: Defense Logistics Agency, the Small Business Development Center, the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council, and the Small Business Administration.
WyGISC Spatial Technology Training February 26 - May 30 Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) has partnered with CSE to offer professional training in spatial technologies. The short courses range in length from one to five days, run at various times between February and May, and will be held in Laramie.
WyGISC is an interdisciplinary research institute at the University of Wyoming focused on research and development, education, and outreach associated with geospatial data representation, access, visualization, analysis and modeling. For a list of upcoming classes visit http://www.wygisc.uwyo.edu/education/education.htm.
We have some wonderful enrichment classes lined up for the spring semester, covering everything from self-defense to self-awareness, cookery to clogging, and everything in between! Along with our ever-popular selection of fitness and health classes, we’ve devised some truly absorbing new offerings that are sure to enlighten, challenge, and entertain you.
Have you ever looked at a piece of rock art and wondered what it means, or who made it? Life has always included some form of art – something that goes beyond just living and surviving. American Studies academic Fred Chapman is teaching Prehistoric Native American Rock Art, a new class on this fascinating subject. Fred is passionate about Native American rock art and artifacts, and brings his considerable experience to our enrichment class this spring. The class runs February 8-22.
Laramie-based artist Ed Clark will be offering his insight into several fascinating aspects of artwork in our Laramie Abstract series of classes, running Wednesdays February 21 - March 7. The first class – Selling Your Soul - deals with the knotty problem of what to do with a work of art once you’ve finished it. Should you sell it, and if so, to whom? And how much control can you expect to exert over a work you sold to someone else? Other classes in this short series deal with unusual and ‘found’ surfaces, and the production of truly abstract works of art in Wyoming. This series of classes will be sure to appeal to artists and interested non-artists alike.
Watching daily news broadcasts, it can often feel like the Middle East is, quite literally, another world. It’s a culture that is strange and exotic, and at the same time familiar to us through films such as Lawrence of Arabia. Exploring Arabic Culture seeks to clarify and illuminate this ancient culture. Instructor Jasmin Faulk will help you see through some of the misconceptions about Arabic culture, touching on areas such as the Arabic way of life, religion, and issues of Arab vs. Muslim beliefs.
Take a few moments to browse through our catalog and you will be sure find something that tickles your fancy.
Back to Top In The Spotlight:
Featured Enrichment Classes
Wyoming Creatures & Environment A series of interactive courses for nature and animal lovers with a desire to learn more about the plants & animals living in the Laramie and Snowy Range areas. Classes are held Saturday mornings from 10:30 - 11:30. Courses are open to all ages.
Instructor: Brenda Bell
March 24 Wonders of the Woodlands
March 31 Marvelous Mountains
April 7 Grand Grasslands
April 14 Herbivores
April 21 Carnivores
April 28 Endangered Species Fee: $12/class
Business Certificate Programs Two separate series of workshops (basic and advanced) will enhance your value as an employee or employer. Individual workshops are $25. Sign up for the entire series for $175. Courses are held in the evenings.
Basic Series:
Basic Office Organization Wed. Jan. 24 Basic Accounting Wed. Jan. 31
Basic Office Computer Skills Tue. Feb.6
Basic Business Writing Wed. Feb.14
Customer Service Wed. Feb. 21
Business Dress Wed. Feb. 28
Office Etiquette and Ethics Wed. March 7
Interview Skills Wed. March 21
Advanced Series:
Accounting II Wed. March 28
Computer Skills II Wed. March 28
Communication w/ Supervisors & Co-workers Wed. April 11
Etiquette with a Diverse Customer Base Wed. April 18
Customer Service II Wed. April 25
Handling Change & Transition Wed. May 2
Public Speaking Wed. May 9
Team Dynamics Thurs. May 17
For more info or to register for any of the above classes call 766-6801.
Basic Judaism, a four-part series of classes designed to explore different aspects of the Jewish faith, is being offered Tuesdays, February 13 - March 6 from 6:30-8:00 pm.
The first class “The Bible and Beyond: The Book of Books and How Jews Read It” reviews key modes of understanding the Bible, Jewish history, commentary, and other literature.
The next class examines the “4-H Club:” “High Holidays, Ham, Hanukkah and the Holocaust.” Sports figures miss key contests for Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur; Jews and Muslims join together in avoiding pork products. Hanukkah becomes a model of the struggle for freedom of conscience. Memorializing the Holocaust has become, for many Jews, the key to how they understand their Jewish identity.
“Israel: The Old-New Land” is the topic of interest in the third class. From the Biblical Promise to the contemporary State, Israel excites continuing controversy. Learn about the biblical basis for Zionism, the politics of the modern State, and facts about the current situation.
Finally, Basic Judaism discusses “Food, Sabbath and Passover,” with a “practicum” in Kosher, Sabbath and Passover observance.
Instructor Seth Ward has been teaching at UW since 2003, where he teaches Islam and Middle East, and is a Research Associate of the Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East at the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Previously, Ward directed the University of Denver’s Institute for Islamic-Judaic Studies for ten years.
For more information on this course or to register, please contact UW Community Enrichment Programs at (307) 766-6802 or www.uwyo.edu/outreach/enrichment.
2006 was quite a year for noncredit online classes and 2007 looks to be just as promising. During the past year our noncredit division doubled enrollments and was named a “Top Gainer” for the first, second and third quarters of the year by Ed2Go. Results for the fourth quarter have not yet been determined.
We had students from around the world in 2006, including Canada, Singapore, England and Saudi Arabia, as well as 21 states and 24 towns in Wyoming. These noncredit online classes have a tendency to lead students to enroll in credit courses as well.
“Studying the class at home was great,” said one Ed2Go participant. “However, it has pushed my interest to take writing classes at the University.”
The upcoming year is sure to be as eventful as 2006. We have several exciting promotions currently running, including the “Thanks a Million” campaign sponsored by Ed2Go. Almost one million students have taken an online course from this nationally accredited online vendor. To celebrate this milestone the company will award the one-millionth student a laptop computer. In order to be eligible you must be the one-millionth student to enroll in an Ed2Go course and have your payment verified by University of Wyoming.
Additionally, we are currently offering money-saving noncredit online packages. You can create your own “bundle” of classes or choose one of our pre-packaged bundles. The packages consist of either three or four classes and are available at a discounted price. When you sign up for a four-pack bundle you pay $300 – a $56 savings! If you sign up for a three-pack bundle, the price is $225 – a $42 savings! These packages are designed to be taken over a several month span so that you won’t have to overlap your classes.
Ed2Go classes are six-weeks long with eight weeks to complete the course material. The most popular classes of 2006 included grant writing, classroom discipline problems, software skills, Spanish, accounting fundamentals, writing and grammar, real estate investing, management skills and specialized software programming.
For more information on any of our noncredit online class programs, please contact Abi Gerhard at (307) 766-5634 or abi@uwyo.edu. You can find a complete listing of our Ed2Go courses at www.ed2go.com/uwyo.
