VSU Continuing Education Makes Learning Fun

VALDOSTA — On Saturday, Nov. 3, Valdosta State University Continuing Education will take area coffee lovers on a new adventure in coffee cupping.

Twelve lucky men and women will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes of The Beanery Roasting Co., 1009 Williams St., and cup both a light and a dark roast coffee, experiencing their different characteristics. They will explore several blends and create their own personal blend, and they will discover the secret behind the company’s holiday blend. This interactive lesson will begin at 9 a.m. and costs $15. 

“We look at a lot of different factors when deciding what classes to offer,” noted Sue Bailey, who coordinates the university’s personal enrichment opportunities. “We get ideas by checking out what other Continuing Education programs are offering and keeping up with popular trends in today’s world. Of course, a good idea doesn’t go anywhere without an instructor, so finding a qualified instructor is a determining factor in what classes we can offer. We keep track of requests for classes, and if there appears to be solid interests in specific topics, we’ll search for an instructor and put a class together. We also receive course proposals ….”

Other upcoming personal enrichment classes offered this fall include:

• Essentials of Portrait Photography: Students will learn how to create beautiful and expressive portraits in this course, which will meet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on three consecutive Wednesdays beginning Nov. 28. They will explore natural and artificial lighting, lighting modifiers, posing, lens choice, and depth of field. They will also discover how to transform their raw photos with techniques to even skin tone, correct blemishes, and create true black and white photos using Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. This course is eligible for 0.6 continuing education units. The cost is $109.

• Elements of Digital Photo Editing: Students will learn how to fine-tune their digital photos with Adobe Photoshop. They will learn how to rotate and straighten photos, use white balance and contrast level adjustments, repair dust, and do basic photo manipulation. Basic ethical issues in photography will be discussed. This course is eligible for 0.5 continuing education units and will meet from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on two Wednesdays, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. The cost is $99.

• Fundamentals of Office Computing: In this course, which will meet from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on three consecutive Thursdays beginning Oct. 25, students will learn how to more effectively utilize a computer both at home and in the workplace. They will learn computer functions and terminology, the basics of web browsers and Internet navigation, email fundamentals, safe computing, and general word processing. This course is eligible for 0.6 continuing education units and costs $59.

• Microsoft Word Tips and Timesavers: From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, students will have an opportunity to broaden their skills in Microsoft Word by exploring shortcut and function keys and discovering the magic of the Windows key. This course is eligible for 0.2 continuing education units and costs $29.

All those interested in taking a personal enrichment class at VSU are encouraged to register early to avoid additional fees.

Classes will be canceled three days prior to start dates if, at that time, there is not sufficient enrollment to cover costs, noted Continuing Education staff members.

All classes will meet in the Regional Center for Continuing Education, located at 903 N. Patterson St., unless otherwise noted in the course description.

VSU Continuing Education’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region by providing educational, artistic, cultural, technological, and economic development activities and programs. It works to develop and present programs and activities for professional and personal enrichment of community persons.

Visit www.valdosta.edu/conted/ to view a complete listing of personal enrichment classes, as well as online, certificate, professional development, and various other classes offered through VSU Continuing Education.

For more information or to register, please call (229) 245-6484.