Unique community opportunities, courses offered by UTM often overlooked by students

At the end of each semester, students rush to register for anatomy, speech, foreign languages, marketing and chemistry classes.

However, most students don't know that there are a variety of unlisted course options available as well.

The Office of Extended Campus and Online Services primarily advertises to members of the local community, but students are also invited to participate in these interesting, and sometimes unusual, night and weekend classes.

ECOS courses are often geared toward teaching basic computer skills to community members, but there are several that could appeal to the student population as well. These include ballroom dancing, women's self-defense, digital photography and a handgun carry class.

Debbie Mount, director of ECOS, collaborates with potential course teachers to decide which topics to cover each semester.

"We have a great group of teachers who submit to us what they would like to teach, plus we watch current trends to see what would be of interest to the community," Mount said.

These classes are easier to fit into a busy schedule than a full-semester course, because they are offered on nights and weekends, usually over three or four weeks. They also don't have the pressures of a graded, for-credit class.

There is an additional cost to register, however, which students unfortunately cannot cover with financial aid. All fees must be paid with cash, check or credit/debit card at the time of registration.

Spring semester courses offered in Martin are as follows (fees are per person unless otherwise stated):

•Ballroom Dancing I: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Mondays, Feb. 20-March 19; $100 per person or $150 per couple

•Beginning Microsoft Word: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, Feb. 28-March 1, $95

•Pool Care, Service and Maintenance II: 6-8 p.m., Thursdays, March 1-29, $75

•Handgun Carry Class: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., March 3, April 7 and May 12, $75

•Passport to Retirement, An Adult Learning Workshop: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., March 6 and 13, $59

•Digital Photography I, Camera Operation and Basic Skills: 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays, March 6-27, $125

•Rape Aggression Defense Self Defense Program for Women: 4 p.m.-10 p.m., March 19 and 20, April 23 and 24, May 21 and 22, Free

•Intermediate Microsoft Word: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., March 20 and 22, $95

•iPad bootcamp: 6-8 p.m., March 29, $65

•Digital Photography II, Creative Photography and Advanced Skills: 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays, April 3-24, $125

•Beginning PC using Microsoft Windows: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., April 17 and 19, $95

•Intermediate PC using Microsoft Windows: 6 p.m.-9 p.m., May 1 and 3, $95

    Some of these courses are also offered at the Jackson, Ripley, Paris, Parsons and Selmer centers.

ECOS also offers some health care training programs, including the Medical Administrative Assistant/Physician's Office Assistant Program, $999; Phlebotomy Technician Program, $1,599; Pharmacy Technician Program, $999; Medical Billing and Coding, $1,799; and EKG Program, $999. The basic fee includes textbooks, handouts and instructors' fees.

All courses require advance registration.

More information, including what materials are required and specific locations, is available through ECOS.          

Contact the office by phone at 731-881-7082; in person at 110 Gooch Hall, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday; or online at http://www.utm.edu/departments/ecce/non_credit_registration.php.