(Columbia, TN --- August 23, 2011) - - - Columbia State's Center for Economic and Workforce Development is offering several non-credit courses during the month of September covering a variety of topics.

Social Media Basic Course (2 hour course) is an introductory course that is geared to the new and less experienced users of social media and social media networks. The course will cover a variety of topics including but not limited to how social media is being used in business today, what the most used social networks are, and how to establish a presence on networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. The class will be held on the Columbia campus on September 7 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. The fee of $30, includes all course materials.

Social Media for Businesses Course (3 hour course) is an intermediate course designed to show the individual or business how to incorporate social media and social networks into their marketing and communications plans. Key elements of the course include but are not limited to social media and social network review, how to use a blog effectively, marketing on social networks versus traditional means and how to get started. The classes will be offered on September 21 on the Columbia Campus from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. The fee for the class is $45.

Introduction to Excel 2010. The students will learn how to navigate worksheets and workbooks. Then they will enter and edit text, values, formulas, and pictures, and they will save workbooks in various formats. Students will also move and copy data, learn about absolute and relative references, and work with ranges, rows, and columns. Also, students will create and modify charts. The course will be held at the Columbia campus on Friday, September 9, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The fee of $129, includes a textbook.

7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In this 3-day leadership course, based on the Steven Covey book, participants learn 7 habits, which can make a huge difference in their effectiveness as individuals as well as in the way they work with groups. The participant will learn how to improve in your ability to prioritize your work, manage your time, react more meaningfully to situations you encounter, find ways to solve problems in a win-win manner, communicate more effectively and how to find better direction for your personal and professional life. The fee of $399 includes all course materials. The course will be held at the Columbia Campus on three Fridays, September 9, 16 and 23 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (Instructor: Bill McEwen)

Online Medical Transcription. The medical transcription program involves an intense curriculum that prepares individuals to be employable and achieve their financial goals. The program consists of six consecutive blocks. Each block contains four to five courses and will take about six weeks to complete. A student will complete 905 cumulative hours of study during the program. Oak Horizons regularly networks with various employers to document skill needs and program value. This course will be held from September 12, 2011 through June 12, 2012. The fee of $2198, does not include required books and equipment.

Intermediate Geographic Information Systems. In the class students will learn what a geodatabase offers for GIS data storage, how to create and edit geodatabase features, how to design a GIS database, how to edit spatial and attribute data, and how to use spatial analysis functions and geoprocessing. The class will be held at the Columbia campus on ten Tuesdays, beginning September 13, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The fee of $399, includes 30 hours of instruction, Continuing Education Unit credit, the textbook and all class materials.

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems. The class covers basic skills involved in using Geographic Information System software. Upon completion of the 30-hour course, students will be able to display data, search data, edit data, and produce simple maps. In addition, students have the opportunity to apply what they have learned to projects similar to what they would do back at their jobs. The course will be held at the Columbia campus on ten Thursdays beginning September 15, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. The fee, $399, includes a textbook.

Essentials of Leadership course will help leaders multiply their effectiveness by motivating their team and helping people to be more effective, accomplish more in interactions in less time, while enhancing interpersonal relationships and help people enhance their performance by providing them with feedback they are willing to accept and upon which they are able to act. The course will be held on September 15 at the Columbia campus from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The fee of $149, includes four hours of instruction, a textbook, and a certificate of completion.

Introduction to Excel 2007. Topics include getting started with Excel 2007, working with formulas and functions, formatting a worksheet, working with charts, analyzing data using formulas and functions. The class will be held at the Columbia campus on September 16 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The fee of $129, includes a textbook.

Achieving Life Balance Through Effective Time Management. Often the decisions we face in life are choices between "good" and "best." Developing the skill to focus on what really matters is critical to attaining balance and fulfillment in both your personal and professional life. In this session you will learn to examine your own priorities and align your daily activities with your long-term goals. You will learn to make the most of your choices, relationships, career...your life. The class will be held at the Columbia campus on September 19 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The fee of $109, includes four hours of instruction and a certificate of completion. (Instructor: Bill McEwen).

Intermediate Excel 2010. Students learn how to use multiple worksheets and workbooks efficiently, and they will start working with more advanced formatting options including styles, themes, and backgrounds. They will also learn how to create outlines and subtotals, how to create and apply cell names, and how to work with tables. The course also covers advanced charting techniques, worksheet auditing and protection, file sharing and merging, and workbook templates. Finally, students will learn to work with PivotTables and PivotCharts. The class will be held at the Columbia campus on Friday, September 23, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The fee of $129, includes a textbook.

Online Medical Coding. Medical coders are professionals skilled in classifying medical data from patients' records. The coding practitioners review patients' records and assign numeric codes for each diagnosis and procedure. Coders find employment in hospitals, physician offices, same day surgical centers, multi-specialty clinics and insurance companies. Our goal is to produce a skilled, job-ready medical coder. The student will complete 950 hours of study during the program. The registration fee is $1,999 (fee does not include books, equipment and technical access). The class will begin on September 26, 2011 and will end August 26, 2012.

Building An Environment of Trust. The training course can help leaders improve business results by establishing, enhancing, or repairing trust in the workplace, increase teamwork and collaboration by creating a high-trust work environment, repair relationships where lack of trust is negatively affecting job performance, and build trust through a foundation of open communication. The class will be held at the Columbia campus on September 28 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The fee of $149, includes a book and all class materials.

To register for Columbia State's non-credit continuing education courses go to: www.columbiastate.edu/ewd. For additional information call (931) 540-2660.