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Jodie Beckley

September 26, 2022 by stgschoolcraft

Looking to develop a side gig, add skills to advance in your current job, or explore a new career? Schoolcraft College’s continuing education department, Personal and Professional Learning (PPL), can help.

Registration is now open for the Fall 2022 schedule. Over 400 courses in a variety of areas, including beer tasting, remote (drone) piloting, and dementia care, are offered.

“A key focus for PPL has been to increase class offerings for professional development,” said Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director, Personal and Professional Learning. “Many classes are starting in October or November, so there is still time to register.”

Here’s a closer look at some of the courses starting later this fall:


glasses of beer
The Craft Beer 101 course begins Monday, October 17.

Craft Beer 101: Ingredients, Brewing and Tasting Basics

Join Advanced Cicerone® Annette May on a fun and informational sensory journey as you learn how beer is made. Taste raw ingredients and learn how to correlate them with beer flavors. Learn the basics of great beer service, then sample, taste and evaluate 10 popular Michigan craft beers as part of your experience. You must be at least 21 years old to attend, and bring a driver’s license or Michigan ID.

Begins: Monday, October 17


class viewing drown flying
You can learn to fly a drone on Saturday, November 12.

Recreational Drone Fundamentals

Learn to fly a drone and have fun by reviewing basic terminology, various types of drones, laws and regulations, and how to safely use and store your equipment. Learn where and when you can fly, with an emphasis on pre-flight inspection and safety protocols. The class includes practice with flying Schoolcraft College’s quadcopters.

Begins: This is a one-day course from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, November 12.


three people conversing
Fundamentals of Dementia Care is offered Saturday, October 1.

Fundamentals of Dementia Care

This course will help you understand the basics of dementia by distinguishing the common forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. You’ll be able to develop strategies to improve communication and understand the root cause of challenging behavior. The class includes a question-and-answer opportunity with a person living with dementia and/or his/her care partner.

Starts: This is a one-day course from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 1. You can attend in person or via Zoom.

Note: Several other courses related to dementia care are available as well.


For more information and to download a PDF of PPL’s Fall 2022 schedule, visit their website.

Filed Under: News, Schoolcraft Spotlight Tagged With: Beer, dementia care, drone, Jodie Beckley, PPL

July 18, 2022 by mlemon

Registration is now open

A wide range of new courses, including exploring Detroit’s rich history, improving culinary skills and preparing for key professional certifications, highlight the Fall 2022 schedule for Schoolcraft College’s continuing education department, Personal and Professional Learning (PPL).

Registration is now open. Over 400 courses in a variety of areas, including fitness, aquatics, art, music, languages, culinary, photography and professional development, are offered.

Infographic depicting the roles of project management
New for PPL’s Fall 2022 schedule is a Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam Preparation course for those pursuing PMP Certification.

A key focus for PPL has been to increase class offerings for professional development. New for the fall is a Project Management Professional (PMP®) Exam Preparation course for those pursuing PMP Certification. Topics include domains and tasks from the PMP® Examination Content Outline, such as building a team, managing communications and benefits realization. 

Returning to the program lineup this fall is Level One of the Digital Sculpting with Autodesk Alias. This is a four-class certificate program, with Level One offered in the fall only. Digital sculpting is used by professionals in the automotive industry as well other fields requiring skilled surface design. Learn more about Schoolcraft College’s Digital Sculpting program. 

PPL also will provide more online career training with self-paced programs in Information Technology, Accounts Payable, Management, Video Game Design and more.

Enrichment opportunities

In addition to expanded offerings geared toward professional development, PPL will have more than 20 new enrichment courses this fall, including:

Two people on a dance floor
Nightclub Two-Step is one of the new courses offered in PPL’s Fall 2022 schedule.
  • Nightclub Two-Step
  • Present Moment Meditation: Lifestyle Skills
  • Travel Photography
  • Sweater Knitting
  • Passion for Chocolates
  • Introduction to Food & Wine Pairing
  • Self Defense

Popular courses such as yoga and aquatics will continue to be offered as well.

While some PPL courses are completed over the course of several weeks, others take just a few hours. This includes the Dine & Discover and Conversation & Coffee series. Six new lectures are available for the fall, highlighted by:

  • Haunted Detroit (Dine & Discover)
  • Lost Restaurants of Detroit (Dine & Discover)
  • Sherlock Holmes: The Hero With a Thousand Faces (Conversation & Coffee)

Dine & Discover includes a full buffet lunch with vegetarian and gluten-free options. All proceeds support youth and adult scholarships. Light refreshments are served at Conversation & Coffee.

“We’re very excited about our Fall 2022 schedule, which includes several new offerings in addition to our popular fitness classes,” said Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director, Personal and Professional Learning. “We look forward to welcoming our returning students in their favorite courses, trying out a new activity or expanding their professional skills. We also encourage new students to explore what PPL is all about – there really is something for everyone!”

Filed Under: News, Schoolcraft Spotlight Tagged With: Jodie Beckley, Personal and Professional Learning, PMP, PPL

June 27, 2022 by stgschoolcraft

Theme of conference was “Women Leading With Resilience In Challenging Times”

Schoolcraft College was well-represented at the 2022 Michigan American Council on Education Women’s Network Conference (MI-ACE) of the ACE Women’s Network. Held June 13-14 at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi, this year’s theme of the annual conference was “Women Leading With Resilience In Challenging Times.”

The MI-ACE Women’s Network was formed in 1978 and is the professional network for Michigan women in higher education.

Attending from Schoolcraft College were:

  • Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director, Personal and Professional Learning
  • Joi Durant, Associate, Student Financial Services
  • Tammy Duval, Lab Technician
  • Melissa Gury, Director of Laboratory Sciences
  • Dr. Michele Kelly, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement
  • Trennis D. Sweatt, Personal and Professional Learning Programming Coordinator
  • Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning
  • Rena Yuzon, Course Manager, Distance Learning

Dr. Beckley co-presented “Women Leaders of Color in Community Colleges: New Research, Same Challenges” with CharMaine Hines, Ed.D., Vice Chancellor, Academic Accountability and Policy, Wayne County Community College District.

Here are some reactions to the conference from Schoolcraft College attendees:

From Joi Durant, Associate, Student Financial Services:

I was introduced to MI-ACE in 2021 after attending their WOCC (Women of Color Collaborative) and women’s equal pay day workshops. I became involved with the Schoolcraft division of MI-ACE this year and it has been such an impactful experience. This year’s conference focused on defining resilience and finding ways to put the ‘resilience perspective’ into practice. During the two-day conference I was able to attend several workshops, some of which included:

  • Enhancing your Institutional committee involvement
  • (Re) Imagining the Superwoman
  • Women Leaders of Color in Community College: New Research, Same Challenges
  • Women Leading with Resilience during Challenging Times Keynote Address

I found each session to be informative, which led to me feeling excited, empowered and equipped to bring this information back to campus and incorporate this information in conversations that contribute to impacting effective change. It also provided the opportunity to meet and collaborate with colleagues here at the college that I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to work with. I would encourage any woman employed in higher education to consider joining the MI-ACE Network as it provides networking support and training enhance the experience of women in higher education.

From Melissa Gury, Director of Laboratory Sciences:

One of my favorite sessions was “Mental Health Strategies for a More Resilient You” presented by Dr. Nikita Murry, Director of Diversity Education at Central Michigan University. She spoke about what it means to be resilient, and highlighted five ‘Gs’ to make sure to focus on in our lives: Gratitude, Goal Reflection, Girlhood, Goodness, and Gracefulness. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend, and am excited to continue working with the MI-ACE Women’s Network to empower women!

From TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement:

One valuable practice discussed during the “Mental Health Strategies for a More Resilient You” session, led by Dr. Nikita Murry, Director of Diversity Education at Central Michigan University, was to ask yourself five questions before taking on a new role or opportunity.

  1. Does the opportunity align with your goals?
  2. Am I the right person?
  3. Is this a professional challenge?
  4. Do you see professional growth opportunity?
  5. Will the workload be manageable?

If you can answer yes to these questions, and the role or opportunity is something that fits into your mission, vision and goals, you will be in a better position to deal with more challenging times when they arise. I plan to implement this in the future.

From Trennis D. Sweatt, Personal and Professional Learning Programming Coordinator:

Attending the MI-ACE conference and “The Importance of Wellness and Belonging in the Workplace” session as well as the “Women Leaders of Color in Community Colleges: New Research, Same Challenges” session brought about the following insights for me:

First, as women of color working in higher education, it is essential to know that we belong and that we have the equal opportunity to be valued as a woman and as a leader in our organization. And second, Dr. Hines’ and Dr. Beckley’s research on Women of Color in Mid-Level Administration re-ignited my passion to pursue my Ph.D. in higher education. Our gender and ethnicity should not continue to be a barrier on our path to a leadership role in higher education.

From Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning:

Tuesday’s keynote session with Dr. Stephanie Bulgur, incoming President at Lane CC (Eugene, Oregon), prompted three key takeaways:

  1. Lead from your values
  2. Address the moment with your vision
  3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

In the spirit of resilience, as part of the conference theme, Dr. Bulgur affirmed that “comfort and growth do not co-exist.” Likewise, in times of challenge, we have a duty to serve – our students, communities, and the organization.

The presidents’ panel encouraged strategic risk taking, reimagining services, evaluating and enacting change propositions, sharing communications and camaraderie, setting stretch goals to build stamina, developing teams, empowering people, and elevating mentorship. The presidents reminded us that we all serve as educators in different ways with a same end goal.

The afternoon’s plenary session – Do Not Take It for Granted. Focus on International Women’s Resilience – with Manizha Wafeq, President and Co-Founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, was a powerful testimony of leadership, courage, and determination in establishing the first women’s chamber in Afghanistan. As the session title implies, women leaders and professionals can and do serve in valuable roles that make a difference.

The fishbowl conversations on leadership engaged session participants to share your voice, collaborate and connect with others, and balance work and other commitments with stress-relieving channels (the good reminder of “me” time).

A final takeaway includes the resources available through the MI-ACE Women’s Network of professional development workshops, committee engagement, and networking events to advance women leaders in higher education.

I will aim, as a leader and looking within, to promote the wisdom shared from the collective session takeaways – encourage dialogue, support engagement and participation, seek growth opportunities, serve assuredly and compassionately, and much more.

From Rena Yuzon, Course Manager, Distance Learning:

This was my first time at the MI-ACE Women’s Network Conference. It was a great experience where I got to meet women from all over the state. One of the best seminars I attended had to do with enrollment challenges for institutions of higher education. I learned about the many factors impacting enrollment in higher education today and will take that back with me in my work scheduling semester offerings.

Filed Under: News, Schoolcraft Spotlight Tagged With: Jodie Beckley, Joi Durant, Lori Timmis, Melissa Gury, MI-ACE, Michele Kelly, Rena Yuzon, Tammy Duval, TaQuilla Kusero, Trennis Sweatt

June 20, 2022 by mlemon

Increasing programming for working professionals is a focus

Schoolcraft College’s continuing education department, Personal and Professional Learning (PPL), recently earned program certification from the Learning Resources Network (LERN), recognizing the College’s commitment to and excellence in non-credit courses.

The Learning Resources Network, an industry leader in continuing education, awards the LERN Program Certification to continuing education programs in universities, colleges and public schools across the country that meet the most rigorous quality standards, including:

  • Programming that aligns with the organization’s central mission
  • Running and analyzing critical programmatic data
  • Developing relevant course programming
  • Establishing appropriate customer service standards
  • Identifying marketing channels relevant to top segments
  • Increasing registrations year over year
  • Improving process efficiency
PPL team standing with a large PPL sign
Schoolcraft College’s Personal and Professional Learning team includes (left to right) Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director of Personal and Professional Learning; Trennis D. Sweatt, Programming Coordinator; and Felicia Bannan, Programming and Promotions Coordinator.

“We are excited and honored to be one of the continuing education programs recognized with the LERN certification award and will continue to bring fresh, relevant programming to our surrounding communities,” said Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director of Personal and Professional Learning. “Having our PPL program analyzed by an objective third party with benchmarks and standards assures our students and community that PPL is a leader in quality non-credit programming and has a strong community focus.”

PPL offers a wide variety of non-credit classes to help students bolster their career, support a hobby or just try something new. 

“We offer a variety of career training programs to help people upskill in their profession, or re-skill for a career shift if that is their goal,” Dr. Beckley said. Some of those training opportunities include:

  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Preparation
  • Certificate in Nonprofit Management
  • Certificate in Event Planning
  • Certificate in Dementia Care
  • Part 107 Exam Preparation for the Remote Pilot (Drones)
  • Certificate in Google IT Support
  • Photography Certificate

“One of our goals is to increase the amount of programming available for working professionals in our community,” Dr. Beckley said. “We continue to add new programs to our lineup that support people to better their careers and lives.”

Several new courses have been added for the Fall 2022 schedule. These include:

  • Certified Ethical Hacker
  • Accounts Payable Specialist
  • Java Programmer + Python Developer

The above classes will be offered as online advanced career training programs, which students can complete at their own pace.

In addition, three new photography classes have been added for those pursuing their photography certificate, or just wanting to add to their skill set: Commercial Photography, Travel Photography, and Real Estate Photography. Also new for food enthusiasts are Passion for Chocolates; a holiday desserts class; and a food and wine pairing class. 

The Fall 2022 schedule is available now. For more information, go to schoolcraft.edu/ppl.

Filed Under: News, Schoolcraft Spotlight Tagged With: Jodie Beckley, LERN, Personal and Professional Learning

July 26, 2021 by stgschoolcraft

Science, the arts, careers and more are explored

Kids On Campus, Schoolcraft College’s popular summer enrichment program for more than 30 years, is off to a flying start this year. Due to the pandemic, the program became Kids Off Campus last year, with activities conducted virtually through Zoom. This summer, however, everyone is thrilled to be back at Schoolcraft.

“Kids, parents and staff are all very excited to have kids on the campus again.”

Michele Bialo, Programming Manager for Personal & Professional Learning.

“Kids, parents and staff are all very excited to have kids on the campus again,” said Michele Bialo, Programming Manager for Personal & Professional Learning. “Campers have been busy on campus exploring a variety of topics and enjoying new experiences.”

Kids on Campus (KOC) opened on Monday, July 12, and continues through Friday, August 13. Visit their website for more information and to register.

Children pre-school age through grade 12 are welcome, with programs generally running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Before and after care is available, though spots are limited.

The day camps are led by skilled professionals, including Schoolcraft College faculty, in a diverse and dynamic social environment. Hands-on learning experiences that bring out the inquisitive side of even the most hesitant of participants are at the heart of KOC. 

Children engage in a whole new experience and enjoy access to computers, math, cultural immersion, acting, the arts, science, writing and career-oriented learning opportunities. Skills workshops are available for those who want to expand academically. 

  • Girl wearing paper hat
    Photo 1
  • Girl and nurse at medical table
    Photo 2
  • Boys playing computer games
    Photo 3
Photo 1: A budding magician from the Abracadabra – Magic Camp.
Photo 2: Fields in healthcare are explored in Camp Scrubs – Adventures in Medicine.
Photo 3: Campers can have fun becoming the next pro gamer, streamer, gamecaster and more through a variety of Computer Technology programs.

Bialo offered a few Kids On Campus highlights so far:

  • In Abracadabra – Magic Camp the children enjoyed a magic show by professional magician John Winslow. After seeing John’s show, the kids were inspired to put on a show of their own, which included card tricks, illusions and more. 
  • Kids in Zoocrew hiked the Northville Legacy Trail, enjoyed a live animal show from Animal Magic and learned what they can do to improve the environment. 
  • Camp Scrubs students participated in CPR training, enjoyed a visit to Schoolcraft’s state-of-the art simulation lab and learned about careers in medicine from multiple guest speakers.
  • For Robotics there are three camps with different grade levels going on at the same time. Each student creates a robot that competes at the end of camp in a robot battle. 
  • In the Inventors camps kids learned all about the invention process from initial design, to patents and prototypes. Kids created inventions to solve important issues. One inventor designed a box for cell phones in cars that zaps the driver who tries to text while driving.
  • In Curtain Call, students wrote, directed and starred in two original plays.

Of course the campers themselves (and their parents) are the real judges of how successful Kids On Campus is. Here are some reactions:

  • “KOC is the best camp in the world.” – Esha E.
  • “This place is amazing and you should join!” – Briana C.
  • “The best way to spend summer break.” – Cayden M.
  • “This summer camp is just amazing. You learn a lot, it is nicely organized, and it is just truly one of the most awesome weeks of summer.” – Emma L.
  • “You will meet many new people and do cool things.” – Sarah U.
  • “Mercer really enjoyed this week’s camp (more so than I thought he would!), and he has been practicing his skills at home.” – Tim G. (chess student parent)

New name for Continuing Education department

Personal and Professional Learning catalog booklet cover

Kids on Campus is run through Schoolcraft College’s Personal and Professional Learning (PPL) department, formerly called Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD). The objective of PPL is to help community members pursue new passions or upgrade professional skill sets through non-credit classes, which has long been an important component of Schoolcraft College. 

Registration for the fall semester is now open, and PPL will continue to offer a variety of classes for both virtual students as well as those who prefer to attend class on campus. For example, some yoga classes will be live-streamed for students who prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own homes. 

Other classes, such as Italian, will remain virtual because it has become so popular during the pandemic that not all of the students will now fit in a typical classroom. 

View the classes online.

View the PPL website. You can email questions to [email protected].

Filed Under: Community, News, Programs Tagged With: Jodie Beckley, Kids on Campus, PPL, Registration

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