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WordSmith Online Writing Program

American companies spend over $3.1 billion annually to train employees in basic writing. Strong, confident writers perform well and add value.

This online program empowers professionals, and quite possibly helps them get promoted, by offering lifetime access to engaging, highly relevant case studies and examples from actual business settings.

Description

Wordsmith includes 32 video lessons, 5 case studies, and 25+ pages of downloadable resources, all focused on translating grammar and style best practices into better workplace writing.

Participants will learn to write correctly, clearly, concisely, and with an awareness of context and culture.

Audience

Professionals looking to improve their writing skills.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Write clearly and concisely
  • Transform into error-resistant writers
  • Complete writing tasks more efficiently
  • Share ideas logically & creatively to maximize impact
  • Consider their audience’s perspective
  • Write in ways that inspire others to take action

Venue

Online

Online/Asynchronous Project Management Certificate

XLC’s Online/Asynchronous Project Management Certificate Program is built on the content and processes found in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Seventh Edition. This highly interactive program develops the essential skills and real-world practices required for project managers to be successful, delivering projects on time, on budget, and according to specifications.

An emphasis is placed on projects being processes with gates or quality checkpoints embedded within these processes. Not all projects are the same — they range from capital assets projects where the endpoint is known to IT and development projects where the endpoint is somewhat vague.

This self-paced program is delivered 100% online through Xavier University's online education tools. Participants can begin this program at any time. For the best learning experience, participants are recommended to complete the program in 3 months. Access to the program will expire after 12 months.

Description

Module I: Understanding the Project Process

Being a member of a project team requires a complete understanding of the project process, and the terminology and roles inherent to it. What is a project? How are projects organized? How do I manage risks? What are the roles and expected deliverables?  How do I control quality?

The answers to these questions can be found in the Understanding the Project Process module of our Project Management Series.  By attending this program, participants will learn how to define a project in terms of business need, project objectives, project deliverables, and risk. Participants will also be given a typical project life cycle, along with coaching in developing a project life cycle of their own.

 

Module II: Project Planning and Scheduling

Planning and scheduling are critical aspects of the project management process.  Keeping the project focused, on budget, and on time is necessary in order to achieve successful completion. Project planning and scheduling are ways of keeping things moving in the desired direction and at the desired pace.

Project Planning and Scheduling will focus on planning the project before “rushing off” to completion. It will teach participants how to develop a budget breakdown system, an activity-based schedule, and how to cover cost contingencies.

 

Module III: Project Execution and Control

Execution and control are the final stages of the project management process. It is at this point in the process that the project team can see and evaluate the results of their work. But the task of managing the project is still not complete.

This final segment, Project Execution and Control, presents tools and techniques used in monitoring project execution. It will show participants how to determine where or if adjustments in the project execution must be made. It will also focus on the areas of progress tracking, updating the project plan, managing changes, and calculating earned value.

Audience

The Project Management Certificate program is appropriate for supervisors, managers, or team members who are responsible for the successful completion of projects.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Defining a project
  • Organizing projects
  • Identifying risks associated with projects
  • Knowing the roles and responsibilities in the project management process
  • Defining and understanding a project’s expected deliverables
  • Controlling quality
  • Chartering a project team
  • Understanding the Project Management framework, knowledge areas, and project life cycle
  • Using a budget breakdown system
  • Utilizing steps to successful activity-based scheduling
  • Covering cost contingencies
  • Creating a milestone schedule
  • Estimating required resources using three different techniques
  • Staffing up and staffing down resources during a project
  • Defining scope and deliverables
  • Defining interim deliverables for each final deliverable using life cycle stages
  • Measuring quality criteria for each interim deliverable
  • Creating a table of reviews and approvals
  • Creating a list of status reports
  • Reviewing project team membership for gaps and overlaps
  • Creating budget breakdown systems and milestone schedules

Venue

Online

Data for Decision Making – Online/Asynchronous

Data for Decision Making is an online, asynchronous program with the flexibility for participants to start and complete the program on their own time. It focuses on the business leader using data and its hidden secrets to make and communicate better business decisions.

XLC recommends completing the program in 3 weeks. Access to the program will expire after 6 months.

Description

This program is designed to familiarize participants with basic statistical tools, methods, and techniques used to transform raw data into actionable information. This information is used to support and validate business decisions. Using the vast array of data available in and outside an organization paired with basic statistical knowledge, leaders can predict trends and make decisions while assessing risk. This gives leaders a greater opportunity for them to outpace their competitors.

Audience

Data for Decision Making is designed for managers and emerging leaders who strive to lead others and make organizational decisions based on actual data.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Using statistical methods to create, analyze, and transform data into information used in business decision making
  • Describing data using tools to measure central tendency and dispersion
  • Employing systems to describe data using levels of confidence and interpret confidence intervals
  • Using Excel to complete statistical data analyses including normal distribution functions and linear regression

Venue

Online