PRESS RELEASE

Gain confidence using Microsoft Excel with IU Kokomo microcredential

KOKOMO, Ind. — Do you need to learn to use Microsoft Excel? Or, could you benefit from a refresher course to feel more confident using it at work?

You can equip yourself for professional success with this new offering from Indiana University Kokomo’s Achieve Improve Master (AIM) microcredential program. Join Edwin Faunce, adjunct instructor of communications, and Janice Childress, campus manager for the Office of Institutional Analytics, for an in-person class that offers hands-on introduction on Microsoft Excel, designed for individuals with little to no prior experience. Over five sessions, participants will learn key tools and functions to help them use the application more effectively and efficiently in their daily work.

“This class is an introduction to Excel, navigating data, some basic formatting and presentations, and hopefully getting into pivot tables,” said Childress. “There are a lot of people who have been using Excel and want to know more of the finer points of using it. They would benefit from taking this class.”

There will be five sessions on the IU Kokomo campus, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on October 6, October 8, October 13, October 15, and October 20. Participants must bring a laptop. They will learn basic navigation; how to work with spreadsheets, formulas, and functions; how to format, sort, and filter data; and will gain skills with charts, graphs, and data visualization tools.

Registration is open until September 29 at go.iu.edu/8uv3. The cost is $300, and includes a verified skills digital badge from IU Kokomo, which can be used on LinkedIn or in a digital portfolio. Students will need to rent or purchase the text, Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive.

Faunce said they hope to teach use of pivot tables, a function that allows user to take a large data set and transform it into a concise, easy-to-read summary.

The session is part of IU Kokomo’s AIM program, which offers non-credit-bearing microcredentials called badges. Microcredentials are competencies or certifications in a topic area that can be used to upskill and advance in interpersonal skills or technology, or to equip people to take on new roles or leverage new tools.

IU Kokomo has previously offered microcredentials in Faith Community Nursing, Essentials of Leadership, and Robert’s Rules of Order. Leah Nellis, vice chancellor for innovation and special projects, said additional microcredential programs will be available in the fall 2025 semester. Individuals can enroll directly in existing microcredential programs. However, programs can also be created upon request to meet the needs of local businesses and organizations.

Programs can range from brief programs to year-long or semester-long series. They can be delivered in person, by video conference, online, or in a hybrid format.

For more information, contact Nellis at lmnellis@iu.edu.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.