Six sessions to stellar communication skills

In the age of social media, the tone of business writing has become much more relaxed than many professionals would like it to be. In the dark ages of pre-Internet communication, nary a soul would have sent business correspondence without the proper greeting, a friendly opening and a sincere closing.

Today, the ranks of complete strangers with little to no compunction for firing off terse and unclear communiqués are growing, particularly among young adults.

Effective communication has long been a part of a university education, but writing instructors in the cyber age are now including the timely new topic of netiquette.

Netiquette will be covered, along with other topics that focus on the proper conventions of business writing, in a new program at the University of Washington Tacoma KeyBank Professional Development Center. Classes for the Effective Business Writing and Communication program will begin Oct. 5. Participants who complete the series of six classes, held Monday evenings from 6-8:30 p.m. on the University of Washington Tacoma campus, will earn a certificate and improved communication skills.

Sheri Geitzen, instructor of English at Tacoma Community College, will teach the course. Gietzen is a founding member of Solutions for Humanity, Community, and the Environment, a non-profit dedicated to empowering individuals and groups within the Puget Sound region through intellectual exchange, research, networking and publication.

For more information and to apply, visit the University of Washington Tacoma KeyBank Professional Development Center's website, or call 253-692-4618.