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creative problem solving

Got problems? Find creative ways to solve them with new GCC course

By Billie Owens

Press release:

In keeping with Genesee Community College's ongoing mission of prioritizing student success and giving them a competitive edge across all curriculum, a new course called Creative Problem Solving will be offered exclusively at the Batavia Campus.

It will focus on the interactive elements involved in deliberate creativity and innovation; specifically the creative person, the creative process, the creative product and the creative environment. It can enhance job security and long-term economic stability in the Innovation Era.

CPS190: Creative Problem Solving is a three-credit, 12-week elective and will be offered Feb. 13 through May 12. It's open to students in all curriculum and academic programs.

Students interested in this course are encouraged to register quickly since seats are limited. It will be taught by adjunct instructor Michaelene Dawson and offered on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1:25 to 3:15 p.m. To apply for classes visit www.genesee.edu/Apply.

Further emphasis on individual application for personal and professional growth will be developed throughout the course. The goal is to recognize, understand and nurture each student's creative potential.

Students will use the creative problem-solving (CPS) process through a prototype project. First, the CPS students identify and explore a difficult problem or challenge, and apply the CPS process toward a workable prototype solution.

At the culmination of the course, students present their identified problem and challenge, and explain how the CPS process lead to their prototype resolution. An oral presentation is shared with their fellow students and other interested parties.

"Whether students wind up working in manufacturing, health care, business or the service industry, creative problem solving is a skill that all employers are seeking," said Lina LaMattina, director of Business Skills Training of The BEST Center.

"Both Business Week and Fortune magazines have proclaimed innovation is key to achieving a strategic advantage in today's rapidly changing global marketplace. Through CPS190, GCC students will develop new leadership skills, helping them navigate and thrive under all economic conditions. In the end, creative problem-solving skills create better thinkers and citizens in the communities in which we live."

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