November 2011 Archives
In
response to wine industry demand, Sonoma State is creating online wine
classes
focusing on the business of wine. "Throughout the United States and
abroad, members of the industry have persistently requested access to
our classes from a distance. These new programs will satisfy that demand
across a broad series of wine business topics,"
said Wine Business Institute Director, Ray Johnson. The
first new offering, exclusively online, is the Wine Business Management
Certificate.
The Certificate Program was created for professionals already in the
industry who want to advance their knowledge of wine business
operations, winemakers or viticulturists wanting to expand their
understanding of business strategies and principles, and professionals
in other industries seeking to enter the wine industry. The series
consists of a Foundation level, along with Intermediate and Advanced
levels, with optional certification at the completion of the Advanced
level.
The
next cohort for the Foundation level is forming for spring. The
four-week course
is presented through video lectures, course conference calls, and a
unique WineBizSim business planning project, allowing the students
experience in building a financial model for a wine business.
Tim
Hanni MW teaches the Foundation and Intermediate Levels in the new
Certificate
Program. Hanni MW, one of the first two Americans to earn the title
Master of Wine, is an internationally recognized wine educator Hanni and
sits on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Masters of Wine. He
is an innovative researcher and wine educator
whose wine and food principles have been adopted by the Wine &
Spirits Education Trust in London.
The
Intermediate level will also be offered in spring. The advanced level
will
feature elective courses, offered in the summer of 2012, in Production
and Quality in the Wine Supply Chain, Strategic Wine Marketing and
Global Wine E-commerce. For those seeking admission to Sonoma State
University's accredited MBA in Wine Business, completing
the Advanced Level of the Wine Business Management Certificate
(including passing the exams) waives the wine experience admission
requirement. This will enable professionals in other fields to access to
the Wine MBA program more readily. For more information go to our website.
The
Sonoma State American Language Institute is in full swing for the fall
2011 semester. There are 46 students from 15 countries speaking 10
languages.
The
students took an all-school field trip to San Francisco in early
October where they enjoyed shopping, Chinatown, Pier 39 and walking on
the Golden Gate Bridge. Recently they picnicked at the Pumpkin Patch and
Corn Maze in Petaluma before visiting the Petaluma Museum's Dia de los
Muertos exhibit. This trip was a culmination of a unit in their
multicultural class in which they studied the culture of Hispanic
Americans. SSALI students will be participating in International
Education Week in November by showcasing the SSALI program for the
campus. SSALI continues to be a vital part of the School of Extended Education and Sonoma State University.