Thanks for your interest in our technology programs at SCC. This is intended to increase your success rate in the field of study you have chosen. Please read the next sections and call or take appropriate actions before the start of the school year if you have any concerns.

 The CAD and MET Programs at Spokane Community College are computer intensive and students are required to enter the program with the following basic computer skills for courses within the program:

            - Word processing (MS Word is used in class)

            - Basic spreadsheets (MS Excel basics)

            - Windows Operating System

            (see section below outlining the skill levels required)

 Computer Skill Requirement List:

Word Processing: (MS Word)

• General typing skills (approximately 10 words/minute)
• Editing skills – spell-check, cut and paste a word or paragraph, etc.
• Formatting skills - bold, underline, center text on the page, add color to text, highlight text with color, etc.
• Formatting skills – change font, text size, spacing, page set-up including margins
• Create a Header and Footer with titles, page numbers, etc.
• Save a Document with a given name to a given folder location
• Set the Format and Print the Document

See Sample Skills for Word Documents

Spreadsheets: (MS Excel basics):

• General data entry skills in existing spreadsheets
• Creating a spreadsheet with proper column and row sizes
• Creating simple formulas to add, subtract, multiply, and find sums from specified cells
• Formatting skills – bold, underline, center text in a cell, add color to text or cells, highlight sections or cells with color, border lines, etc.
• Formatting skills – change font, text size, spacing, page set-up including margins, headers and footers
• File saving, copying, and printing skills

See Sample Skills for Excel Spreadsheets

Windows Operating System:

• Move easily between various hard drives, local network drives, and removable memory storage devices (USB drives, portable drives, etc.)
• Create new folders and be able to move or edit exiting folders, including renaming them
• Create a shortcut out on the desktop to start a program or return to a file (either by sending it to the desktop or dragging it there)
• Access multiple files on screen at the same time. Using minimizing or sizing the individual windows so more than one document or spreadsheet is visible on the screen at the same time
• Identify file extensions, file sizes, and which application the files belong to

See Sample Skills for using the Windows Operating System

Other Areas of Computer Skills: (Good to know before starting the program but not critical)

• Presentations: (MS PowerPoint)
  • Basic multi-page (slides) presentation that can be advanced manually or timed
  • Choose backgrounds, styles, colors, fonts
  • Insert a graphic into a slide
  • Run as a slide show or create a printed set of notes
• Research: (MS Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
  • Basic search for information based on a topic (like drafting or fasteners, etc.)
  • Take only the important information needed from a web site to a Word document to create a research report
  • Proper footnotes/bibliography to credit the web site as a source

 If your computer skills do not meet these levels we would recommend that you take a refresher or introductory course in the College Prep or Computer Department (see John Michel or one of the academic advisors in the counseling center to find a good course).