Grant Will Help Expand MUW Online Offerings

CAPTION—From left, C.D. Smith, regional manager for AT&T in Meridian, presents a check to Mississippi Senate President Pro Tempore Terry W. Brown, Mississippi University for Women President Jim Borsig and Mississippi House of Representatives member Jeff Smith. (Courtesy photo)

COLUMBUS, Miss. – A $10,000 gift from AT&T Mississippi will support the purchase of digital video recording equipment at Mississippi University for Women.

The equipment would allow faculty members to record lectures and demonstrations in order to provide high-quality, flexible and educational opportunities for The W’s growing population of online students.

MUW President Jim Borsig said, “Thanks to the generous support of AT&T, MUW will be able to continue its long standing commitment of providing a high-quality education with flexible learning options to meet the needs of our students.”

The W serves a growing number of community college and non-traditional students. In fall 2011, 72 percent of new students were transfers and the average age of the student body was 26.7 years of age. Among those completing the May 2012 graduation survey (265 graduates), 56.6 percent were over 25 years of age.

Many students completing degrees at The W were able to do so as the result of its rapidly growing distance learning opportunities. In 2007 just 6 percent of semester credit hours were delivered through distance learning; however that percentage grew to 43 percent by 2012. This trend is expected to increase as The W focuses on enrolling place bound community college students.

The university also plans to create two new positions in the future as part of its plans to establish a campus teaching and learning center. An instructional designer and instructional technologist will be hired. Responsibilities for the new equipment will fall directly to the instructional technologist who will train faculty in current best practices in technology application.

Mississippi Senate President Pro Tempore Terry W. Brown, said, “We are very pleased to see corporate support from an outstanding company like AT&T for one of our goals of extending educational opportunities to the citizens of our region and state.

C.D. Smith, regional manager for AT&T in Meridian, added, “We appreciate members of our Legislature as they illustrate their support of education on all levels.”

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