West Virginia Gov. Cecil Underwood, SREB chairman, said the Electronic Campus will show surprising growth by the spring semester of 1999. Expected developments include:

• More than 1,250 courses will be offered. More than 900 courses are available now on the Electronic Campus (www.srec.sreb.org). "When we announced this marketplace of courses just over a year ago, we were proud to offer 104 courses. This exemplifies the interest and opportunities made available through electronic distance learning," Underwood said.

• The number of degree programs offered through the Electronic Campus is expected to jump from 25 to 60 by the spring term and will include more disciplines. There also will be more graduate programs available.

• The number of certificate programs that are job-related will continue to increase. "A look at the listing of programs for next semester shows a wide variety of certificate programs, such as medical secretary, electronic publishing and business administration. This is a real plus for people seeking to gain new job skills," said Underwood.

• More than 175 colleges and universities from the 16 SREB states will have courses available on the Electronic Campus. In January 1998 there were 40 participating colleges and universities.

• Private colleges and universities will participate in the Electronic Campus. A pilot program in January will include independent institutions from Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. More states’ independent institutions will follow in 1999-2000.

"We are developing a system that will ensure that the courses and programs offered by all institutions in the SREB’s Electronic Campus meet the ‘Principles of Good Practice’ adopted by the Southern Regional Education Board. These quality standards set the Electronic Campus apart from many other distance-learning programs in the country," said Underwood.

"Just over a year ago, Gov. Underwood and I participated in a press conference and announced the birth of the Electronic Campus. We projected growth. But we had no idea that we would be recognized as the country’s most successful marketplace of electronic courses in such a short time. The interest and growth have been phenomenal," said Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, previous SREB chairman.

Mark Musick, SREB president, said the Electronic Campus has proven that traditional and nontraditional students want to use technology to expand their options for education.

"Our survey shows that persons from all over the world have visited the Electronic Campus," he said. "And we found that more than 15,000 persons were enrolled in those courses. The Electronic Campus helps to remove the boundaries that have always hampered higher education. Colleges and universities benefit from the greatly expanded pool of students, and they don’t have to add a single parking space or classroom."

Underwood said he is enthusiastic about the Electronic Campus’ potential for aiding economic development in the 16 SREB states. "The campus is a great way to provide the continuing education and training needed by industries and businesses of all sorts. The expansion of the shorter-term certificate programs enables adults to get more job-related education that can mean real benefits … now."

The Electronic Campus Web site gives students basic information about the available courses, including subjects, levels, requirements and costs. The students then can move by a click of their computer’s mouse to the college or university offering the course or program. There they get further information about the courses and enrollment procedures.

The 16 SREB states are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

For release on December 1, 1998
For more information, contact Bracey Campbell at (404) 875-9211, Ext 244.