| Richmond — Virginia residents —
and anyone in the world who has access to the Internet — now
can take college courses without leaving their homes or offices
through the Southern Regional Education Board’s Electronic
Campus.
Nine Virginia colleges and universities have listed
accredited courses on the Web site of the Electronic Campus,
the nation’s largest and most successful marketplace of
distance learning courses, Sen. John Chichester announced Friday
at a luncheon he co-hosted with Sen. Stanley Walker and Delegate
Alan Diamonstein.
"This is an incredible benefit for Virginia, for
Virginia students and for the economic future of our
state," said Chichester, treasurer of the SREB. "The
Southern Regional Education Board announced the formation of the
Electronic Campus just over a year ago. It has grown from
104 courses to more than 1,400 courses and 60 degree-granting
programs."
Walker said: "The Electronic Campus removes the
barriers that long have inhibited higher education. Students in
Virginia can take courses offered by the best colleges and
universities in the other 15 SREB states without having to leave
Virginia."
Walker said more than 15,000 students are enrolled in courses
that are offered on the Electronic Campus. Many of them,
he said, are taking these courses over computers in their homes
and offices.
"We are not sure how big the Electronic Campus
will grow. But we are confident it will meet the needs of many
people, particularly nontraditional students," he said.
"Almost every college and university in the world is
involved in distance learning. The Electronic Campus is a
marketplace that gives students the freedom to determine which
courses and which colleges and universities they want to
explore."
The Virginia colleges and universities offering courses in
the Electronic Campus are Virginia Polytechnic Institute
& State University, Old Dominion University, Christopher
Newport University, Blue Ridge Community College, Central
Virginia Community College, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community
College, Mountain Empire Community College, Northern Virginia
Community College and Southwest Virginia Community College.
The other 15 SREB member states are Alabama, Arkansas,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland,
Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.
The SREB, the nation’s oldest compact for education,
celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998. The SREB
office is in Atlanta.
For release on April 30, 1999
For more information, contact Bracey Campbell at (404) 875-9211,
Ext 244. |
