Contact: Aga Haupt
A partnership among Mississippi State and three community colleges is providing an opportunity for aspiring teachers to complete a university degree by combining weekend and online classes.
The program is open to all seeking either a bachelor's or master's degree in elementary education. Through the participating community colleges, students fulfill the requirements necessary to enroll in the College of Education at Mississippi State.
Now in its third year, the program is coordinated by the university's Division of Continuing Education. Initially a partnership between the university and Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, the distance education effort expanded this year to include East Central and Mississippi Delta community colleges in Decatur and Moorhead, respectively.
Program coordinator Mindy Wolfe said the collaborative effort is geared towards working adults who cannot attend traditional campus classes.
"Most of the students have jobs and families and they would not be able to go back to school any other way," Wolfe said.
Of 17 currently enrolled, many are teacher assistants who complete courses offered on Sundays and during the summer. To date, 20 students have earned degrees.
"We started the program with a goal of targeting a critical-need area," Wolfe explained. "We believe this program can play an important role in helping to solve teacher shortage problems in Mississippi, especially the Delta, while helping as many people as possible in the process.
"We think this really is an excellent arrangement for assisting people who once thought they never would have the chance to go back to school," she added.
For more information, contact Wolfe at (662) 325-8545 or mwolfe@ce.msstate.edu. Also, visit http://www.distance.msstate.edu/elem/.