[207] Continuing Education Programs at MTSU Earn State Acclaim

CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS AT MTSU EARN STATE ACCLAIM
Adult Degree Completion, Noncredit Efforts Earn Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 23, 2009
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina E. Fann, 615-898-5385

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU’s College for Continuing Education and Distance Learning has received two awards from the Tennessee Association for Continuing Higher Education, the statewide organization representing continuing higher education.
The college received the TACHE’s Credit Program Award for its Adult Degree Completion Program, noting its value and impact in facilitating a return to higher education for adult nontraditional students.
“The ADCP is intended to support the governor’s initiative to improve college participation and graduation rates in Tennessee,” said Lance Ikard, ADCP director at MTSU. “Many adults in the state of Tennessee have begun college programs only to postpone them due to changes in life and employment situations.
”The overall objective of the ADCP is to make it easier for all adult students to return or enroll at MTSU, regardless of the degree they seek. ADCP offers a ‘one-stop’ information system that funnels interested individuals to specially trained advisers.”
The college also received the association’s Non-Credit Program Award for outstanding and innovative noncredit programming, specifically for a joint special project by the CEDL and the Regents Online Continuing Education program to train employees of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare.
“This program was an extremely cost-effective method to supply required professional-development training to thousands of state employees, contractors and related parties,” said David Foster, director of marketing for the college.
“This effort saved the taxpayers of the state of Tennessee a huge amount of money by leveraging the assets and capabilities of several state agencies and provided time-sensitive training to the DCS staff. This methodology can be of benefit to many state agencies, organizations, associations or companies that have employees with training needs in multiple locations.”
To win the awards, each program had to be less than five years old; reflect originality in approach, content and delivery; be marketed toward new audiences or in innovative formats; and be easily replicated at other institutions.
“I feel extremely honored that our college was the recipient of these awards,” said Dr. Mike Boyle, dean of the College for Continuing Education and Distance Learning. “This demonstrates that our ongoing effort to develop creative solutions to current issues is effective and is being recognized by our peers. As we expand our efforts, we anticipate finding more innovative solutions to the education issues confronting Tennessee.”
For more information about the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, visit its Web site anytime at www.mtsu.edu/learn or call 615-898-2177.
You also can follow the college on Twitter (www.twitter.com/MTSU anytime) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/MTSUanytime).


With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, MTSU confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.
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IN BRIEF: MTSU’s College for Continuing Education and Distance Learning has received two awards from the Tennessee Association for Continuing Higher Education, the statewide organization representing continuing higher education. The college received the TACHE’s Credit Program Award for its Adult Degree Completion Program, noting its value and impact in facilitating a return to higher education for adult nontraditional students. The college also received the association’s Non-Credit Program Award for outstanding and innovative noncredit programming, specifically for a joint special project by the CEDL and the Regents Online Continuing Education program to train employees of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and the Tennessee Center for Child Welfare. For more information about the College of Continuing Education and Distance Learning, visit its Web site anytime at www.mtsu.edu/learn or call 615-898-2177. You also can follow the college on Twitter (www.twitter.com/MTSU anytime) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/MTSUanytime).



For MTSU news and information, visit www.mtsunews.com.



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