[297] Regional Higher Ed Center Celebrates Successful Start

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 11, 2010
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081

REGIONAL HIGHER ED CENTER CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL START
Shelbyville Center Brings College Closer to Home for Many in Midstate Area

(MURFREESBORO) – Middle Tennessee State University and Motlow State Community College will celebrate their new Middle Tennessee Education Center, 841 Union St. in Shelbyville, with an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The center, which originated with Bedford County and is a partnership between the two institutions, is designed to make access to higher education classes more convenient to students from Bedford, Coffee, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford and Williamson counties.
“This is a great opportunity for people who never even thought about going to college,” says Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray. “Students can take classes to obtain college credit while in high school, and teachers can take classes necessary to earn their masters’ degrees, to name just two examples.”
Among the center’s offerings are an Adult Degree Completion Program for an accelerated path toward a bachelor’s degree at MTSU; a Degree Advancement Program to help students who have earned an associate’s degree from Motlow pursue a bachelor’s degree at MTSU; Prior Learning Assessment, which will enable students to earn college credit for military training, previous certifications, and professional development; and general education and developmental courses.
The spring 2010 schedule includes MTSU’s Master’s of Education classes through the Department of Educational Leadership, as well as graduate courses leading to a Master’s of Science degree in Teaching Mathematics.
Motlow’s offerings include undergraduate classes in Principles of Economics, Introduction to Sociology, Early Childhood Curriculum, Family Dynamics and Community Involvement, as well as a developmental course in Beginning Algebra.
With 42,000 square feet of space in Shelbyville’s former Medical Arts Building, the Middle Tennessee Education Center has room to expand its curriculum and its student population. Classes are slated with starting times ranging from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. to accommodate the adult learner’s work schedules.
Each classroom currently in use is wi-fi-ready for students to use laptop computers and other devices. One classroom has been outfitted to facilitate instruction via videoconference.

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“This is a boon to students seeking employment in these tough economic times,” says Ray. “We will be helping to provide degree opportunities needed to put students to work. It should result in a substantial impact on the regional economy.”
“The Middle Tennessee Education Center is an important part of MTSU’s continuing commitment to serve the needs of the region and the state,” says MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “We are delighted to join with Motlow State Community College in this partnership, which is a major step forward in enhancing access to higher education.”
“Motlow College is extremely excited about the grand opening of the Middle Tennessee Education Center and the new partnership with MTSU,” says Dr. MaryLou Apple, president of Motlow State Community College. “The Middle Tennessee Education Center is a ‘win-win’ for the citizens of Bedford County and will improve access by providing another learning pathway for our students.”
Refreshments will be available throughout the open house. The ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated to start at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Molly Culbreath, coordinator and advisor, at 931-685-4444 or mculbrea@mtsu.edu, or visit the Web site at www.mteducationcenter.com.


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With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University 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.