SwampFox

Midlands Technical College Named a Bellwether Award National Finalist

Submitted by: Amanda K. Taylor on Feb 22, 2011 at 3:29 pm Tagged with: Higher Education, Technical College Source: Midlands Technical College

Midlands Technical College’s program, Reinventing the College’s Online Learning System, has been recognized as a 2011 Bellwether Award Finalist. The Bellwether Awards annually recognize innovative programs and practices that are successfully leading community colleges into the future in three categories: Instructional Programs & Services; Planning, Governance & Finance; and Workforce Development.

As a finalist in the Planning, Governance and Finance category, MTC’s program was judged as one of the top 10 in the US and Canada. The program involved integrating a new online learning platform through an inclusive, data-driven process, to be fully operational in less than four months. The online community expanded 600% from access for only online classes to include the whole college. The innovative cross-functional, cross-divisional team approach improved the quality and efficiency of the online learning system with overwhelmingly positive results for the students, faculty, and administration.

Diane Yeoman, MTC Director of Instructional Design; and Cindy Rogers, MTC Director of Faculty Development; led the program and presented at the Community College Futures Assembly recently held in Orlando, FL.

Members of MTC’s Online Learning Project Team are: Diane Yeoman, Director, Instructional Design (ID); Jonathan Sorrenti, Systems Manager, ID; Elaine McLeod, Training and Development, ID; Tony Hough, Director, Information Resource Management (IRM); Jim Epley, Database Administrator, IRM; Cindy Rogers, Director, Faculty Development; Carl Carraway, Computer Systems Manager, IRM; Michael Zanfardino, Multimedia Development Manager, Media Services; Cheryl Kirkpatrick, Webmaster, IRM; Laura Baker, Librarian; and Dr. Rick Boan, Travis Gordon, Dr. Reid Holland, Rose Jenkins, Elena Martinez-Vidal, Ovetta Robinson-Heyward, and Janice Stoudemire, members of the Online Faculty Advisory Committee.

Midlands Technical College is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving the primary region of Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The college enrolls approximately 18,000 credit students annually, and provides continuing education to 30,000 individuals and hundreds of area businesses each year. MTC is the largest provider of transfer students to the University of South Carolina. www.midlandstech.edu.