MSVCC Annual Report 2018

MSVCC HISTORY

The Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) as it is known today was created amid the technology boom of the mid-to-late 1990s. Technology in general, and distance education in particular, seemed to hold great promise in solving a number of problems in higher education. At the time, many state leaders believed distance learning could expand educational access and increase economic development, and that putting resources into a consortia model made sense financially. By the year 2000, almost every state in the nation had created some initiative or entity resembling a virtual college. Mississippi was no exception. Founded with a desire to leverage distance learning resources-including faculty, courses, support services, and technology, Mississippi’s community and junior colleges entered into the distance education arena with a mission to provide access to instructional offerings and training through advanced technologies to all constituents of Mississippi. Nearly 20 years have passed since the inception of the MSVCC, and while little has changed with the original premise, the evolution of the Internet and digitization of content has brought about a transformational shift in society. Technology has changed the way in which people access information, form relationships, conduct business, govern, and learn. Higher education has been transformed, both in how institutions operate and how faculty members teach. Many of today’s students were born digital. They have never known a world without the internet. Days are lived in a constantly changing, technology-infused, connected world. Students expect everything to be digitally enhanced, including courses, degrees, campus

services and resources. Coupling student demand with technology and the way in which it impacts learning has also cultivated new terminology to define it. Digital learning or eLearning was coined as a classification to categorize any instructional practice that makes effective use of technology which includes online learning, distance learning, hybrid learning, and blended learning (Educause, 2013). Regardless of the terminology, to maintain a competitive edge and ensure progressive participation, colleges require well-trained and supported faculty members, instructional designers, media producers, quality assurance staff, administrative personnel, technical facilities and access to current and emerging technologies. While much has changed since the establishment of the community college system, one thing which remains constant is the commitment to provide accessible, affordable, stable, and practical educational services to the people of Mississippi. The MSVCC honors this commitment.

6 MISSISSIPPI VIRTUAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE