Athens State receives $1M grant

Published 9:00 am Friday, May 4, 2018

A $1 million grant will be used to renovate a building on the campus of Athens State University and provide updated technology for the school’s digital education efforts.

Specifically, the grant will be used to repurpose 11,000 square feet of existing space in the classroom building. According to a press release, the money would be used for “furthering success in online programs, increasing accessibility, and meeting the technological needs of collaborating with online students.”

Once complete, the renovated building will include:

• An instructional design space for faculty and staff to work collaboratively on the development of digital content;

• A digital curriculum exploration environment where faculty can develop techniques and methods to incorporate discipline-specific technologies that will engage students and improve learning;

• Audio and video recording and editing facilities;

• Technology-enhanced classroom space;

• Faculty commons area; and

• Student collaboration space

“The creation of an instructional design space on Athens State’s campus will ensure that faculty can create instructional content for online course delivery and serve as a space where new ideas and methods for teaching and learning can be forged,” the release said. “With a new, dedicated space, Athens State can continue to leverage technology to create impactful educational experiences for a diverse student population.”

The grant was awarded from the Alabama Capital Improvement Trust Fund, made up of oil and gas payments made to the Alabama Trust Fund. The fund was established to capture future revenue from sales of offshore drilling rights and from royalties on the resulting gas production.

The governor disburses these funds by executive order where needed.