WASHINGTON, DC — The United States Department of Education has approved a $2 million grant application submitted by Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, according to President Joanne Jaeger Tomblin.

Southern was approved for a Title III grant under the Strengthening Institutions Program. The college will receive the $2 million dollars over a five-year period beginning October 1, 2009. This funding will be used to upgrade classrooms with multimedia equipment.

"I want to take this opportunity to thank Chief Academic Officer Katie Smith-Cox, Dean of Career and Technical Programs Pamela L. Alderman, Dean of University Transfer Programs Dr. Cindy McCoy, Production Assistant Tim Owens and Administrative Assistant Hope Adams for their hard work and diligence in pursuing this grant. This is a wonderful opportunity for Southern in these challenging times and budget constraints," President Tomblin said. "Congratulations to this team for a terrific job!"

A summary of what the grant funding will provide to Southern was presented by Smith-Cox. The Title III project addresses the need for student open learning spaces (labs) and the integration of multimedia into classroom instruction. The grant will affect the most centrally located campus in Logan, and specifically, the Center for Allied Health and Technology (CAHT).

"This funding will enable us to strengthen faculty development and advancement of academic programs. It will also allow us to upgrade our technical capabilities in our new building," Smith-Cox said. "We are very excited to have this opportunity."

The grant will provide for the creation or re-purposing of the Teaching and Learning Centers on two campuses, training of faculty on the use of multimedia in the classroom, and the purchase of data storage devices. Simulators for classroom use will also be deployed.

At the end of the grant cycle, all classrooms in the CAHT will be multimedia equipped and a majority of courses will have multimedia components. Two open computing student learning spaces will also be created.

Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College offers many degree and certificate programs in its Career and Technical Division, including Allied Health, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Information Technology, Mine Management, and Survey Technology. The University Transfer Division offers degrees that prepare students to transfer into upper division programs at four year colleges and universities. Southern operates four campuses and two sites located in Boone, Logan, Lincoln, Mingo, Raleigh and Wyoming counties. Kentucky students residing in Pike, Martin, Boyd and Lawrence counties are eligible for in-state tuition rates. The college's website is www.southernwv.edu and the toll free number is 1-866-798-2821.