AT&T to sponsor distance education project

By WILLIAM GUHL
Collegian Staff Writer

The University received yet another corporate financial boost last week when it was announced that the AT&T Foundation would provide $300,000 to support a three-year distance education project.

The announcement came just days after it was announced that Bell Atlantic would give the University $180,000 toward interactive learning projects at Commonwealth Campuses.

The AT&T project will bring faculty members together to explore instructional issues in distance education and which policies should guide the development of distance education in the future.

Gary Miller, assistant vice president for distance education, said the $300,000 will fund the first year of the project and the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. will decide on a year-to-year basis on funding for the last two years of the project.

"We hope to have faculty from each college involved over the three years of the project," Miller said. "We will be asking every dean to nominate faculty members."

The faculty members who will participate in the project should be chosen by April, and the actual work on the project will begin during the summer, Miller said.

In addition to faculty from Penn State, the project will involve cooperation with faculty at Cheyney and Lincoln universities, both located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Miller said.

As part of the project, the University will host a policy symposium to look at the issues and concerns associated with implementing distance education technology, Miller said.

Executive Vice President and Provost John Brighton said the project will help students in the long run by developing programs that will allow people around the state to take courses with University faculty, even if they are not at a Penn State campus.

"I think it means a lot in terms of our efforts to promote continuing and distance education," said Brighton, who attended the ceremony announcing AT&T's involvement in the project.

Marilyn Reznick, vice president for education programs at the AT&T Foundation, said the company agreed to fund the project's first year because AT&T is interested in applying communication technologies to teaching.

Reznick also noted the significance of the partnership between Penn State and Cheyney and Lincoln, two historically black institutions, in advancing expanded access to learning for nontraditional students.

"The other really important component was the collaboration with Cheyney and Lincoln. It was important to make sure that not just huge state institutions have access to this technology," Reznick said.

The AT&T Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the corporation, and it makes grants to many educational institutions, Reznick said.

She said the University has a good reputation for developing applications for communications technologies in the learning environment, and that encouraged AT&T to provide the funds for this project.

In February 1994 the University announced a long-term deal with AT&T, which has the potential to develop new classroom technologies and interactive learning projects.

Miller said the two agreements are not directly tied, but the partnership made it easier for the University to approach AT&T with the proposal for this project.