Four-Year Program Targets Four States

CHICAGO, May 7 -- Students at independent colleges and universities in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin will enter the new millennium with a greater understanding of communications technology, thanks to a $585,000 grant from Ameritech.

The Ameritech Faculty Development Technology Program, now in its fourth year, teaches faculty from independent colleges and universities in these states how to incorporate technology in the learning environment. To date, Ameritech has invested nearly $2 million in the program.

Mike Kuhlin, senior director of Corporate Relations for Ameritech, said he is pleased to award the grant to the colleges. "Ameritech is committed to expanding communications technology, especially in higher education. It's rewarding to work with independent colleges because their size and administrative style allow them to experiment and quickly implement new ideas. These schools are a wonderful laboratory for communications technology," Kuhlin said.

"We've heard extremely positive feedback from the teachers learning the technology. But it's the 213,000 college students who truly benefit. These students graduate and fully understand how to apply technology in practical ways. They aren't just reading about it anymore," he said.

The program's faculty training workshops begin in May and run through the summer. These classes provide both instruction and a forum for faculty to exchange information about technology.

In 1998, 920 faculty in these four states participated in the training workshops. This year, more than 1,000 faculty members are expected to attend.

Ed Barboni, who serves as the program's project consultant and is a senior associate for the Council of Independent Colleges, joined in Kuhlin's enthusiasm for the program. "It's interesting to see the magnitude of this program. For the first time, independent colleges in these four states are cooperating with each other instead of competing for students," he said. "Before this program, independent colleges were interested in each other only to learn how they attract students. These schools now share technology information that helps them be more effective in the classroom."

Barboni said that while the project would be impossible without Ameritech's support, the foundations have been "the critical link" in the seamless implementation of the program.

In addition to the educational sessions offered through program, the independent college associations in each state added a "Tool Box" to their web sites where faculty members share examples of how they use technology to design materials for their courses.

About the Foundations

The Michigan Colleges Foundation (MCF), a nonprofit Michigan corporation now celebrating its 50th year of service, was founded in 1949 to raise private-sector funds to support Michigan's independent liberal arts colleges and universities. In 1998, MCF achieved the most successful year in its history by raising more than $2 million. The organization currently administers 27 scholarship programs that provide financial assistance to 324 students.