RU's Wintermester cited for innovation

For the second year in a row, Radford University has been recognized for innovation in higher education by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).

RU's Wintermester, launched in December 2012, is one of 10 programs recognized in the 2013 edition of SCHEV's "Innovation in Higher Education." Wintermester offers students a five-week online mini-session between fall and spring semesters. Almost 200 students enrolled in the first session.

"Our Wintermester program allows our students, through online offerings, to accelerate their academic progress toward their degrees," RU President Penelope W. Kyle said. "This is a goal, not only of Radford University, but of higher education in Virginia. To have another of our new programs recognized by SCHEV as an 'innovation in higher education' certainly validates these new academic initiatives."

The Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 calls on the Commonwealth’s institutions of higher education to create or enhance programs that lead to more college graduates, greater employability and a strong economy for the future of all Virginians. In the spirit of this legislation, known as the top-jobs act or TJ21, SCHEV introduced the innovation honors program to recognize Virginia colleges and universities developing courses and projects aimed at achieving TJ21 goals.

Radford University’s Games, Animation, Modeling, and Simulation (GAMeS) Lab won the honor in 2012. The GAMeS Lab provides students with opportunities to create and design interactive mobile games and study the impact of these products on student engagement and learning.

Wintermester at RU was designed to help students progress more quickly in their degree programs by providing a variety of course offerings. All instruction is conducted online and allows RU students to take a class while at home during winter break. It also provides the opportunity to hold a part-time job during the break, which assists with affordability. Further, Wintermester sessions make innovative use of technology and teaching resources.

Learn more about Radford University at www.radford.edu.