TAMIU Receives New TIF Grant

Texas A&M International University has received a $75,000 grant from the Texas Telecommunication Infrastructure Board (TIF Board) that will help to fund content development for TAMIU's growing distance education program.

Based on TAMIU's enrollment, the award provides grants to faculty members who will develop course content for delivery over the University's wireless distance education system.

Tiffany Ornes, distance education program manager, said the grants will help the University to meet a planned Spring program implementation.

"The grant will fund the creation of courses for live delivery that will be accompanied by a supplement for students at the remote locations. Our wireless network will be complete sometime in late fall, and we plan to initiate our classes for the Spring semester," Ornes said.

She explained that the University's goal is to provide classes to offer to seniors in high schools that are participating in its wireless network.

This is the second recent grant received from the TIF Board.

In August, TAMIU received word that it had received a Discovery 5 (DI5) Award shared with Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMU-K) in the amount of $500,000. That award will help TAMIU to expand its wireless network to include Pearsall, Charlotte and San Isidro school districts and the Encino Charter School. It will also enable the completion of a telecommunication bridge between Hebbronville and Falfurrias while also connecting to TAMU-K's southern wireless network and its northern link in San Antonio at the Palo Alto Center.

For more information, please contact Ornes at the TAMIU Office of Distance Education at 326.2791, visit offices in the Western Hemispheric Trade Center 215B or email distance@tamiu.edu.

Information on the Texas Telecommunication Infrastructure Board is available at http://www.tifb.state.tx.us/

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu