Northeast-New Albany to offer hybrid of traditional, online courses in spring

Students attending Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) in the spring semester will have the ability to take hybrid courses.     According to the 2009 NEMCC student handbook, "NEMCC hybrid courses combine traditional face-to-face classroom instruction with internet-based distance education. This is the first time that courses like this have ever been offered at Northeast."

Angie Barmer

Northeast Community College Campus in New Albany will offer hybrid courses in the Spring.

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NEMCC Dean of Instruction Charlie Barnett said, "The new hybrid courses offer the best of both worlds. It offers students the ability of online and traditional instruction."

Holly Melvin, distance learning coordinator for Northeast, said, "Hybrid courses are extremely beneficial for students returning to school. This allows students the ability to have weekly classes, but not have to attend every class. All of the online instruction will be done on Blackboard. We are helping students come back to college as well as keeping up with changing technology.‚"

Barnett said, "First and foremost what is important to us is student convenience. Students only have to make the drive to campus once every two weeks instead of every week. This way we can schedule two classes in one room and double our capacity."

NEMCC Director of the New Albany campus Billy Bolden said, "I think the concept is very good. This offers us a new way to offer more classes at New Albany by offering the same class in the same room at the same time each week.  The hybrid classes will help us; the students I have talked to  are enthused. We are excited to expand our offerings and are hoping for a large enrollment in the Spring semester. We have had the largest enrollment ever this Fall at this campus and we are excited about the growth."

City of New Albany Mayor Tim Kent said, "We are very excited about these new courses being offered at Northeast. With the new tuition program being in place next fall and these being offered this spring, I think the enrollment will continue to increase."

The classes offered will be: Computer Applications, Music Appreciation, Public Speaking and Physical Science Survey 1.