Jax State Announces the Launch of Jax MIX

08/22/2024

Jax MIX, Jax State's new signature general education program, launches this semester. The program embeds badged microcredentials, which students may access via courses and events, making Jax State the first in the nation with such an innovative option within general education. 

"We are excited to offer new pathways and credentials to help students show employers the skills and content they have mastered as a complement to their chosen major," stated Dr. Staci Stone, Vice Provost of Academic Affairs. "This unique program emerged from about three years of work by faculty, staff, and students dedicated to revamping the state-required general studies program." 

With Jax MIX, students still complete the general education courses required by the state of Alabama. Still, they may now choose clusters of courses that are the foundation for a microcredential in Community Engagement, Environmental Stewardship, Ethical Leadership, Global Connections, or Media Literacy. The Jax MIX badges are available to all Jax State undergraduate students, including transfer and dual enrollment students. When students enroll in courses in a focus or attend a Jax MIX event, they are enrolled in a pathway and can see their progress towards a badge in Canvas Credentials, which is available via their Canvas course shells. 

"Jax MIX invites students to take ownership of their general education. It improves clarity concerning the composition and purpose of general education," said Dr. Ben Gross, Jax MIX Director. "Furthermore, the program fosters the examined life by encouraging students to pursue focus options, attend campus events, and earn microcredentials based on their general education. As some in society are questioning the value of the academy, Jax MIX offers a response by engaging students to reach for meaningful self-discovery in their general education curriculum." 

Gross, an associate professor of political science in the Department of Sociology and Political Science, was an initial member of the general education committee and served as the interim coordinator for high-impact practices and assessment for that committee. Gross directs the Tocqueville Lecture Series and co-edits the university's first peer-reviewed journal, Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas. 

Joining Gross in leading the Jax MIX Program is Dr. Marija Reiff, an assistant professor of English who serves as the Jax MIX Microcredentials Coordinator. Reiff has taught college students in the US and abroad and teaches general education courses in writing, public speaking, and literature.  

The new Jax MIX Assessment Coordinator is Dr. Ross Martin, an assistant professor of geology in the Chemistry and Geosciences Department. Martin created the Sustainable Trail Science Microcredential, and the core of his teaching load is Jax MIX courses GY241 and GY 242, Introductions to Physical and Historical Geology. 

Rounding out the Jax MIX staff is Karlie Johnson, an associate professor and the History, Geography, and Anthropology Librarian, who is the Jax MIX Events Coordinator. As a librarian, Johnson has more than ten years of experience working closely with general education courses, and she served on the 2023-2024 Jax State Extended General Education Committee. 

A unique facet of Jax MIX is the combination of academic requirements and event participation. The first Jax MIX event was held last week, when new Jax State students attended College Connections during J Week. 

"We are so excited to be working with campus partners to offer events as part of Jax MIX Microcredentials," stated Johnson. "The events are a fun and creative way for students to engage more holistically in their general education studies while becoming immersed in campus life. We have many more events forthcoming throughout Fall 2024, like the Manners Gallery art exhibition 'Reeling Thoughts: Artist Talk and Show Opening,' which counts towards the Environmental Stewardship badge." 

To see all upcoming Jax MIX Events, go to www.jsu.edu/jaxmix. Faculty, staff, and student groups interested in partnering with us for an event should submit the Jax MIX Event Form.