HBCUs Race to Build Out Gaming and Esports Programs for Students

The Serious Games Initiative a division of the highly ranked Washington think tankamp160The Wilson Center in conjunction with the 8th annual Ed Games Expo which highlights EdTech programs developed through the Department of Education recently held a daylong symposium on gaming Representatives of several HBCUs gathered to discuss their motivations experiences challenges and insights in setting up various programs related to gaming and Esports for their respective programsCongresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson D TX30 opened the symposium stating strongly that the impact of the pandemic has likely made permanent changes to the job market specifically increasing the percentage of the economy that will be based on STEM jobs and require STEM skills Johnson who chairs the House Committee on Science Space and Technology stated her commitment that the STEM workforce quotmirror the diversity of the American peoplequotElizabeth Newberry Director of the Serious Games Initiative provided an overview of the collegiate gaming industry According to Newberry quot67 out of 107 HBCUs have some form of Esports programmingquotNewberry broke down the collegiate gaming ecosystem into three driversPlay How students are orienting themselves to campus through Club Varsity and League EsportsAcademic Preparing students for potential careers in the gaming and Esports sectors Includes coursework in the Career in the business of Esports STEM designing games and Esports Esports Law and Esports Health ramificationsTespa Activision Blizzard The largest of the collegiate leagues with 1350 schools and 40000 students participatingNational Association of Collegiate Esports With 179 participating college and universities it is an official division of the National Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsTraditional Collegiate Sports Conferences such as the MidAmerican Conference that are launching their own Esports divisionsBuilding of College Esports Arenas for both Play and Academic on campuses such as Oklahoma State and Tampa Bay CollegeA highlight of the event was a panel with leaders across the HBCU ecosystem that included Dr Kevin James President of Morris Brown College Laura Colson McLean the Appoint Vice President of Academic affairs for Bennett College and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Johnson C Smith University Julian Waddell Executive Director Oakwood University Launchpad Entrepreneurship Center Participants in the panel shared their experiences and viewpoints on the role that Esports had within their academic institutionsDr James explained that the location of Morris Brown College played a big role in the decision to lean into gaming quotAtlanta GA is one of the top gaming and Esports cities in the country We created Georgia39s first Esports performance degree program with two tracks The certificate track is eight courses equivalent to 24 hours for anyone to take We even opened it up to High School Juniors and Seniors so when they graduate they can have a certificate in Esports performance Additionally we have a bachelor39s degree track in Global Business Management and Applied Leadership with a concentration in Esports We are one of the only HBCUs in the country to have that option Both of these programs have state approval and are accreditedquotJames believes that it39s important to recognize and encourage students39 passion points which can turn into careers quotSome of these kids would absolutely game or lead gaming companies for free So why not educate them on the business and entrepreneurial aspects of the gaming industry It39s a billiondollar industry So many companies are coming to Atlanta and they are looking for talent We want to be that diverse pipeline that will educate them on the skills they needquotWaddell from Oakwood University first recognized the potential of Esports and academics while serving as Chief Information Security Officer at the University quotOur team reported on traffic use on the network and the most prominent use of our network resources was our students39 online gaming When I became a professor I incorporated gamification into our curriculum and it vastly improved engagementquotWaddell has also instituted a certification partnership with Unity the gaming engine that powers much of gaming and virtual reality quotWe decided that if students are interested then they can start there and that certification not only allows them to get a job but it also allows them to become instructors themselves which provides them with some type of entrepreneurial venture that they can do while they are developing into the person that they are trying to be with their careerquotColson McLean recognizes the multidisciplinary skillsets that gaming offers quotWe want to challenge our students to be problemsolvers How is music or the musical score incorporated into games How do you tell an adventurous story which is perfect for English majors For those interested in business how do you run gaming leagues and tournaments If it39s truly an interdisciplinary study it can be very experiential learning A teacher may have told you that you are not good at mathematics but you may be good at mathematics in gaming as a strategic tool This is a way that we show students things that others didn39t see in themquotSedika Franklin who represents the White House Initiatives on HBCUs admitted that the last game she likely played was Super Mario Bros but clearly sees the value in these programs quotWhen the White House Initiative heard rumblings of Esports and gaming we really wanted to be involved We set out to learn more about the Esports industry and we strive to align interest and opportunity for HBCU students and facultyquot says FranklinDr James summed it up saying quotI think of gaming as the great equalizer Esports doesn39t have to be separated out by gender or anything Everyone is on the same playing field It39s primed for diversity for anyone to play togetherquotAuthor39s Note For more about how HBCU39s are engaged with gaming please read Cxmmunity Twitch and Verizon Leveling Up HBCU GamersClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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HBCUs Race to Build Out Gaming and Esports Programs for Students

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Jeff Minsky

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