PLAINVIEW, TX (PRESS RELEASE) – A $1 million donation to upgrade Wayland Baptist University’s multimedia facilities has brought the institution closer to reaching its $18 million Thrive Campaign goal.
Ben and Bertha Mieth’s donation pushes Wayland’s Thrive campaign past the $17 million mark and benefits students pursuing careers in multimedia, sports production, media-enhanced teaching and media relations. The Mieths are serving as campaign leaders and previously provided a $2.5 million donation to upgrade facilities and equipment at the School of Nursing on Wayland’s San Antonio campus.
“We are making this donation to advance the Media Arts program for the future of the university,” the Mieths said. “The program will enhance the educational experience of Wayland students. It will enable them to launch careers as communicators who are well prepared, through a quality Christian higher education, to make an impact in a wide range of media arts fields.”
There is great excitement in Wayland as the Thrive Campaign provides $18 million to fund scholarships, programs, academic needs, athletics and much-needed campus improvements.
“We are deeply grateful to Ben and Bertha Mieth for recognizing and responding to this urgent need at Wayland,” said Dr. Donna Hedgepath, President. “Their generosity embodies the spirit of the Thrive campaign. With this gift, our media arts students will have the tools and training they need for their first day in a media job. The Mieths’ gift is a lasting testament to their continued loyalty.”
Ray Rush, assistant professor of communication and media studies, said the donation will be used primarily to modernize the production control area, which he calls the “heart” of media production. “The majority will be invested in video production, cinema production, audio livestreaming, podcasting and social media content production,” he said. “Some of it will also be used in graphic design and professional communications.”
Rush explained that production control is where everything comes together, including audio-visual production.
“We’re building that centerpiece,” he said. “We’ll be buying new lights and new studio cameras, but the centerpiece is where the most money is. We’re going to invest in equipment that will improve the quality of our livestreaming capabilities for both sports and university events.”
Rush also spoke about the media component of the new technology gift.
“We will upgrade the Harral Auditorium’s equipment for the chapel, based on equipment commonly used in churches for the production of worship services,” he said. “Some of it will also be spent on worship and music production.”
The media studies professor said the donation will allow Wayland to “be an innovator in Christian education and develop truly Christian communicators.” He also said the university’s multimedia facilities will once again be competitive with other institutions in the region. “We will be on par with several D-1 and D-2 universities in this region,” he said.
As momentum builds, Wayland continues to seek partners to address the four pillars of the Thrive campaign – academic excellence, recruitment and retention, campus improvements and athletics – beyond the $18 million. Key concerns include the need to improve environments that foster student engagement and faith, as well as academic and athletic excellence.
To watch the Thrive campaign video, go to https://vimeo.com/910278364?share=copy. For more information about the Thrive campaign or to make a contribution, go to https://www.wbu.edu/thrive_campaign.htm. You can also contact the Wayland Baptist University Office of Advancement.
About Wayland Baptist University:
Founded in 1908, Wayland Baptist University serves to educate students in an academically rigorous, learning-focused, and distinctly Christian environment. Wayland operates campuses in Plainview, Lubbock, Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and San Antonio, Texas, as well as in Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, and online.
All rights reserved.
