PICTURED RIGHT: The Texas College Esports Gaming and Academic Lab
Following Texas College’s launch of the new Esports competitive program, now an official Blaze Fire Games E-Sports League member, the College has recently opened the new Esports Gaming and Academic Lab. Housed in the D.R. Glass Library, the lab is equipped with state-of-the-art gaming equipment and accommodations, inclusive of high-powered computers, monitors, headsets, and desks specifically designed for gaming. The aforementioned equipment is congruently equipped with colorful lighting accents that make for a vibrantly lit atmosphere, which is further enhanced by other lighting equipment to create a gamer’s paradise.
This investment into esports provides students with a new and aesthetically unique space on campus for students to game, study, innovate, and socialize. Congruently, the lab supplements the new esports initiative, which concentrates on video gaming and esports as a creative and innovative way to enrich the student experience and help recruit, reclaim, and retain students.
In addition to the gaming aspect of the initiative, there is also an academic career pathway component. Through collaboration with the Texas College Office of Student Affairs and Office of Academic Affairs, as well as Blaze Fire Games, there is dedicated educational interdisciplinary series of e-sports micro-credentialing customized content offered by the Blaze Fire Games Education Department; over 100 students have already received certification. Students participating in the courses benefit from exposure to the professional preparation of esports and competitive gaming.
PICTURED ABOVE: Texas College Raging Steers Esports team members game in the new Esports Gaming and Academic Lab
"I am ecstatic about our esports initiative and the investment we have made into the program,” commented President Dwight J. Fennell. “It offers another extraordinary opportunity for the College to be on the cutting edge and uniquely connect with our students. The partnership will also allow students to build their future career brand in the marketplace with potential employers."
Collectively, the esports initiative emphasizes competition and student team play, which affords many benefits of traditional athletics, such as sportsmanship, leadership, communication, and teamwork, as well as academic offerings, such as micro-credentialing, to forge career pathways for students.
