Jax State Earns National Recognition for Innovative General Education Program

10/02/2026

Jax MIX honored by Association for General and Liberal Studies for transforming general education and connecting learning with career-ready skills

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Jacksonville State University has earned national recognition for its innovative approach to general education, receiving the 2026 Exemplary General Education Program Award from the Association for General and Liberal Studies (AGLS). 

Jax State was one of two institutions nationwide to receive the award this year. The recognition honors Jax MIX, the university’s signature general education program, and its innovative approach to embedding microcredentials within general education. Jax State is the first university in the nation to fully embed microcredentials as pathways within its general education program. 

The award recognizes higher education institutions that have significantly revised or improved their general education curriculum and can demonstrate evidence of the program’s effectiveness. Jax MIX launched in fall 2024 following a multi-year effort to reimagine general education at Jax State. 

Vice Provost Dr. Staci Stone and Jax MIX Director Dr. Benjamin Gross traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, to accept the award on the university's behalf. 

“We appreciate this recognition of our Jax MIX program because it highlights the quality and innovation Jax State provides to students,” Dr. Stone said. “Our Jax MIX microcredentials help students understand the value of general education courses while signifying to employers the motivation and specialized skills of students with these credentials.” 

The development of Jax MIX and Jax MIX Microcredentials programs was a collaborative effort involving faculty, staff and students from across the university. The multi-year process included focus groups, surveys, campus discussions and town halls, as well as input from employers about the skills they value in graduates.  

That feedback helped shape three core competencies at the center of Jax State’s general education program, Jax MIX: communication, critical thinking and collaboration. It also helped shape Jax MIX Microcredentials, an optional program offered at no additional cost that builds on the university’s required general education curriculum. Through Jax MIX Microcredentials, students build upon skills developed through their general education coursework and apply them through additional curricular and co-curricular experiences.  

Students can select courses within five focus areas — Community Engagement, Environmental Stewardship, Ethical Leadership, Global Connections and Media Literacy — that can serve as pathways toward badged microcredentials. The microcredentials combine traditional coursework with co-curricular experiences, allowing students to demonstrate skills and accomplishments that complement their major and can be shared with prospective employers.  

“This award is a recognition of the collaborative leadership and engagement that brought forth a truly novel and forward-thinking idea to general education,” Dr. Gross said. “Through setting the stage with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and employers, Dr. Stone built the relationships and legitimacy to form not only one program, but two, as the results of her efforts gave birth to Jax MIX and Jax MIX Microcredentials.” 

Since its launch, participation in Jax MIX Microcredentials has continued to grow. From spring 2025 to spring 2026, the number of individual students attending Jax MIX events increased 33.3 percent, while overall student attendance increased 38.8 percent. During the same period, enrollment in courses leading to a Jax MIX microcredential increased 271 percent. By spring 2026, students had earned microcredentials in all five focus areas.  

Jax MIX also reflects the university’s broader emphasis on connecting the college experience with preparation for life and work after graduation. The program allows students to individualize portions of their general education experience while developing skills valued across academic disciplines and professions.  

AGLS is a national organization focused on strengthening general and liberal education in higher education. Its Exemplary General Education Program Award annually recognizes up to three institutions that have significantly revised or improved their general education programs and can provide evidence supporting those improvements.