Clayton College and State University, along with nine other state colleges and universities, will be offering their courses over the Internet this fall.

The classes are being offered through the Southern Regional Electronic Campus, which is a consortium of more than 20 institutes of higher learning in a 16-state region.

Besides just taking classes, students can earn degrees from Georgia Tech and Southern Polytechnic on the electronic campus this fall.

Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, who formerly chaired the Southern Regional Education Board, said the campus will offer more than 1,000 classes this fall.

"The implementation phase of the electronic campus has been a success. Participation of the state post-secondary education agencies and our colleges and universities has been every bit as good as we hoped. Our survey shows that the electronic campus is easy for students to visit and use," he said.

Because of the unique nature of the university, board members said it offers benefits to both the students and colleges and universities.

Student benefits include:

· Students' options are increased dramatically. Programs and courses not previously available where a student lives or at a convenient time may be available. Students in remote areas will have access to programs and courses that have been out of reach.

· The opportunities for professional development for working adults will be increased,

· Students will be able to compare programs and courses, methods of instruction, delivery and costs.

· The campus provides a central point of information about degree and academic programs and individual courses.

Benefits for colleges and universities include:

· Enabling states to streamline interstate sharing and overcome traditional barriers that have made it difficult for colleges and universities to offer programs and courses across state boundaries.

· Allowing colleges and universities to avoid expensive new program development and operational costs by helping them see and share what is already available.

· Dramatically increasing the pool of students that may enroll without having to add a single dormitory room or classroom.