PLAINVIEW, TX — A $1 million gift to update Wayland Baptist University’s multimedia facilities has moved the institution closer to reaching the $18 million goal of the Thrive Campaign.
The gift from Ben and Bertha Mieth pushes Wayland’s Thrive Campaign past the $17 million mark while benefiting students seeking careers in multimedia, sports production, media-enhanced teaching, and media ministry. The Mieths serve as campaign chairs and previously provided a $2.5 million gift to update School of Nursing facilities and equipment at Wayland’s San Antonio campus.
“We are making this gift in order to thrust the Media Arts program forward for the future of the university,” the Mieths said. “The program will enhance the educational experience for Wayland students. It will enable them to move into their careers as communicators who are well-prepared by a quality Christian higher education to impact a broad range of Media Arts fields.”
There is an excitement at Wayland as the Thrive Campaign moves toward $18 million to fund scholarships, programs, academic needs, athletics and much-needed campus enhancements.
“We are deeply grateful to Ben and Bertha Mieth for recognizing and responding to this vital need at Wayland,” said Dr. Donna Hedgepath, president. “Their generosity embodies the spirit of the Thrive Campaign. This gift will provide our media arts students with the tools and training needed for their first day on a media job. The Mieths’ gift is a lasting testament to their enduring faithfulness.”
Ray Rush, Assistant Professor of Communications and Media Studies, said the gift will primarily be used to update the production control area, what he describes as the “heart” of media production. “The majority of it 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 the graphic design and professional communications areas.”
Rush explained that production control is how everything comes together, both audio visual production.
“We are building that heart,” he said. “We’re going to buy new lights and new studio cameras, but it’s that middle section that cost the most money to make it happen. We will be investing in equipment that will increase the quality of our livestreaming capability, both for sports and university events.”
Rush also spoke to the media ministry component of the new technology gift.
“We are going to enhance the equipment in Harral Auditorium for chapel, based on equipment commonly used in churches for house-of-worship production,” he said. “Some also will be spent for worship and music production.”
The media studies professor said the gift allows Wayland to be “an innovator in Christian education and to truly develop Christian communicators.” He also said the university’s multimedia facilities will again be competitive with other institutions in the area. “We are going to be toe-to-toe with several D-1 and D-2 universities within this region,” he said.
As momentum grows, 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. Among primary concerns is the need to enhance environments that foster student engagement and faith, as well as academic and athletic excellence.
Go to to view the Thrive Campaign video. Go to /thrive_campaign.htm for more information about the Thrive Campaign or to contribute. You may also contact Wayland Baptist University’s Office of Advancement.
Copyright © 2024