One of the three tenets of Missouri State University’s public affairs mission is community engagement. (The others are ethical leadership and cultural competence.) Typically, people think about community engagement in terms of volunteer hours or involvement in civic projects. To be sure, volunteerism is alive and well at Missouri State, where last year alone, students, faculty and staff contributed more than 420,000 hours of community service.

But there are many ways to reach out and serve the community. For example, this fall, MSU will offer two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs):

These MOOCs have generated an impressive demand so far. As of this writing, 4,899 students were enrolled in the Wilder course and 908 were enrolled in the Ozarks history course.

By way of background, most MOOCs are designed for unlimited participation and open access via the Web. In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings and problem sets, MOOCs may provide interactive user forums that help build a community for students and teachers.

Now, if you follow trends in higher education, I know what you’re thinking: MOOCs are so 2012. While it’s true that the fervor that drove many universities to hastily offer MOOCs has waned, Missouri State sees its courses as a way to increase access to higher education (online and open to the public) and connect with a wide community by offering quality courses that anyone can afford (free).

While many have tried (and failed) to offer MOOCs on a variety of topics, Missouri State blazed a different path by developing courses that celebrate our state’s heritage and contributions. These courses highlight two of Missouri’s unique points of pride (Laura Ingalls Wilder and Ozarks history) to a worldwide audience. The early enrollment numbers suggest enthusiastic support for this approach.

My wife, Gail, and I are both signed up for a course. The great thing about a MOOC is you can enroll at any point. The Ozarks history course begins September 8 and runs for 10 weeks; it will be open for two additional weeks afterward so participants can finish up any remaining content. The Laura Ingalls Wilder course begins September 22 and will run for eight weeks; it will also be available for two additional weeks. Even if the courses have already begun, feel free to jump in at any point.

If you or someone you know would like to enroll in one or both of these classes, visit the Missouri State University MOOC website.

This editorial was originally published in the Springfield News-Leader.