2009 Performance Accountability Report Vol. 2 - Maryland Higher ...

Assessment of Progress in Achieving MHEC’s Goals for Higher Education and MFR’s
Goals and Objectives
MHEC Goal 1. Maintain and strengthen a preeminent statewide array of postsecondary
education institutions recognized nationally for academic excellence and effectiveness in
fulfilling the educational needs for students, the State and the nation.
UMUC is widely perceived as the benchmark public institution in adult and online education.
As far as we can ascertain, UMUC’s online enrollments are larger than any other public
university’s: close to 200,000 online enrollments in FY 09 (see MFR Objective 5.1).
UMUC is also the premier provider of higher education to the US military around the world.
This year, UMUC’s Asia Division won the re-bid for the U.S. Department of Defense
contract to provide undergraduate programs to the American military personnel and
dependents stationed in countries under the Pacific Command. And UMUC’s Europe
Division won the first contract awarded by the Department of Defense to provide higher
education opportunities to countries under the Central Command – including Iraq and
Afghanistan. UMUC offered its first courses in Iraq in late 2008.
Regularly, UMUC’s online courses and programs are recognized as exemplary in the state,
the region and the nation. The following represents a sample of recent awards and
recognitions.
o UMUC received the "2008 Lasting Achievement Award" from the National Fire
Academy’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Program for delivering
Open Learning Fire Service Programs to thousands of fire service personnel for
almost 30 years.
o UMUC’s Center for Support of Instruction received the bronze medal from the IMS
(Instructional Management Systems) Global Learning Consortium for the use of
technology to improve learning across all educational segments and in all regions of
the world. UMUC's DE Oracle was also designated as "Best in Category, Faculty
Development Network." Additionally, the Graduate School received a Best in
Category Certificate for Best Online Laboratory: On-line Hands-On Labs in
Information Assurance at UMUC.
o The Maryland Distance Learning Association recognized UMUC’s online MBA as
the “Distance Program of the Year,” and “Elementary Chinese” as the Distance
Course of the Year.”
The University has continued to expand its global reach beyond the overseas military market.
Cooperative undertakings with universities in Bulgaria and Turkey, and the continuing
programs in Russia and Taiwan, are but the first steps in UMUC’s long term strategy to
become a truly global university focused on adult and distance education. UMUC sees the
potential global market for higher education as presenting unique opportunities to broaden
our Maryland and US students’ exposure to professionals from other cultures. Increasingly,
employers value the global and international perspective offered by UMUC’s education.
The University is in the process of developing the next generation of its proprietary learning
management platform, WebTycho NG. This coming Fall 2009, this new version will be
rolled out to all courses offered by the Graduate School.
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