Closing the Gap - UMUC

PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Dear Alumni:
As is apparent to all of us, the demographic makeup of America’s
workforce, and, indeed, its consumer marketplace, is changing
rapidly. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, by the
year 2008, women and people of color will represent 70 percent
of all new entrants to the workplace. Moreover, recent statistics
show that minority consumer buying power nearly doubled over
the past decade, growing at a much faster pace than overall U.S.
buying power. In fact, combined consumer spending by people
of color, who now make up nearly 40 percent of the total U.S.
population, is an amount greater than the gross national product
of Canada.
In meeting the needs of this ever-changing society, government and
industry leaders have turned to institutions of higher education for
help in reframing the way they do business. Colleges and universities
are providing critical workforce training, innovative research
and development, and state-of-the-art technology transfer—all
aimed at closing the economic and social gaps that still exist among
diverse groups. UMUC is particularly well positioned to meet that
challenge.
As a university, our diversity is somewhat unique. Of the 80,000
students currently enrolled in UMUC programs, more than half
are women, and 46 percent consider themselves minority group
members. Likewise, our alumni groups represent a veritable United
Nations of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. UMUC’s
virtual campus has opened the door to enrollments that literally
span the globe, across all of its seven continents. This vast online
educational network also makes it much easier for students with
Patricia J. Toregas
diverse lifestyles and disabilities to fully participate at all levels of
higher education and continuing professional development. Moreover,
we offer extensive financial aid, as well as such specific
assistance programs as Better Opportunities Through Online
Education and Northwestern Partners in Progress, in an effort to
close the economic gap for students who might not otherwise be
able to afford higher education. We are also committed to hiring
faculty and administrative staff that closely reflect this amazing
diversity among our student body. But, most importantly, our
graduates are consistently found among the top management
tiers in both the private and public sectors, regardless of their
race, gender, ethnic backgrounds, or disabilities.
With this big picture firmly in mind, we turn to you, our alumni,
to help us continue “closing the gaps” in this great nation of ours,
by donating your talent, experience, and dollars to ensure UMUC’s
position as a global leader in educating diverse adult learners. We
believe that, through this commitment, we may open many new
avenues of thought and opportunity for the students and communities
we serve, now and in the years to come. And, that, after
all, is the true mission of education in all of its forms.
Sincerely,
Patricia J. Toregas ’84 & ’91
President
UMUC Alumni Association
2 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND UNIVERSITY COLLEGE www.umucalumni.org