A+B. Intro_SJ.1 - University of Maryland University College

Presence in Maryland
Although UMUC has its headquarters in Adelphi, Maryland,
it delivers courses and services throughout Maryland and the
Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Courses are offered at
18 locations in the Maryland region, including many local
military sites and community colleges. UMUC also maintains
a major presence at three centers: the University System of
Maryland Shady Grove Center, the Waldorf Center for Higher
Education, and the UMUC Annapolis Center. This multitude
of locations and the convenience of being able to take courses
online make it easy for Maryland residents to complete their
education goals without ever leaving their local area. Because
UMUC also has special relationships with many Maryland
community colleges, students are also able to make a smooth
transition from their associate’s degree program to the bachelor’s
degree program.
UMUC’s Adelphi headquarters also serves as a conference center
and as home to an extraordinary collection of art, especially
works by Maryland artists. Notable among the collection are
works by internationally renowned Maryland artist Herman
Maril. Visitors to the Inn and Conference Center may view the
collection daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information on current
exhibits is available online at www.umuc.edu/events.
University of Maryland University College is one of 11 degreegranting
institutions within the University System of Maryland:
Bowie State University
Coppin State College
Frostburg State University
Salisbury State University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland University College
In addition to these 11 institutions, there are two University
System of Maryland research and service units:
University of Maryland Biotechnology
Institute
University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science
Global University
Having provided open and alternative education opportunities
to adult learners for more than 25 years, UMUC became an
early leader in distance education and has won many awards for
innovation in that area. UMUC is also committed to providing
comprehensive services for all its students, wherever they may
be, and has been a pioneer in the development of support for
students at a distance. UMUC offers full Web-based services
from orientation to registration, financial aid counseling to
career advising, and book ordering to grade retrieval. Through
the Office of Information and Library Services, UMUC provides
a state-of-the-art digital library, with electronic reserves,
online databases (many of which are full text), and online help.
Other services are available through the Interactive Registration
and Information System (IRIS), which may be accessed via
touch-tone telephone. All these services enable students to sample
an online course, meet the faculty, access student services,
register, and obtain the syllabus, from any location in the world.
Military Partnerships
UMUC has been the leading educational partner with the
U.S. Department of Defense for more than 50 years. More
than 50 flag officers are UMUC graduates, and more than a
million servicemembers have taken UMUC courses. Last year,
more than 47,000 active-duty military members and dependents
took UMUC courses overseas, 27,000 in Europe.
This long relationship has made UMUC particularly sensitive
to the needs of military students and well prepared to handle
details specific to military life, such as veterans benefits and
the transfer of credit earned in military specialty schools.
In 2002, UMUC was awarded the contract to continue offering
programs at its 87 military sites across Europe and the Middle
East. The multi-year contract is among the largest federal contracts
awarded to any U.S. higher education institution. This
year, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that they have
extended UMUC’s privilege to serve the U.S. military and their
families in Asia for another six years.
UMUC has also developed special relationships with the
U.S. Army Signal Center, the Naval War College, the Air War
College, the Army Management Staff College, and both the
Information Resources Management College and the Joint
Forces Staff College of National Defense University.
| 6 | 2003–2004 Graduate Catalog