Phyllis Parker is Goodwill's admissions coordinator.

Single parents will have a chance at education — and higher-paying jobs — through a new program from UMUC and Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake in Baltimore, Maryland. Better Opp-ortunities through Online Education enables entry-level workers, primarily women who provide their families’ sole financial support, to land more lucrative jobs through the completion of a UMUC certificate program. Candidates are identified and screened by Goodwill Industries, a nonprofit group that helped more than 1,212 Maryland citizens last year gain employment through training and services. Online courses are interactive yet give students flexibility to fit their studies around their work and family schedules. Students also receive a home computer, scholarship support, textbook reimbursement, academic counseling, and mentoring.

The hot subjects for students in the program? Accounting, management studies, computer applications and workplace communications. These certificate programs match workforce demands and are most likely to lead to better-paying jobs or promotions.

The Bell Atlantic Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, and CitiFinancial/ Citigroup Foundation have pledged funds to integrate technology into education, and for start-up and scholarship support for the first cohort of students. USA Today has donated computers for the first two student groups to use in their homes while taking UMUC online courses. Hundreds of UMUC employees also have pledged to donate a portion of their income over a five-year period to support the Better Opportunities program. With continued financial support, more students will be able to enter the program each semester.

Richard F. Blewitt ’73, president of Rowan & Blewitt in Herndon, Virginia, has been appointed chair of the UMUC Board of Visitors. The board serves in an advisory capacity to UMUC President Gerald A. Hedger.

"Rich Blewitt is the ideal person to lead the advisory board," said Heeger. "He is a remarkable individual, both personally and professionally, and his influence at UMUC has been highly regarded for many years." As chair, Blewitt succeeds General John W. Vessey Jr. (Ret.) ’63, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Blewitt earned his bachelor’s degree with a specialization in government and politics at UMUC and is a past president of the Alumni Association. In 1998 he was named UMUC Distinguished Alumnus. Blewitt holds an M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program.

He has extensive experience managing business crisis communication issues, and in 1984 he cofounded the firm of Rowan & Blewitt. Previously he was vice president of public affairs for Velsicol Chemical Corporation and received national recognition for his role in leading the company’s turnaround efforts. A former reporter for the Scranton Times in Pennsylvania, he also served as a U. S. Navy journalist in Japan, where he began his coursework with UMUC.

Blewitt is a member of The University of Maryland Foundation’s Board of Directors and sits on the Board of Governors of the Josephson Institute of Ethics. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of the National Parks and Conservation Association.

UMUC and Frostburg State University are teaming up to create the Online Academy for Teacher Re-Certification, funded by a $100,000 startup grant from AT&T.

The academy’s programs will allow Maryland’s public school teachers to go online to fulfill course requirements in math, earth science, and reading for the state-mandated recertification process. Elementary and secondary school teachers will increase their knowledge in their subject areas while learning through a Web-based application.

"The online academy is an innovative response to the K–12 teacher needs in Maryland," said Candace E. Humphrey, director of public relations at AT&T. "UMUC and Frostburg will open new access to recertification in high-need areas, thus ensuring the quality of teacher training and student learning."

Offering recertification via the Internet means increased access for teachers statewide to content-improvement courses—those that enhance teachers’ knowledge of their subject areas. Such courses add significantly to the quality of education in the state as teachers are updated in quickly changing technical fields. Teachers also benefit from being able to take courses on a schedule that is flexible and adaptable to the demands of their work week.

UMUC is grateful to AT&T for its strong commitment to new ways of delivering education in Maryland. AT&T’s support of the online capabilities UMUC offers will benefit teachers and, ultimately, thousands of students across Maryland.

Through a $15,000 gift from Honeywell Technology Solutions, UMUC will develop an innovative Web site to provide career services and resources for students, alumni, and employers. The Web site will be part of UMUC’s initiative to establish a full-service Career and Cooperative Education Center over the next three years.

"As a corporation, we benefit greatly from the relationships we cultivate with UMUC," said Wayne L. Friedman, vice president of business development and strategy for Honeywell and a member of UMUC’s Board of Visitors. "We look forward to capitalizing on the capabilities of Web-based technology to develop a new career services tool for students and alumni. I anticipate this venture will be just as successful as other UMUC activities we have pursued—one that benefits local industry, the community, and the students."

The center will address the unique needs of adult learners. Unlike many college graduates seeking their first job, UMUC graduates typically have extensive work experience and face unique challenges in translating their newly earned degrees into career success. How do they get an employer for whom they have worked for years to see them differently? Should they change jobs or careers? Alumni, too, will benefit from such resources as career counseling.

The Honeywell gift is an important endorsement of UMUC’s efforts to address the career issues students and alumni have well beyond graduation.

UMUC welcomes the newest President’s Club members. Lifetime members have made a leadership commitment of $10,000. Active members, a new category of membership, are donors who have contributed $1,000 or more in the current fiscal/academic year. Givers at these levels are indispensable to the success of UMUC.