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Veterans Day: UMUC Salutes Its Military Students and Alumni
UMUC Celebrates U.S. Marine Corps Day
Winner of G.O.E.S Distance Learning Opportunity Award Announced
Distance Learning Week, November 10-14
President's Circle Members Honored
UMUC Staff Members Compete in 24-Hour Game Challenge
UMUC Now Offers Alliance Agreements with All MD Community Colleges
Teacher Best Practices Sharing Forum November 15
UMUC Wins Mid-Atlantic UCEA Award for Excellence
UMUC Faculty Members Receive the 2008 Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award
Veterans Day:
UMUC Salutes Its Military Students and Alumni
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On November 11, 2008, our nation recognizes Veterans Day to honor those who have served in our armed forces.
UMUC enrolls 60,000 active-duty military servicemembers, reserves, family members and veterans worldwide. These brave men and women prove that successful learning is possible on the most demanding of schedules, from any part of the world. Each has a story to tell that is unique and illustrates how dedicated those in uniform are to creating a brighter future for their families and our country.
UMUC Celebrates U.S. Marine Corps Day
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On November 10, 1775, the newly independent United States of America's Continental Congress authorized the founding of the Continental Marines. It was later renamed the Marine Corps.
November 10 is recognized each year as U.S. Marine Corps Day. Today, we say thanks to all of our active-duty and retired Marines who have bravely given so much to keep our country safe.
Distance Learning Week, November 10-14
UMUC recognizes National Distance Learning Week, November 10–14, a time set aside by the United States Distance Learning Association to acknowledge progress in distance learning. Since its founding in 1947, UMUC has established itself as a leader that provides cutting-edge programs and award-winning online courses and services worldwide. Everyone who works for UMUC contributes to the educational opportunities of thousands of students around the world. It is the dedication of our faculty and staff members that makes these successes possible.
Winner of G.O.E.S Distance Learning Opportunity Award Announced
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Charles Garnett (left) and G.O.E.S. award winner Bruce Birch (right). |
Academic support group G.O.E.S. (Group of Online Educational Services) announced the winner of its first ever Distance Learning Opportunity Award on October 14, 2008. The winner, Petty Officer Bruce Birch, was awarded a personal computer, which was built and donated by the group's founder. Birch will also receive assistance with admissions paperwork required to attend UMUC.
G.O.E.S. was founded by Coast Guard enlistee Charles Garnett, who also spearheaded the Distance Learning Opportunity Award. He started the group as an educational support group for himself and others in the Coast Guard attending UMUC. Garnett also started a donation-based library for G.O.E.S. members.
In addition to heading the group, Garnett spreads the word about UMUC to his fellow enlistees. Garnett believes the university provides excellent opportunities that are too good to pass up. The G.O.E.S. Distance Learning Award is a recent example of Garnett’s commitment to not only voluntarily recruiting new UMUC students, but also providing them with the resources to succeed.
Read more about Charles Garnett in his MyUMUC Student Spotlight story.
President's Circle Members Honored
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President Susan C. Aldridge (left) with Outstanding Circle Member Award Winners, Elizabeth Reinhardt (middle) and Richard F. Blewitt (right). |
UMUC’s President’s Circle honored its members and celebrated the university at the 2008 President’s Circle Brunch held at the UMUC Inn and Conference Center Ballroom on October 26, 2008.
At the brunch, UMUC President Susan C. Aldridge presented Richard F. Blewitt and Elizabeth Reinhardt with 2008 Outstanding Circle Member Awards.
The President’s Circle at UMUC is a giving society that ensures brighter futures for current and future UMUC students. Since its founding, the President’s Circle has been an important component in the development and support of the university and its students. The President’s Circle also allows UMUC to pursue and support individual projects, such as the Arts Program, that contribute to society in general. Join the President's Circle.
UMUC Staff Members Compete in 24-Hour Game Challenge
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Photo of 'Bite Me' and its UMUC creators, Felix Lehmann (top left), Rafael Ormino (top right) and José Olivieri (bottom). |
Three UMUC staff members participated in the first ever experimental Health Game Jam at University of Baltimore on October 18-19, 2008. Following contest rules, Felix Lehmann, José Olivieri and Rafael Ormino (UMUC Course Development team members) had just 24 hours to design and build a computer game that was not only fun, but also teaches others how to improve their personal heath.
The UMUC team created a game titled 'BiteMe', in which a character chooses from healthy, and not-so-healthy, foods. Of the seven teams that competed, the University of Baltimore team won first prize. However, the UMUC team said they had a wonderful experience and learned a lot during the contest.
University of Baltimore cosponsored the event with Games for Health Project, along with an additional prize donation from the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development
UMUC Now Offers Alliance Agreements with All Maryland Community Colleges
UMUC announced that it will form an alliance partnership with Wor-Wic Community College (WWCC). As a result, UMUC will have alliance partnerships with all 16 community colleges in Maryland. UMUC signed its first alliance agreement in 1996, and today more than 40 percent of the university’s enrollments consist of transfer students from community colleges.
The Alliance Program offers in-state and out-of-state community college students the opportunity to transfer with ease to UMUC. Students can earn a bachelor's degree while receiving full credit for coursework completed at their 2-year institution. Transfer students can also apply for the UMUC Community College Transfer Scholarship.
Learn more about the UMUC's Community College Alliance Partnerships and Transfer Scholarship
Teacher Best Practices Sharing Forum November 15
Register to attend the Teacher Best Practices Sharing Forum, Inclusion Maximized: Instructional Strategies for Special Needs and English Language, to be held on Saturday, November 15, 2008. This forum is designed for teachers to network and exchange effective strategies that are applicable in the classroom, and to provide effective instructional methods for teaching English-language learners and special needs students.
The keynote address will be delivered by Eileen M. Ahearn, PhD, project director, National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE). Words of Inspiration will also be provided by the 2009 Maryland State Teacher of the Year, William Thomas of Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Concurrent sessions will be presented by teacher professional development experts from area community colleges and universities, and Maryland’s public school districts. Register now.
UMUC Wins Mid-Atlantic UCEA Award for Excellence
UMUC has won the 2008 Award for Excellence for Academic Support Services by the Mid-Atlantic University Continuing Education Association. With this award, the association recognizes UMUC's commitment to students through its innovative online clubs and honor societies.
UMUC is also proud to announce that one these student honor societies, Alpha Epsilon Chi—the university's history honor society—received an Honorable Mention in the 2008 Phi Alpha Theta Best Chapter Award competition.
UMUC Faculty Members Receive the 2008 Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Excellence Award
Each year, faculty at UMUC's stateside, Asia, and Europe locations are nominated by students and selected by peers based on their ability to help students meet and exceed course objectives, encourage students to see new professional possibilities for themselves, and inspire students to apply course skills, concepts or models to their work or community.
Read about the most recent faculty members to earn the honor of being this year's Drazek Award winners.
Faculty Member Sabrina Fu Manages $10,000 Grant from EPA
UMUC Faculty Member Dr. Sabrina Fu is currently leading a project that received a $10,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for its effort to educate a global audience on sustainability and the environment. The project is part of a National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet.
The eight-month project, which began in August 2008, aims to use the Internet as a tool to educate the public, using a Web site titled: "Think Globally, Act Locally: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle". Dr. Fu plans to use the technological resources of UMUC and to involve members of the UMUC Environmental Management Club, which currently has over 150 members, and is located in ten countries and four continents.
Dr. Fu has taught twelve different courses, in four different departments, since joining the UMUC faculty in 2001. She currently teaches Environmental Management and Natural Science in UMUC's School of Undergraduate Studies.
UMUC Student Named U.S. Army Central NCO of the Year
Staff Sergeant James Micheal Garlitz, a UMUC undergraduate student, has been named U.S. Army Central Noncommissioned Officer of the Year by the U.S. Army Central Command (ARCENT).
Garlitz is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Business in UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies while serving in Kuwait. He won the 2008 title by showing superiority in several areas including physical fitness, marksmanship, general military knowledge and other skills.
"UMUC would like to extend its sincerest congratulations to one of our students, Staff Sergeant James Michael Garlitz, for receiving such a prestigious award from U.S. Army Central Command,” said UMUC President Susan C. Aldridge. “As an institution with a long history of making quality higher education accessible to our men and women in uniform, we’re proud that Sergeant Garlitz has so distinguished himself while remaining in good academic standing as a business student at UMUC.”
See the July 7, 2008 Press Release.
UMUC Alumnus Travels to Tanzania to Update School Technology
UMUC alumnus Jarod Harris traveled to Iringa,Tanzania from May 21-June 9, 2008 to upgrade the technology in several middle schools, high schools and universities. Harris traveled to Iringa with non-profit organization Research Technology Associates, Inc, and worked alongside several other volunteers, including the organization's chairman. During the trip, the group was able to contribute 16 working computers and monitors, along with several printers. They also set up an Internet-capable information library for the students of Kichangani All-Girls Secondary School in Iringa.
Harris said he used knowledge and experience gained from his education at College of Southern Maryland and UMUC and from his current occupation to help those in need. “I am currently active in my community as a mentor to at-risk youth in Washington, DC with Alternatives For Crime Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (AFC)," said Harris. "I saw this as another way to give back to those less fortunate than myself."
Harris graduated from UMUC in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Management and is currently working as an IT specialist with the U.S. Government.