I am very pleased to report that we have a tremendous opportunity to expand our university’s online capacity, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

This grant could not come at a better time for USM. At last month’s opening breakfast, I shared with you my belief that as a 21st century university, we must take into account the complexity of our students’ busy lives and be carefully intentional about delivering a high-quality education through a combination of face-to-face and online instruction. This grant will bring both financial resources and a new focus to this strategic imperative.

The Sloan grant consists of two complementary elements: the conversion of existing undergraduate majors to a combination of online and blended formats; and an outreach effort to the Maine community colleges to explore opportunities to partner on the development of degree-completion programs. Both of these elements will be critically important as we seek to meet the needs of students juggling multiple responsibilities and looking for ways to reduce commuting costs.

Our focus under this grant is on the conversion of existing programs to a combination of online and blended formats rather than on individual courses across the entire curriculum. Consequently, we will be asking for proposals only from departments (or schools and colleges). Within two weeks, we will issue a formal Request for Proposals. Using grant funds and dedicated monies from our Center for Technology-Enhanced Learning (CTEL), we will award five or six departmental grants averaging $25,000 to $30,000. The grants can be used in a variety of ways, from support for faculty engaged in converting programs to computer and software purchases.

USM is now poised to take full advantage of this exciting opportunity. In fact, this grant from a foundation that has been instrumental in fostering the quality, scale, and breadth of online programs throughout American higher education is a major vote of confidence in the progress USM already has made. The work that we have done in supporting individual faculty interested in developing online courses has paid off. The number of online courses offered each semester has increased from an average of about a dozen to more than 60 in just two years.

Our students, faculty, and staff are now ready for the next phase of development—the growth of fully or partially online undergraduate programs. Now is the time to work together to develop new ways to impart knowledge and cultivate student success.

If you have any questions on this grant and the RFP process, I invite you to contact Bob Hansen, Associate Provost for University Outreach, at 780-5923, Hansen@usm.maine.edu.

Sincerely,
Selma Botman
President

University of Southern Maine

USM RECEIVES SLOAN GRANT What can this mean for your department?

High Quality Teaching and Learning, Anytime, Anyplace

USM RECEIVES SLOAN GRANT
What can this mean for your department?