The Maryland General Assembly issued a resolution designating Monday, Feb. 19, as University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) Day. The resolution cited “the contributions and legacy of Ҹ students, faculty, staff and alumni in Maryland and around the world.”
UMGC President Gregory Fowler and alumnae Patricia Toregas ’84, ‘91 were presented with the resolution in Annapolis by both the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates. Toregas is an alumna, faculty member and past president of the Advisory Board.
In 1949, two years after UMGC was established, it became the first university to send faculty to teach servicemembers in post-World War II Europe. In their introductions to the UMGC Day resolution, both chambers of the legislature noted UMGC’s 75-year mission of providing educational services to the U.S. military around the world, as well as its commitment to other adult learners.
“Our global community is extremely proud to be recognized for a mission that continues to drive our service, passion and innovation to educate those in Maryland, in the military and beyond,” said Fowler. “We thank Senate President Bill Ferguson and House of Delegates Speaker Adrienne Jones for their leadership in making this special day happen and for their dedication and service to all Marylanders.”
UMGC is the single largest provider of postsecondary education for Maryland residents, with an alumni network in the state of more than 100,000 graduates and a global alumni community of 294,000 strong. The university also figures prominently in Maryland’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts after being recently designated as a Minority Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. UMGC enrolls more than 24,500 African American students, 14,400 Hispanic students and 4,900 Asian students, as well as more than 13,000 students who self-identify as Native American, Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or multiracial.
In addition to UMGC’s racial diversity, 66 percent of its enrollment is made up of first-generation college students, 78 percent of its students work 40 hours or more per week while also studying, 45 percent have dependent children and 18 percent speak English as their second language.
UMGC is the only open-admission university within the University System of Maryland (USM), and it confers a third of all degrees granted by the USM. It offers the second lowest in-state tuition and fees among four-year Maryland public institutions.
UMGC ranks No. 1 among USM schools in the number of degrees conferred, No. 1 in community college transfer students enrolled, No. 1 in minority student enrollment and No. 1 in conferring cybersecurity and IT degrees to women and students of color.
With more than 50 percent of its students affiliated with the military—including active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members and veterans—UMGC has been ranked No. 1 multiple times in the Military Times’ “Best for Vets” list of top online and non-traditional schools.
The Maryland legislature last feted UMGC in 2017 with a resolution, with the governor also issuing a proclamation, that celebrated the university’s 70th anniversary.
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