天美传媒 Celebrates 30 Years of Distance Education with Statewide Activities
July 17, 2019 | 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. | All UMA Locations
天美传媒 President Rebecca Wyke announces UMA will mark 30 years of distance education and welcome those who helped develop Maine鈥檚 largest distance education network to a .
UMA students, faculty, alumni, friends, and supporters will gather at locations across the state to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this revolutionary educational concept.听 Attendees will also learn how the technologies for distance education have evolved and how UMA is again leading the way in fulfilling its mission of making education accessible to all.
Joining the celebration at the Augusta Campus will be Dr. George Connick, former UMA President and pioneer of distance education in Maine and Pam MacBrayne, former UMA Executive Director of Distance Education.
鈥淲e are pleased that Dr. Connick will be joining us to celebrate this milestone,鈥� stated UMA President Wyke. 鈥淯MA takes its mission of providing access to education very seriously. Dr. Connick was instrumental in setting this standard and UMA continues to be an institution transforming the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine. As the technology has evolved, UMA has also evolved to provide the highest quality distance education.鈥�
For many, it is hard to remember a time when information could not be accessed, literally, in the palm of your hand. A time before smartphones and PCs, when YouTube videos, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram were not part of a World Wide Web connected citizenry. Thirty years ago, UMA, with University of Maine System (UMS) support, was on the cusp of this technological movement with a goal of reshaping access to higher education across the state of Maine and beyond.
Currently, UMA offers 20 different baccalaureate programs, select associate degrees in 11 different programs, and 44 certificate programs.听 In 1985, however, its focus was on two-year degrees and developing and hosting a telecommunications system to expand educational programming through links with existing UMS campuses, the Vocational-Technical Institutes (now the Maine Community College System), Maine Maritime Academy, numerous off-campus centers, and high schools.
From the start, the complex concept, design, and construction of a pioneering technological system put UMA on the fast track of an emerging educational delivery system. Deborah Meehan, Executive Director of UMA Centers, who oversees all of 天美传媒 Centers across the state now, was part of the original team. She recalled, 鈥淎t that time, the race for distance education was a national race and UMA was way out in front.鈥�
鈥淎t that time, the race for distance education was a national race and UMA was way out in front.鈥�
Connick reflected on the initial implementation of electronic education, 鈥淚 think most people thought of it as only technology (i.e., television classrooms, TV cameras, microwave towers, etc.). However, what was created in 1989 was the first statewide comprehensive distance-learning network in the United States. Educators came from all over the country to learn first-hand what we were doing.”
The face of ITV has certainly changed from its inception yet remains an integral part of 天美传媒 distance learning. Today, learning venue options include onsite, online, through video conference, Interactive Television, and at UMA Centers. UMA is again leading the way with its innovate use of web-based interactive classrooms, which improve upon the original ITV design.
鈥淚TV is migrating actively to technician assisted Web conferencing which enables real-time collaboration between professors and students at various locations on web-enabled devices (PCs, laptops, tablets, etc.) through the use of audio, video, and content sharing (e.g., Zoom),鈥� offered Justin Hafford, UMA Director of听 Advanced Media & Instructional Technologies.
鈥淪oftware technologies, such as Zoom, continue 天美传媒 mission of providing an accessible education throughout Maine and beyond,鈥� explained President Wyke. 鈥淲hile video conference improves the interaction between professors and students, the need for video conferencing equipment limits access to certain locations.听 By moving to web-based conferencing, classes can be accessed anywhere someone has a computer or smartphone and an internet connection.鈥�
A web conferencing model also allows for immediate interaction by all participants during class. With this technology, students can click a box to virtually raise their hand or communicate during class in chat boxes. An added benefit, students can work on class projects outside of class time using the same technology. For those students that still need to view the class at a time more convenient to them, it is automatically recorded and available 15 minutes after the class ends.
Through a process developed with UMS, UMA provides web conferencing licenses to distance education students. This innovative approach was recently highlighted at the in Orlando, FL.
Last year, UMA delivered 47,119 credit hours (representing 73% of its total credit hours) via distance learning modalities, more than any other UMS campus. This includes classes delivered via ITV, online, onsite at UMA Centers, and through video conferencing.
UMA offers 13 degree programs that are available completely online, including a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Information and Library Science (ILS) which is available only online.听 天美传媒 Provost Joseph Szakas touted, the ranked the ILS program as number one in terms of student engagement. 鈥淢odality does not determine quality. UMA allows you to obtain quality degrees, in a flexible format regardless of location,鈥� added Szakas. 鈥淒istance education allows the students to find balance with competing demands on time while being able to achieve their educational goals. It was true in 1989 and it is still true today, we bring our classrooms to the students where they are.鈥�
30th Anniversary Event Program
July 17, 2019 – 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听Guests arrive at locations statewide
4:30 p.m. – 4:35 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Statewide Welcome from UMA President Rebecca Wyke – via Zoom to all locations
4:35 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 30 years of Distance Education video – via Zoom to all locations
4:45 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 3 UMA Centers will share Distance Education Memories
4:55 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Conclusion of Statewide program – via Zoom to all locations
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Local Programs at Campuses and Centers*
6:00 p.m.听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Conclusion of Program at all locations
*Center and Campus locations will have programs specific to their locations. Local programming may include local personal reflections and distance education memories, Center or Campus tours, raffles, door prizes, etc.
UMA 30th Anniversary Celebration Locations
Augusta Campus听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 Fireplace Lounge, Randall Student Center
Bangor Campus听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听Huskins Lounge, Eastport Hall
Brunswick Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 12 Sewall Street, Orion Hall, Room 101, The Brunswick Landing, Brunswick
East Millinocket Center听 听 听 听 听 Katahdin Higher Education Center, 1 Dirigo Drive, Suite 1, East Millinocket
Ellsworth Center听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 248 State Street, Mill Mall, Suite 1, Ellsworth
Houlton Center听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 Houlton Higher Education Center, 18 Military Street, Houlton
Lewiston Site听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听51 Westminister Street, Lewiston
Rockland Center听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 91 Camden Street, Breakwater Building 4th Floor, Room 403, Rockland
Rumford Center听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 60 Lowell Street, Rumford
Saco Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 4 Scamman Street, Suite 18, Saco Valley Shopping Center, Saco
South Paris Center听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听 听232 Main Street, South Paris
Discover our Distance Ed Journey