Bringing the best of the university system to the county

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007

Bringing the best of the university system to the county

Stewart Edelstein |

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After more than two decades in higher education, I thought I knew all about college students. Then I came to the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville in the spring of 2002. Here I found students who are remarkable in their focus, their commitment and their motivation to learn and achieve. So many of them have an extra drive and an extraordinary appreciation of the opportunity to learn.

USG started as an innovative concept designed to give these students access to top-quality University System of Maryland programs. But we do it differently from traditional campuses.

First, we offer degree programs from eight different University System of Maryland campuses. Next, we cater to transfer students. Undergraduates come to us for their junior and senior years. More than half come to us from Montgomery College or nearby community colleges.

Looking back, I believe that in just a few years USG has gone from a concept to a campus graduating students eager to contribute to our community’s future. Just look at our students:

*Valerie Bartel earned a national award in special education and top honors from both USG and Towson University in 2007. She now teaches at Goshen Elementary School and is back at USG working on her master’s degree.

*Or Kim Picca, a member of our charter class in 2002. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Today, Kim is a geriatric nurse manager and a member of the USG Board of Advisors.

*Or Rafael Pacheco, former Navy corpsman who became interested in medicine while serving on the front lines and as a first responder on Sept. 11. This father of two completed his bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, while taking classes full time and working part time. Rafael is now in medical school.

Like Rafael, many of our students work and study full time. Some are already in the workforce; some are returning to finish degrees or to start advanced degrees. All are dedicated to staying, studying and succeeding here in our community. They are the emerging leaders of tomorrow — caring, competent and committed.

USG is dedicated to serving Montgomery County. We work with employers to determine which degree programs are most needed and wanted.

Since the county is home to several video game companies, we asked the University of Baltimore to bring its major in simulation and digital entertainment here this fall. We brought Montgomery County Public Schools and College Park together to create graduate degree programs tailored for middle school math and science teachers. Recognizing the rising demand in the hospitality industry, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore brought its hotel and restaurant management program to USG.

In 2000, USG started with a charter class of 227 undergraduates. Today, we serve more than 1,700 undergraduates and 900 graduate students. With the opening of our new state-of-the-art, green building, we will be able to serve 6,000 students.

Our alumni are succeeding. They work at Marriott, MedImmune, Accenture and Adventist hospitals; they are serving in public schools, government agencies and businesses throughout the region.

Each day I go to campus feeling privileged to be inspired by our students and to partner with business and community leaders to fulfill USG’s mission to make a difference here in Montgomery County.

Stewart Edelstein, Ph.D., is associate vice chancellor for academic affairs of the University System of Maryland, and executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove.

About This Series

This four-part series examines the growth and development of the Universities at Shady Grove and its increasingly important contribution in meeting the higher education and workforce needs of Montgomery County.

Oct. 10: Access and affordability.

Today: Innovative model.

Oct. 24: Pathway to success.

Oct. 31: Enriching our economic future.