2003 UMassOnline Revenue Grows 40% and Enrollments Grow 33%; Students Cite Satisfaction with Convenience, High Caliber Professors and Programs.

Business Editors/Education Writers/High-Tech Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2003

UMassOnline, the University of Massachusetts' web-based learning division, today announced that online education program revenues and enrollments grew 40 percent and 33 percent, respectively, in 2003.

Revenues from the combined online programs at the University exceeded $11 million, up from $7.8 million in 2002, while enrollments reached 13,375, up from 10,039 in 2002. More than 90 percent of the revenues are retained by the UMass campuses to support education and research programs.

UMassOnline attributes its rapid growth to the continued addition of new online programs that serve community needs, high levels of online student satisfaction, and UMassOnline's increasing recognition as a leader in the national distance learning market due to factors such as winning several national distance learning awards.

"Distance learning is critical to the future of UMass and all of higher education," UMass interim President Jack M. Wilson said. "Without it, we cannot adequately serve students who live far from our campuses or whose work and family lives make traditional higher education an unattainable goal. Also, at a time when we are expected to do more with less state funding, UMassOnline is mobilizing our five campuses to create entrepreneurial revenue-generating online programs, multi-campus collaborations, innovative faculty training, increased national visibility and significant cost savings for the University."

"Institutions that deliver only traditional programs write off large and important segments of the population, such as working professionals, who need and want to advance their educations," says David Gray, UMassOnline CEO. "At a large, multi-campus university like ours, online education also lets students draw upon the resources of whichever UMass campus that can best address their objectives, regardless of where they live."

"A bricks and mortar (university program) won't work for me - this works," says Joan Deal, a Virginia cardiovascular nurse and mother of three who is matriculated in the UMass Amherst Isenberg School Online MBA program. "For me (what works is) the faculty and the tremendous flexibility."

This year, the Sloan Consortium and the United States Distance Learning Association recognized UMassOnline with awards, the 2003 Award for Effective Practices in Student Satisfaction and the 2003 Excellence In Distance Teaching Award, respectively.

In 2003, UMassOnline launched new online programs including:

-- Master of Education in Instructional Design (UMass Boston)

-- MS (Nursing)/MPH Dual Degree Program (UMass Amherst)

-- Post Master's Nurse Practitioner Certificate (UMass Boston)

-- Bachelor of Business Administration (UMass Amherst)

-- Basics in Exercise and Nutrition for Health and Human

Performance Certificate of Completion (UMass Amherst)

-- Online Certificate of Business Studies (UMass Amherst)

Today, UMassOnline offers 37 graduate and undergraduate programs online - including more than 300 courses - through the continuing education departments at UMass Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell.

About UMassOnline: UMassOnline delivers high quality online educational programs from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell. Academic programs are fully accredited by the relevant accrediting bodies such as the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and degrees are granted by the sponsoring campus. To learn more about UMassOnline, visit www.UMassOnline.net.