For 8th Consecutive Year Since its Founding in 2001, UMassOnline Achieves Double Digit Revenue and Enrollment Growth

Continued Strong Momentum Fueled in Part by Growing National and International Appeal

SHREWSBURY, Mass.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--UMassOnline, the online learning division of the University of Massachusetts, today announced that for its fiscal year 2009 it achieved a 18% increase in enrollments and an 27% increase in revenue over its fiscal year 2009 results. Compared to the previous year, enrollments increased from 33,900 to 40,020 while revenues increased from $36.9 million to $46.8 million. This marks the eighth consecutive year in which UMassOnline, founded in 2001, has seen double digit growth in both enrollments and revenues.

“we continue to see significant growth in the number of international students seeking degree and certificates through UMassOnline; we also see a shift in the demographics of our prospective and enrolled students to include a much larger percentage of younger students (under 25).”

UMassOnline Interim CEO Mark Schlesinger characterized the results as “extremely significant and very promising for continued growth since UMassOnline sustained its exceptional momentum during a major global economic crisis. This growth outpaced increases in the number of prospective college-bound students in the United States.”

According to Dr. Schlesinger, who was recently named Interim CEO, in fiscal year 2009 UMassOnline met several organizational, programmatic and marketing benchmarks and milestones that carry important implications for the institution’s continued growth. Of greatest significance, he said, is that the reputation and recognition of the UMassOnline offerings – now totaling some 83 programs and 1,500 courses – continue to transcend the institution’s traditional Massachusetts-based and New England traditional service area. Specifically, UMassOnline has seen sharp gains in national and international prospective student inquiries.

According to UMassOnline Director of Marketing and Customer Relations Jennifer Brady, significant changes in student demographics as well as the organization’s continued initiative in China carry strong implications for continued growth as well. “Over the past two years,” she said, “we continue to see significant growth in the number of international students seeking degree and certificates through UMassOnline; we also see a shift in the demographics of our prospective and enrolled students to include a much larger percentage of younger students (under 25).”

Last month, Brady confirmed, UMassOnline completed its specialized website tailored for the Chinese market and added UMassOnline China Partnership Coordinator Li Feng as a regular columnist on the UMassOnline blog.

Programmatically, fiscal year 2009 saw UMassOnline courses and faculty singled out for national distinction while the organization’s overall technology innovations earned a highly coveted public sector technology leadership award. Specifically, in October, UMass Dartmouth Professor Dr. Jeannette E. Riley was the recipient of the Excellence in Online Teaching Award from Sloan-C, a national consortium of institutions and organizations committed to quality online education. Dr. Riley was honored “For innovative development of learner-centered strategies for online teaching that promote intellectual inquiry, critical analysis, and self-reflection, and inspire students to pursue life-long learning.”

Also in October, Sloan-C distinguished UMassOnline's Graduate Behavioral Intervention in Autism Program from UMass Lowell as the ‘Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program’ in the nation. And lastly, also in October, from among some 160 nominations, UMassOnline was named this year’s winner of the Mass Technology Leadership Council’s Technology Leadership Award among public sector organizations. It is the first and only award of its type to equally recognize outstanding achievement in the development and implementation of technology.

About UMassOnline

UMassOnline, the online learning division of the University of Massachusetts, provides the highest quality education offered by the UMass system in a flexible, online format enabling students, professionals, and lifelong learners to take courses anywhere, anytime. With 83 undergraduate and graduate degree, certificate and professional development programs and more than 1,500 courses, UMassOnline offers one of the largest accredited online programs available. Programs span the disciplines for which the University is best known: liberal arts, education, management, nursing, public health, information technology, and other disciplines. For more about UMassOnline, go to www.umassonline.net, www.china.umassonline.net or visit our blog at www.umassonlineblog.com.