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For Immediate Release: October 16, 2006
UMW SIGNS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, OCT. 16
Fredericksburg, Va. – The president of the University of Mary Washington (UMW) signed an agreement today with the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) based in Monterey, Calif., affirming a strategic partnership to share resources and promote joint educational and professional projects.
With NPS, Stafford County and regional business officials on hand, UMW President William J. Frawley signed an Educational Partnership Agreement forging a cooperative relationship between the two public institutions to encourage education and research opportunities that combine their capabilities and resources.
The University of Mary Washington’s partnership with the Naval Postgraduate School exemplifies the kind of alliance that’s key to the mission and identity of the university and its efforts to engage in productive new partnerships,” said Dr. Frawley. “This alliance focuses attention on the extraordinary quality of faculty and students at both institutions and on ways our two schools can share these valuable resources to mutual benefit.”
The collaboration between NPS and UMW represents the first partnership announced since Dr. Frawley identified strategic initiatives and partnerships as one of the defining goals of his administration and since he added this as one of the responsibilities of Vice President for Graduate and Professional Studies Meta R. Braymer.
“We look forward to a long and rewarding relationship with NPS,” commented Dr. Braymer. “The arrangement is a win-win situation for both institutions.”
The agreement provides the formal foundation needed for NPS and UMW to pursue working relationships between faculty, staff, students and departments that agree on areas of mutual interest. NPS has already begun allowing UMW faculty to enroll in a course designed to teach professors how to put courses online. The institutions also expect to establish protocols for the transfer of credits between the schools in support of degree and certificate programs at both institutions.
The agreement between NPS and UMW “is a major step in bringing our expertise in graduate education and research to the Quantico-Stafford County region,” noted Dr. Leonard Ferrari, NPS provost.
Officials hope the partnership will pave the way for even more collaboration, such as NPS and UMW student involvement in programs at both institutions through student internships, research projects, work study activities and cooperative education programs.
NPS addresses national security requirements by offering resident master’s and doctoral programs at its Monterey, Calif., campus; degree and certificate programs via distributed learning; and executive and professional short courses for senior officials around the world in traditional formats. Students are both military personnel and civilians.
Soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks, NPS developed the nation’s first advanced degree program focused on homeland security for civilian officials from state, county and city emergency services, police and fire departments. NPS has been chosen to lead a new multimillion dollar national initiative to develop a civilian science and engineering workforce for the 21st Century.
Many NPS graduates have advanced to the highest levels of leadership in the military, government and industry. NPS alumni play important roles in organizations in the greater Fredericksburg region, such as the Naval Sea Systems Command at Dahlgren, and the Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico, according to NPS.
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News release prepared by: Christine Neuberger