The Open University Celebrates 40 Years of Diplomas, Degrees and the MBA

    MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND, July 06, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Open University (OU) has marked its first degree ceremony 40 years after the first students crossed the stage at London's Alexandra Palace to collect their awards. The University first began hosting these memorable events to honour its graduating students in 1973, when some 867 students gathered with their friends and family for the inaugural ceremony.

Since then, the OU has hosted more than 700 such events in locations across the UK, Ireland and the rest of the world and a typical year will see more than 20 ceremonies taking place. During that time the OU has grown to become the largest university in the UK and is widely regarded as a leader in the field of flexible diplomas and degrees including the MBA with around a quarter of a million students, 15,000 of which are overseas. The OU is also the top UK University for student satisfaction.

Back on June 23 1973 Baron Perry of Walton, then Vice-Chancellor used his speech to commend the assembled students and praise their contribution to the development of the fledging University.
He said: "You, the graduates were the goal that we dimly discerned through the mists of doubt and uncertainty.

"Those who succeed have exhibited not only the necessary intellectual capacity, but also qualities of staying power and determination that will, I predict, come to be regarded as the particular hallmark of ... The Open University."

Almost two million students have now studied with The Open University in courses ranging from Digital Photography to Astro-Physics. The University is also home to world-leading research across a range of subjects at its central campus in Milton Keynes as well as at its other bases around England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Speaking ahead of the anniversary, Martin Bean, current Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said: "The Open University has always been at the cutting edge of flexible learning, from our early days of BBC programmes right through to our use of today's technology which allows people to study wherever they are and however they wish.

"Those early values of flexibility and openness are still at the heart of the OU today and our students still display the qualities so praised by Walter Perry at that first graduation ceremony. Now more than ever it is important that people are able to learn and develop themselves without putting their lives on hold, and indeed some 70% of our students are in employment whilst studying.

"Meeting graduates at some of our degree ceremonies is one of the best parts of my job, and this weekend presents the opportunity to reflect on how far we've come over the last 40 years and to look forward to the countless students still to enjoy that happy moment of crossing the stage to collect their degree.

The Open University is the world's leading provider of flexible, high quality online courses and online degrees, serving students across the globe with highly respected qualifications, including the triple accredited MBA degree.

Website: http://www.openuniversity.edu

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LMU Celebrates First McNair Scholars Cohort

Loyola Marymount University’s commitment to advancing student success was strengthened by a $1 million grant from the McNair Scholarships Program at the U.S. Department of Education. The program, aimed primarily at science and engineering students, will help LMU put students on the academic path to graduate degrees and doctorates.

“Our faculty and staff worked hard to bring McNair to LMU,” said Abbie Robinson-Armstrong, the university’s vice president for intercultural affairs. “The grant was the highest-scoring new grant that the program received. This program has played a role in shaping thousands of researchers over the years.” The final grant-writing team was led by Curtis Bennett, associate dean of Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering and professor of mathematics.

The scholarship program is named after Ronald E. McNair, who earned his doctorate in physics at MIT and later became an astronaut. McNair was the second African-American to fly in space, aboard the Challenger in 1984. He died in the Challenger explosion in 1986. To commemorate McNair’s life and career, the Department of Education instituted the scholarship for low-income, first-generation students, and/or underrepresented students with a primary goal of preparing them for graduate-level education.

“Considering a post-baccalaureate degree was never something I or my family thought about until I was chosen to be a part of the McNair Scholars Program,” said Owen Dominguez, a junior electrical engineering major. “However, when my family and I were invited for an informational luncheon, we were very impressed with the program's goals and the supportive community from LMU.”

The McNair program at LMU will not be exclusively science and technology; students from the social sciences are also included. The 25 exceptionally accomplished students were chosen after a challenging selection process, said Ed Mosteig, associate professor of mathematics and who is the administrator the program and will provide specialized support for the students.

The heart of the program is mentorship; six highly recognized from five departments will work closely to prepare the students for the rigors of graduate work and to stay aware of opportunities as they arise.  “My McNair mentor and I are already exploring ideas to conduct research in Ethiopia after graduation,” said Mahalet Gebeyhu, a senior civil engineering major.

During a daylong celebration and orientation for McNair scholars and their families, Jeffrey Wilson, associate dean of Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts and a professor of philosophy, told of a student of his, who had been taught that “she could not reach that high” as a Ph.D. and a college teaching career. Wilson said that the McNair Scholars program reverses the effects of messages like that, and that these students could become scientists and academics, and possibly science advisers to the state of California, the U.S. government, the Organization of American States, the European Union, and the United Nations.  

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