Graduates at the University of Maryland University Global Campus commencement ceremony in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 2016. The Defense Department awarded a five-year contract to the university to continue teaching U.S. troops overseas, according to a statement released June 7, 2023. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)
Two U.S. universities that have offered in-person classes for service members in Europe for decades were awarded new five-year contracts from the Defense Department, while two others are bowing out this summer.
The University of Maryland Global Campus announced its deal in a statement Wednesday, and Embry-Riddle spokeswoman Nancy Tran-Horne told Stars and Stripes on Thursday that it also has an agreement with DOD to keep its classroom coursework going.
Students take a quiz in environmental science during a University of Maryland Global Campus course at the Army education centerin Bamberg, Germany, in 2005. (Stars and Stripes)
The University of Oklahoma and Central Texas College, however, did not seek new contracts for providing classroom education, said Ela Karczewska, a spokeswoman for Installation Management Command-Europe.
The University of Maryland Global Campus had its beginnings in 1949, when seven teachers went to war-torn Germany to begin instructing students, according to the statement. It will mark its 75th anniversary in Europe next year.
“Our service to the U.S. military has been part of the very foundation of our university and a cornerstone of our global reputation,” university President Gregory Fowler said in the statement.
The university offers more than 30 undergraduate degrees and certificates in more than 120 subjects, according to its website.
Graduates listen to speakers at the University of Maryland Global Campus commencement ceremony in Eppelheim, Germany, in 2001. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
“This new contract adds several certificate and degree program options, including emergency management, environmental management, legal studies, data analytics, and various health-related options,” Patricia Coopersmith, vice president and director of the university’s Europe division, said in the statement.
The University of Maryland Global Campus and Embry-Riddle will meet next week to discuss the future of the two programs, Tran-Horne said.
In-person instruction is expected to end at University of Oklahoma and Central Texas College classrooms in Europe on July 31, according to their websites.
