Learning Unleashed: Michigan Tech Opens Global Campus

With Vice President for Online and Continuing Education David Lawrence at the helm,
Michigan Tech is launching a new initiative to support and promote its online graduate
programs.

Michigan Technological University’s new Global Campus initiative, announced today, will make the possibility of earning an online graduate
degree or certificate available to a broader range of students, including working
professionals and career changers.

Michigan Tech is no stranger to online education. Launching its first online programs
in 2005, the University has spent the better part of two decades discovering new ways
to bring effective, efficient programming to learners who are seeking online alternatives.
Global Campus furthers MTU’s goals of promoting and improving access to advanced education
through online delivery.

Up until now, responsibilities for administering Michigan Tech’s more than 40 online
graduate degree and certificate programs, along with a vast array of undergraduate
and graduate stand-alone classes, have rested with the University’s colleges and departments.
Global Campus changes that, bringing them all together under one roof — and under
Lawrence’s direction.

“Michigan Tech has built a strong foundation in online and continuing education,”
said Lawrence, who is the first person at MTU to hold a University leadership position
dedicated exclusively to the growth and expansion of online programming. “With our
remarkable amount of knowledge and experience, and in-demand programs for professionals
and other adult learners, the University is uniquely positioned to lead and innovate
in the online space.”

Lawrence, whose tenure at Michigan Tech began Sept. 1, brings more than 10 years of
experience to Global Campus, along with a commitment to enhance opportunities for
nontraditional students. In his role as vice president, Lawrence provides strategic
direction to develop and drive an online and continuing education strategy that will
ensure the University meets nontraditional and online education needs through evolving
learning modalities.

Lawrence will also establish and grow educational partnerships within Global Campus to help businesses attract and retain employees, and grow employment in the State
of Michigan. This unique blend of academic rigor and market relevance will help employers
and employees remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

Prior to joining Michigan Tech, Lawrence served as Davenport University’s vice president
of admissions and strategic partnership, leading enrollment for the university’s undergraduate,
graduate and online student audiences and corporate education programs.

“David knows the world of higher education inside and out,” said Dave Reed, Michigan
Tech’s vice president for research. “With his leadership, the University will not
only continue to provide high-quality, accessible education for people around the
globe, but also deliver the Michigan Tech experience for graduate degrees and certificates
via an online platform. His experience working with corporations and professional
development offerings will allow the University to enhance our relationships with
our numerous corporate partners.”

Working with the provost and dean of the Graduate School, as well as the associate
provost for curriculum and instruction and other University stakeholders, Lawrence
will direct the development of online and remote learning initiatives and guide a
growing portfolio of nontraditional programs, their delivery, and the infrastructure
and processes to support their success.

“Michigan Tech has a great opportunity to share quality education through its online
programs and meet the needs of today’s students,” Lawrence said. “I am excited to
be part of the University community and to help in leading and creating innovative
pathways into new territories of advancing education.”

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.