First three UMaineOnline graduate courses attain GOLD status

Three University of Maine courses are the first to attain UMaineGOLD status, according to the Graduate School and Division of Lifelong Learning.

The three courses — SED 536 (Instructional Strategies for Students with Severe Disabilities) and SED 598 (Collaboration and Transitions), both core courses taught by Sarah Howorth in the M.Ed. program in special education; and SIE 507 (Information Systems Programming), a course taught by Nimesha Ranasinghe that is central to the bioinformatics program, as well as several other graduate options in computing and information science — have been developed through a collaborative effort with staff members in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

All courses meet content and delivery standards that are consistent with the most state-of-the-art online courses offered nationally. Both Howorth and Ranasinghe are new UMaine assistant professors.

“We are very appreciative of Dr. Howorth’s and Dr. Ranasinghe’s commitment to high quality, and to creating an engaging environment and fostering a sense of community with their online students,” says Monique LaRocque, associate provost for lifelong learning.

UMaineGOLD (Graduate Online Degrees) is an intensive collaboration between academic departments, the Graduate School, and the Division of Lifelong Learning that began in 2017. The goal of the initiative is to provide online graduate professional education that addresses the need for innovative, relevant and high-quality programming of global impact and local relevance, preparing students for rewarding 21st-century careers, says Kody Varahramyan, vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School.

Successful UMaineGOLD programs must meet established standards in 15 areas of excellence that encompass marketing, recruitment, admissions, student advising and success, course design and curriculum planning, faculty development, and other key measures. Six online graduate programs were approved for development as UMaineGOLD programs in AY17–18 and seven additional programs have been approved this year.

Of the six programs approved in the last academic year, an additional 25 to 30 courses are expected to be certified GOLD this year.

More information about the UMaineGOLD program is online.