 |
 |
 |
|
|
1999-2005
1978-1998
Dr. Massey oversaw many exciting changes in the university. In the first year of his term the Graduate School was established. Under his leadership, UMUC’s Distance Education programs were expanded—both in enrollment and geographical scope. Innovative distance delivery formats such as WebTycho were also introduced. Dr. Massey expanded the offering of the university’s flexible programs in all 50 states, overseas, and in war zones in Desert Storm and Bosnia. During Dr. Massey’s tenure, the university introduced a variety of new programs, including EXCEL, Co-op, and Open Learning. In 1988, UMUC became a separate degree-granting institution within the University System of Maryland. Then in 1996, Dr. Massey was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame. Following his retirement, and in tribute to his service, the university established the T. Benjamin Massey Endowed Scholarship Fund to provide scholarship support to UMUC students worldwide with financial needs.
1975-1978
One of Dr. Drazek’s lifelong interests was excellence in teaching. He worked hard to recruit an exceptional faculty for UMUC, and he established programs to help teachers reach their full potential in the classroom. Because Dr. Drazek viewed teaching excellence as one of the university’s core values, UMUC fittingly named the Stanley J. Drazek Teaching Awards in his honor.
1970-1975
Dr. Ehrensberger, whose constant travels earned him the nickname “The Flying Dean,” was recognized for his pioneering work in adult and continuing education. He was inducted posthumously into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame on March 3, 2004, which is housed in the Oklahoma Center for Continuing Education at the University of Oklahoma. |
Gerald A. Heeger served as UMUC’s president for six years (1999-2005). During his presidency, Dr. Heeger supervised the development of over 70 new certificate programs and the university’s first doctoral program. During his tenure at UMUC, the university continued its steady growth, bolstering its reputation as a provider of high-quality online instruction while continuing to provide traditional, face-to-face instruction in classrooms throughout Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia, and overseas. In 2001, the University received the first Sloan-Consortium award for institution-wide asynchronous online programming and in 2004 won the International Council for Open and Distance Education’s Prize of Excellence, the highest international honor granted in recognition of excellence in distance education. Dr. Heeger’s leadership oversaw the university's rise to become the nation's largest public university offering online programs. 
President Emeritus T. Benjamin Massey, the longest serving president in UMUC history, served as Chancellor (a title changed to President during his tenure) from 1978 until his retirement in 1998, yet his service to UMUC spanned the sum of 38 years.
Chancellor Emeritus Stanley J. Drazek (1918-96) joined University of Maryland University College in 1948, one year after its founding. During more than 30 years at UMUC, he served successively as faculty member, director of the Baltimore division, dean, and chancellor.
Ray Ehrensberger (1905 – 1997) served as a faculty member in the1940s and dean of the College of Special and Continuation Studies at University of Maryland, the precursor to UMUC. In 1970, Dr. Ehrensberger became the first chancellor of UMUC.