News Release
Monday, April 20, 2015
Tel: (202) 606-2402
Agreement between OPM and Champlain College Expands Affordable Learning Opportunities for Federal Employees and Their Families
Partnership with national leader of adult online learning enables agency to equip Federal workforce with mission-critical skills and knowledge.
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Champlain College have entered into an agreement enabling Federal employees, their spouses, and qualifying adult family members to pursue affordable, online post-secondary education in high-demand business, health care and technology fields. Starting with the summer 2015 semester, Champlain College will offer Federal employees and their families access to more than 60 nationally recognized online certificate, bachelor’s, and master’s degree programs at up to 70 percent less than standard online tuition rates through their alliance program.
“By partnering with Champlain College, OPM is helping provide access to high-quality educational opportunities that will allow our dedicated Federal employees to advance their careers and contribute to their agencies’ mission success,” said OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. “At OPM, our mission is to provide the tools agencies require to recruit, develop, and retain the top talent we need to serve the American people. The alliance program will help foster a high-performing workforce capable of achieving today’s missions and meeting tomorrow’s challenges.”
Through their truED® alliance, Champlain College will provide the Federal workforce with online certificate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in fields like cybersecurity, digital forensics, health care administration and human resources management that closely align with the high-demand and mission-critical skills needs. A leader in adult online learning for more than 20 years, Champlain College is a small undergraduate and graduate college located in Burlington, Vermont. It offers a unique subscription model that enables Federal employees to make affordable monthly tuition payments, rather than large outlays each semester, potentially leaving them with little to no debt.
Champlain College is designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the U.S. National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Air Force. Jayson Boyers, Vice President of Champlain College and Managing Director of the Division of Continuing and Professional Studies, said, “We are honored to have this opportunity to partner with OPM and provide the hard-working men and women of the Federal workforce with expanded learning opportunities that are both convenient and affordable,” he added.
Federal employees can immediately begin submitting their applications for the summer term, which begins on July 6, 2015, and has the admission deadline of June 5, 2015. To learn more, visit http://www.champlain.edu/truEDFed. The first live webinars for Federal employees interested in learning more about truED® and Champlain College will take place tomorrow, April 21, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. EDT and Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Federal employees can register for the webinars at http://www.champlain.edu/truedfed/admission/webinars.
About the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): OPM’s mission is to Recruit, Retain and Honor a World-Class Workforce to Serve the American People. OPM supports U.S. agencies with personnel services and policy leadership including staffing tools, guidance on labor-management relations and programs to improve workforce performance.
About Champlain College: Founded in 1878, Champlain College is a private, non-profit, regionally accredited institution that has stayed true to its mission of delivering a highly relevant, professionally-focused education. Champlain has long been recognized for its innovative approach to education, both on-campus and online, in areas such as business, cybersecurity, digital forensics, health care, information technology, and more. Champlain College serves more than 1,000 online undergraduate and master’s degree students and 2,000 students on its Burlington, Vt., campus. Champlain was ranked in the top 15 percent of all U.S. colleges by the Princeton Review, and a Top Regional College of the North by U.S. News & World Report. In 2013, Champlain was named the Best Cybersecurity Higher Education Program in the United States by SC Magazine. For more information about Champlain College, visit http://www.champlain.edu/online.
About truED®: truED® is developed and supported as part of Champlain College’s Online Continuing Professional Studies Division. Through alliances with leading organizations in government and industry and the affordable truED® subscription model, Champlain College delivers an accessible, and relevant online higher education experience to help employees gain the skills and knowledge they need to enhance their careers and achieve their organization’s business objectives. Champlain’s certificate and degree programs not only provide discipline-specific knowledge, but also the critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills essential for the modern workforce. For more information about truED®, visit http://www.champlain.edu/truEd.