Tuesday, January 22, 2002

By: Elissa Garriss, PR Intern

WILMINGTON, NC- Effective Jan. 1, 2002, the Division for Public Service and Extended Education at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington became the Division for Public Service and Continuing Studies. This resulted from transferring the extended education function to the Division for Academic Affairs.

“Extended education is frequently used for credit offerings that are not at a campus location,” explains associate vice chancellor of academic affairs, Dr. Melton McLaurin, who is also director of extended education. “Continuing education is frequently used to denote life-long learning opportunities rather than courses for academic credit.”

The public service division still does 90 percent or more of their original duties. Only extended education, a fraction of their department, was transferred to Academic Affairs

“While our name has changed, our commitment to our region remains the same,” said Vice Chancellor Michelle Howard-Vital, Ph.D. As a part of its stated mission, the division pursues positive change in its service area by providing diverse learning activities that help to strengthen all citizens in Southeastern North Carolina.

“The name change was made to reflect the operations that go on in public service,” explained Dr. McLaurin. The divisions overall goal is to contribute in various ways to the rapidly changing society.

During the 2002 year, the division priorities include a variety of operations. One goal is to acquire funds to support developing partnerships and technology outreach. They will also continue to offer lifelong learning and pre-college learning activities, community forums that address citizens’ concerns and needs, and provide original and educational television programming on UNCW-TV, broadcast as part of the Learning Network of the Cape Fear on Time Warner Cable channel 5.

NOTE TO MEDIA: For more information, contact Annette C. Anderson, assistant to the vice chancellor for community affairs, (910) 962-3547, andersonac@uncwil.edu