Annual Report 2019
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UNIVERSITY OF THE PEOPLE PEOPLE THE UNIVERSITY OF THE DECADE EDITION ANNUAL REPORT REPORT ANNUAL THE DECADE EDITION DECADE THE CELEBR ATING1Oyears REVO LUTION 1Oyears CONTENTS 01. welcome 03. accessibility A Letter from the President 08 Exponential Growth 70 The Pillars of the Education Revolution 12 Global University 72 Milestones 14 Student Body 75 Global Ambassador: Simone Biles 16 Refugee Students 76 Student Debt Crisis 78 Undocumented Students 80 Flexibility 82 Availability 84 02. quality UoPeople@ Communities 86 UoPeople in Arabic 88 Graduates 91 Volunteers: The Human Infrastructure 20 Alumni Satisfaction 93 Board of Trustees 22 Career Service Center 95 President's Council 25 Alumni Employment 99 A Letter from the Provost 28 Inaugural Graduation Ceremony 102 Academic Programs 31 Business Administration Programs 32 Business Administration Leadership 35 Master of Education Program 38 Master of Education Leadership 40 04. affordability Individual Program Growth 44 Computer Science Programs 46 An Affordable Degree 107 Computer Science Leadership 48 Pay it Forward 108 Health Science Programs 52 The Power of Technology 110 Health Science Leadership 54 Financial Sustainability 113 Foundation Courses 57 Corporate Partnerships 115 Library Services Leadership 59 Social Support 119 Academic Collaborations 62 Grants & Gifts 120 Zero Tolerance for Plagiarism 64 Endorsement from Pope Francis 122 Publications 66 Scholarship Funds 123 Affiliates 126 Philanthropic Honor Roll 128 Join the Education Revolution! 132 There is not a single day I am years i que not proud to be a UoPeople student 10 magda quirz, suden We may all come In the age of information from different technology and innovation, places, but everyone University of the People is can learn something showing us the way from each other Dr. jhn sexn, chairman, presiden cuncil Dr. jseph zewzyk, direcr f aculy afairs The more educated To all the women who we are, the better are not allowed or the world around cannot afford to study: us will be If I can do it, so can you! arcadi irgu, suden farha naser, suden With my degree I can Together, we are finally make meaningful building a better, advances in my career brighter tomorrow debie ime, graduae curis vance, insrucr If you educate one, you can change a life. If you educate many, you can change the world shai reshef, presiden UoPeople offered me UoPeople is enabling knowledge, friends transformative all over the world, change for and the chance that students life denied me worldwide Dr. leah k. mahews, mirna rsi, graduae excuive direcr, EAC WELCOME Dear suprer, Ten years ago, we started the Education Revolution. We campaign among our students and graduates to “Pay It set out to prove that quality education can be accessible Forward” for their peers. To build on the University’s and affordable for every qualified student. As I reflect on career advising and networking opportunities for the tenth anniversary of University of the People, I am UoPeople students and graduates, we are launching an enormously proud of and humbled by all that we have enhanced Career Service Center. To further connect the achieved together. University’s network of students, alumni, volunteers, and supporters, we are launching UoPeople@ Commu- UoPeople has over 20,000 students currently enrolled, nities to build a global movement for local UoPeople hailing from upwards of 200 countries and territories. touchpoints. Many of our students are refugees, undocumented, or homeless, or face various financial, geographic, political, This year we are also launching our largest undertaking cultural, or personal barriers to their studies. We have yet: a University run by refugees, for refugees. UoPeople conferred over 800 degrees to exceptional graduates who in Arabic will address the significant need for education have gone on to work for organizations such as Apple, for those displaced by the global refugee crisis. For our Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, and the World Bank, among roughly 1,000 enrolled refugees and internally displaced others. We have expanded our degree and program persons, our high-quality, ultra-low-cost online education offerings, from Business Administration and Computer has been a life-changing opportunity. However, most Science, to Health Science and Education. We have Middle Eastern refugees cannot study in any language launched partnerships with world-renowned institu- other than Arabic. It is a natural extension of UoPeople’s tions: NYU, UC Berkeley, University of Edinburgh, and the mission to develop degree programs in Arabic to serve the International Baccalaureate. entire population of Arabic-speakers who have not yet been reached. However, our work has only just begun. In our tenth year, we are taking on incredibly ambitious projects. In the years to come, we will not stop growing and innovating until every single person on earth, regardless To honor our graduates, who represent over 100 of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to countries, UoPeople held our first ever virtual commence- pursue higher education. This would have never ment ceremony in April 2019 to reimagine graduation in happened without all of you and your support. From the the 21st Century. To ensure we can provide for all future bottom of my heart, thank you for all you have done and generations of UoPeople students, we have launched a continue to do for the University. Here’s to the Education Revolution, SHAI RESHEF President, University of the People 09 09 Pragashnie Naidoo Health Science Student, South Africa A DEGREE ON “My parents couldn’t afford to send me to university. MY SCHEDULE As an adult, I didn’t have the time or money to attend university. It just didn’t work for me until I found University of the People. Now, I’m working toward a Health Science degree on my schedule and within my AND WITHIN budget. I’ve been in the Alternative Health Therapy field for 18 years and so I hope my degree will advance my career.” MY BUDGET REVO FACT #1 The University has doubled in number every year over the last 5 years, from 500 to over 20,000 LUTstudents IO NARY 11 QUALITY Our academic administration is comprised of leaders, deans, and professors from all ranks of world-renowned institutions such as NYU, Columbia, and Princeton. Our President’s Council includes current and alumni presidents of universities such as NYU, Oxford, Vassar, and UC Berkeley. 92% of UoPeople graduates are employed and work for organizations such as Amazon, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, the UN and the World Bank. The University is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), which is listed by the US Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as a recognized accrediting agency. ACCESSIBILITY UoPeople is dedicated to opening the gates of higher education to every qualified high school graduate. UoPeople’s comprehensive learning platform can be reached via internet connection from anywhere in the world. All learning materials and textbooks are carefully selected by instructors and course designers and are accessible through Open Educational Resources, meaning that students are not required to purchase costly textbooks. AFFORDABILITY Enrollment at University of the People requires minimal costs for our students. Students are asked to pay only a $100 assessment fee at the end of each course ($200 for the Master’s level programs). With these contributions, the University is completely financially sustainable. If these modest fees are prohibitive, however, the University provides scholarships, donated by individuals, organizations, and foundations, such as Microsoft, HP, and the Oak Foundation, to ensure that no qualified students are left behind for financial reasons. education hrevolution pilar f h University of the People is the Education Revolution, demonstrating that higher education can be accessible and affordable, without compromising quality. 13 uopeople 2009 milestones Opened the UoPeople Gates to Students Worldwide. e2012educationducation2013 Received First Major Grant Presented UoPeople to (from Bill & Melinda Gates the Obama National Foundation). Security Council. 2016 2017 Partnered with UC Berkeley Partnered with the University of & Introduced Health Science Edinburgh & Received Pope revoand MBA Programs.revo Francis’ Recognition and Support. llututioionn 2010 2011 Announced Haiti Project at Initiated First Academic the Clinton Global Initiative. Partnership with New York University. eeducationducation2014 2015 Graduated First Seven Launched Emergency Students and Received Initiative to Enroll Accreditation. Syrian Refugees. 2018 2019 Introduced M.Ed. Program Launched UoPeople in with IB & Simone Biles as Arabic: A University by revorevollututGlobal Ambassador.io ionnRefugees, for Refugees. 15 Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in GLOBAL history, began her studies with UoPeople in 2018 and became the University's Global Ambassador. AMBASSADOR Biles is passionate about the mission of UoPeople and spreading the word of the University. She hopes her involvement with the University will help open the gates SIMto higher education for qualified and deserving candidates around the globe. As a foster child herself, she is intimately familiar with the barriers to education faced by so many. In order to give back to foster children and others at a disadvantage, Simone established the Simone Biles Legacy Scholarship Fund to enable these students to achieve their ONEdreams of obtaining a college degree. Simone Biles US Olympic