The University System of Maryland
USM The University System of Maryland (USM) is Maryland's system of public higher education. Its members include all public universities in the state, with the exception of Morgan State University and St. Mary's College. In addition to its 12 degree-granting universities, the USM includes one research institution and three regional higher education centers. Our 12 institutions offer more than 1,400 academic programs to more than 176,000 students at multiple sites throughout the state and worldwide. USMx Since its inception, the Kirwan Center has been supporting USM institutions in making strategic forays into online learning. “Online learning” in this context is defined as any learning environment that makes substantive use of a web-based component that enables collaboration and access to content beyond the classroom. Online learning strategies across the USM range from fully online degree/certificate programs, to MOOCs, to hybrid and “flipped“ courses. To advance this work, the Kirwan Center has launched USMx to help institutions leverage the affordances of online learning to give students the flexibility to interact with content, faculty, and learning communities in the ways that best meet their needs. The USMx mission is to provide both access to innovative e-learning technologies as well as the resources, support, and planning necessary for strategic implementation of online learning. This, in turn, helps our institutions achieve their mission of providing access to high quality, affordable higher education to a diverse student body both in Maryland and across the globe.