UMGC Marks 75th Anniversary of Overseas Experiment that Continues to Influence Higher Education

ADELPHI, Md. (Oct. 1, 2024)-It was a bold idea when bold ideas were zigzagging around the planet. World War II was over and the United States had emerged as a powerful global force. Europe was rebuilding under the Marshall Plan, an unprecedented investment in foreign aid. And within the U.S. Department of Defense, an enterprising idea was percolating.

Why not maximize the benefits of the fledgling GI Bill by teaching U.S. servicemembers right on the military bases where they were stationed?

Although the idea found little traction on the higher education landscape, the University of Maryland was intrigued. It created a unit it dubbed the College of Special and Continuation Studies and put out a call for faculty members willing to embark on an overseas venture that would break new ground in academia.