Lifelong learning is at the heart of UND

Now part of UND’s Service core value, lifelong learning has been an essential part of University life for a very long time

Editor’s note: The following letter, written by Ishir Agarwal, a UND commercial aviation student and president of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Chapter 1342; Cindy Gregg, assistant professor of Teaching & Leadership and coordinator of UND’s Summer Reading Program; and Julie Zikmund, associate director of the UND Office of Extended Learning, introduces a special edition of UND Today focused on the Service core value of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.

As readers may know, UND Today is devoting a series of monthly special issues to the University’s progress on fulfilling the Strategic Plan. The issues consider the plan’s “LEADS” core values — Learning, Equity, Affinity, Discovery and Service — in succession.

Comments or questions? Contact Tom Dennis, UND Today editor, at tom.dennis@UND.edu. Thank you for reading!

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By Ishir Agarwal, Cindy Gregg and Julie Zikmund

In his inaugural address in the spring of 1910, Frank McVey, then president of the University, showed remarkable prescience when he said, “Education neither begins nor ends with the four years of a college course. It is consistent with life itself.”

As McVey seems to have intuited, this approach would be one that UND would employ for generations to come.

Lifelong learning efforts have been on our campus for close to 115 years and have taken many forms during that time.  In the early days, the Extension Division began efforts to extend the University and thus “carry the University to the people.”

Although conceived over 100 years ago, this important mission continues to be at the heart of learning at UND.

In the modern era, UND’s lifelong-learning mission is spelled out in the UND LEADS Strategic Plan, under the core value of Service. As the plan describes, UND strives to serve by “engaging in collaborations that serve the evolving needs of our people, tribal nations, the State of North Dakota, and our global community.”

Along those lines, UND does its best to teach community members of all ages, capitalizing on the expertise at the University.  We also serve by giving UND students the chance to give back and serve their communities, and it’s these and similar efforts that will be highlighted in today’s special edition of UND Today.

UND Office of Extended Learning and TTaDA

As Socrates put it, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel”; and at the Office of Extended Learning, this could not be more true. The office is committed to lifelong learners within UND and beyond. Here are some highlights:

• Conferences, Camps and Events provides comprehensive planning and management services, serving UND event planners by providing services such as online registration forms, payment mechanisms and more.
• Nutrition and Foodservice Professional Training prepares individuals to meet nutritional needs in health care and institutional settings. For more than 50 years, the program has trained Certified Dietary Managers and Certified Food Protection Professionals, supported credential maintenance and met Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements.
• Personal & Professional Development programs offer more than 600 non-credit courses that are delivered by UND and our partners. Most are delivered 100% online.
• Professional Development for Educators (pre-K/12) provides innovative teaching and learning opportunities to accommodate professional development needs. The program serves teachers and administrators looking to take continuing education courses, targeted learning events and cumulative credit.
• UND Community Classes aim to provide learning experiences for all ages – igniting curiosity, expanding meaningful connections and celebrating a shared love of learning. Monthly, free offerings help bring the campus and community together.

Learners of all ages

UND also has fostered an environment that helps students explore their leadership potential, often through service or charitable work. For example, EAA Chapter 1342 in Grand Forks joins thousands of Experimental Aircraft Association chapters around the world in bringing the skies closer to the next generation of aviation enthusiasts.

With support and guidance from the UND Aerospace community, UND’s student-led chapter hosted 10 EAA Young Eagles Workshops – events during which more than 100 third- to fifth-grade students in the greater Grand Forks region dove deeper into the world of aviation.

Each workshop was themed – Drone Day, Airport Day, Space Day and so on – in order for kids to experience all aspects of the aviation industry. UND student volunteers planned and facilitated hands-on activities, presentations and guest speaker appearances that aligned with their respective themes.

Kids were able to fly drones, hear industry professionals talk about their lives as pilots, and even catch a birds-eye view from the air traffic control tower.

The spark that was ignited burns brightly, and it’s all due to the determination and hard work that chapter members put into making aviation dreams come true.

Summer Reading Camp

As mentioned, lifelong learning has been a UND priority for a very long time. The UND Summer Reading Camp, for example, is a community service for families and has been in existence for more than 40 years.

The camp invites school-aged learners to come to campus and offers engaging literacy learning and support to elevate their reading development and success. The camp’s mission is to motivate and build confidence so learners know and believe they are readers, while at the same time, targeting skill-based interventions to help them become more proficient when reading.

UND graduate and undergraduate students serve as teachers and take courses to prepare for the camp. One course presents research-based best teaching practices, assessment and instruction, and in the other course (for practical application), teachers plan for and instruct a small group of school-aged learners.

The chance to build relationships between UND students and not only the school-aged learners but also the learners’ families is a positive endeavor that promotes the UND LEADS core value of service.

As another UND president, Tom Clifford, once said about North Dakotans and their relationship to UND, “People like to feel they’re part of the enterprise. They’re part of the moving ahead.” That’s the spirit with which UND reaches out to residents of all ages: it’s an effort to help everyone keep learning, everyone stay inspired by a sense of wonder and the entire state keep moving ahead.

>> Questions or comments about the UND LEADS Strategic Plan? Your thoughts are welcome! Please contact Ryan Zerr, associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation, or Anna Marie Kinney, coordinator of the University Writing Program, the co-chairs of the UND LEADS Implementation Committee. You also may offer your thoughts by visiting the UND LEADS Strategic Plan home page and clicking on the “Provide your feedback” link.

Thank you for your support of the UND LEADS Strategic Plan!