Performance and Outcomes

The unique strength of SMHEC has been its ability to affirmatively reach out to employers in the Region to determine their needs for an educated professional workforce and to successfully entice and recruit the most distinguished programs from top-ranked universities for presentation at SMHEC.

SMHEC also works collaboratively with the major employers and employment sectors in the Region, including the technical and management leadership of NAVAIR Patuxent River, NAVSEA Indian Head, support associations for government and industry such as the Patuxent Partnership composed of industry and government leaders; the Southern Maryland Naval Alliance composed of chief executive officers of leading defense contractors, the offices of the superintendents of schools for the three county-wide school districts in the Region, with the boards of county commissioners of the three counties in the Region, with the chambers of commerce for the three counties in the Region, with the economic development departments of the three counties in the Region, and with the Workforce Infrastructure organization that serves the Region.

SMHEC’s academic programs are viewed by governmental and industry leaders in the Region as essential to the continued economic development of the Region. They view a well educated workforce as the principal catalyst for successful continued economic and social growth of the Region.

In addition to the presentation of over 80 academic programs, SMHEC also hosts a broad range of training and professional development programs, conferences, luncheons, banquets, and special events.  In FY 2006, 356 training, conference, or special event programs were conducted at SMHEC, with 43,234 person days of activity.  Training and conference programs may take place in single rooms, or utilize medium or large meeting rooms for plenary sessions and classrooms for required break-out meetings. 

During FY 2006, 29,710 individuals participated in training and conference programs at SMHEC.  In addition, some 4,218 individuals from governmental and non profit organizations utilizes the Center’s rooms for retreats, public meeting, business meetings, and other public service type activities.

The majority of training conducted at the Center is for military and civilian personnel stationed at NAVAIR Patuxent River engaged in high technology testing and research activities and acquisitions for all of the Navy’s air weapon systems.  Defense Department personnel from Naval Air Facilities throughout the Nation participate in many of the conferences held by NAVAIR Patuxent River.   By example, at Naval Enterprise Institutes held in 2005 and 2006, over 330 principals from defense companies throughout the Nation attended (over a two day period) to hear the Chief of Naval Operations and over a dozen admirals discuss the Navy’s plans for future contracting with the private sector.  Each year the Navy undertakes an extended series of management training programs for personnel at the Base conducted at SMHEC.

In addition to NAVAIR Patuxent River, other organizations are also utilizing the Center for training and meetings, including defense related technology companies conducting training and non-profit organizations conducting annual meetings and conferences.  The St. Mary’s Chamber of Commerce conducts its annual showcase and awards programs for member businesses in the County, at SMHEC.  Annual Career Fairs directed to professional level employment are also held at SMHEC, as well as conferences for professional societies serving the professional development needs of members.
 
Additional utilization of the Center is demonstrated with the attendance of government, school systems and non-profit organizations conducting training, retreats, luncheons and other activities, conducted on a non-rental fee basis.  Included are programs conducted by The Office on Aging for senior citizens for classes on utilization of the Internet for shopping and messaging, luncheon programs of service organizations, recruitment and interviewing meetings for public school system teacher candidates, high school equivalent diploma testing, board meetings of nonprofit organizations, county planning and zoning meetings, county government management retreats, and a variety of other public service related meetings.  

Goals and Priorities

SMHEC’s program goals and priorities emphasize cost-effective and efficient delivery of quality graduate and upper-level undergraduate programs for the workforce of the Southern Maryland Region. The actions undertaken to meet these goals and priorities focus on providing specific education programs that meet the identified workforce development needs of the Region, with particular emphasis on technology (information technology, applied sciences and engineering) and the preparation and ongoing professional development of public school teachers and administrators. 

The recruitment and selection by SMHEC of specific universities and the partnership agreements established between these select universities and the Center guarantee that the highest quality academic programs and unprecedented higher education opportunities are made available to citizens of the Southern Maryland Region.  

These goals and priorities also provide an accessible campus, flexible class schedules to accommodate working professional students, and a learning and teaching environment that fully utilizes technology.   Achieving these goals assures that SMHEC will continue to provide Southern Maryland residents convenient and affordable access to graduate education opportunities by university and college partners widely recognized as preeminent institutions.

The financial goals will guide the Center in its efforts to expand adequately to keep pace with the education and professional development needs of the Region and its many and diverse constituencies. Campus expansion will lead to providing suitable, high-tech facilities for the teaching, learning and training demanded in job markets of today and in the future.

• Long-Range Goal: Fully utilize the Center’s facilities for the delivery of the highest quality graduate and upper division academic programs by distinctive and nationally recognized universities and colleges.

• Long-Range Goal.  Build, equip and maintain Center classroom buildings for the creation and maintenance of an educational campus environment with an academic standard of excellence viewed Regionally, Statewide and nationally as a premier campus for graduate education and professional development opportunities.

• Long-Range Goal. Deliver graduate and upper division academic programs to the citizens and professional workforce of Southern Maryland, a Region that has historically been underserved by four-year and graduate universities and colleges, and accordingly provide affordable and equitable access to graduate and upper division education for every qualified citizen of Southern Maryland. 

• Long-Range Goal. Expand the professional workforce in Southern Maryland through the presentation of high quality higher education degree programs that address the current and future work demands of the Region’s employers, that contribute to the continued development and expansion of the Region’s economy, that identify and engage opportunities to stimulate the growth of the State’s economy, and that promote entrepreneurial activity in the Region.

• Long-Range Goal. Assure that appropriate academic programs are presented to meet the professional development needs of an increasingly diverse citizen population, and through teacher education programs, increase the effectiveness of the Region’s teaching workforce and teaching institutions impacting on a future workforce reflecting the racial, ethnic and gender population of the Region.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure that the development of human capital is at the very center of the Region’s economic development activities.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure that education at all levels is the most critical and important social and political issue in Southern Maryland.

• Long-Range Goal.  Utilize the Center’s current available daytime training spaces to provide to organizations and corporations a high-technology venue for the training and development of their professional personnel.

•  Long Range Goal. Assure that educational programs selected for recruitment and presentation at SMHEC are of the highest quality.

• Long Range Goal.  Ensure that university partners make the same effort to accommodate minorities and women in SMHEC based educational programs as they are required to make for on-campus programs.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure that a comprehensive diversity of academic disciplines is provided to the workforce of the Region.

• Long Range Goal.  Increase State funding for operations adequate for the effective operation of SMHEC.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure student intellectual exploration and academic research in SMHEC based programs.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure that each citizen in the Region has the opportunity to learn of and benefit from the professional development opportunities available at SMHEC.

• Long Range Goal.  Assure that SMHEC’s university partners maintain a high level of academic performance by faculty and students in academic programs and classes offered at SMHEC. 

• Short Range Goal.  Assure that SMHEC’s analysis and research activities effectively assess higher education needs of the region’s workforce.

• Short Range Goal.  Work with individuals in leadership positions at NAVAIR Patuxent River, at public schools in the Region, at economic development agencies and at the technology and defense support community to identify and select quality academic programs and universities that meet the economic development needs of Southern Maryland

• Short Range Goal.  Assure that information about educational opportunities at SMHEC reaches every social and economic level of the Region’s population.

• Short Range Goal. Strengthen existing university partnerships and establish partnerships with new universities to continue to deliver distinctive graduate degree programs that meet the professional workforce development needs of Southern Maryland.

• Short Range Goal.  Increase SMHEC’s public relations efforts to distribute pertinent university information about SMHEC based degree programs, class schedules, and links to university websites.

• Short Range Goal.  Assure that student services offered by university partners are comparable to services available on the university partner’s campus.

• Short Range Goal.  Support technology workforce development that is required to achieve the testing and evaluation, research and development, and acquisitions missions of NAVAIR Patuxent River.

• Short Range Goal.  Provide technology-based conference and meeting space for business and industry; state, county and local government entities; and not-for profit organizations.

• Short Range Goal.  Assure continued State approval of SMHEC’s Capital Investment Program for the funding of architectural and engineering work and the contraction and equipping of a Special Access Conference Center in a Third Classroom Building.

• Short Range Goal.  Expand graduate teacher education and certification programs offered at SMHEC and provide support to the Region’s school systems to the end of improving the quality of instruction in the classroom, the capabilities of pupils in schools in the Region, and the opportunities for meaningful careers of high school graduates in the Region.

• Short Range-Goal.  Improve information technology and on-line resources to SMHEC academic programs that will help to prepare the Region’s workforce for the dynamic technology employment environment.

• Short Range Goal.  Provide adequate funding and staff to support SMHEC’s facilities and its services to its university partners, to the citizens and professional workforce of the Region attending academic programs in the Center, and to the economic development goals of the Region.

• Short Range Goal.  Secure adequate State funding to equip, maintain and continually upgrade computer software and hardware and other technology equipment necessary for SMHEC’s academic programs.

The above listing of long and short range goals respond to the latest goals for postsecondary education outlined in the 2004 Maryland State Plan for Postsecondary Education.  As stated earlier, the creation of SMHEC and its opening in 1995 was in response to the State’s realization that there was a lack of access by the citizens of Southern Maryland to quality upper division and graduate education opportunities, in concert with the expansion of the work force at NAVAIR Patuxent River. 

The model selected for SMHEC was a comprehensive array of university partners presenting programs of excellence in a wide range of professional fields, with specific needs for graduate programs in the following areas:

• Science and engineering in response to the continuing testing, evaluation, research, and development mission of NAVAIR Patuxent River;
• Graduate management education in response to NAVAIR moving its Command Headquarters and Program Offices to the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River;
• Graduate studies to meet the continuing education of teachers in regional school systems;
• Courses to prepare qualified individuals for careers as teachers in the region.

SMHEC serves as an alternative approach to the delivery of higher education, providing accessibility to a region that been denied accessible graduate higher education prior to the creation of SMHEC.  Tuition and other costs for academic programs offered at SMHEC are the same as for on-campus programs, and several State Universities offer degree programs and courses at SMHEC that provide relatively affordable higher education opportunities.  Most students enrolled in SMHEC are engaged in professional fields and are able to have their tuition costs reimbursed by their employers. 

University and college programs at SMHEC are urged to ensure equal access to their high quality   academic programs.  To this end, SMHEC sponsors open houses for the three academic sessions, advertises the open houses in all six regional newspapers in full-page and legal size ads, host information sessions that are widely advertised, sends out flyers to all public and social institutions and organizations, private sector organizations, and thousands of individuals. 

Schedules of classes for all three academic sessions are distributed to over 15,000 addresses.  Presentations about the academic programs and opportunities for career advancement at SMHEC are made on a continuing basis, at meetings of new teaching faculty for the three local school systems and at service and professional society meetings.  Information sessions are organized for presentation on a bi-annual basis at NAVAIR Patuxent River in cooperation with the Base’s Career Development Office. 

A principle objective of SMHEC is the contribution its academic programs are making to the continuing development of the economy of Southern Maryland through the continuing development of the Region’s workforce.  With an expanding knowledge based workforce, new employers are attracted to the Region, further expanding the economic and social development, of the Region.

In SMHEC’s 11 years of service 18,185 class enrollments have occurred with 14,572 individuals engaged in career advancement and the accumulation of new knowledge and skills for the New Knowledge Economy.  Also during this period, the existence of academic programs available to the workforce of the Southern Maryland Region has meant that those citizens enrolled in SMHEC’s academic programs have not had to travel some 52 million miles to obtain their professional development, or taken some 250,000 trips to far off campuses some 60 to 100 miles from home during evening and night time hours.

The achievement and maintenance of a comprehensive array of quality graduate and upper level bachelor programs offered by a diversity of higher education institutions has been a continuous and preeminent priority of SMHEC.  The process of academic program selection and recruitment has been a continuing one, demonstrating the interest of the community’s economy engines for continuing education in professional fields of study.  Each institution partnering with SMHEC is a preeminent institution of higher education.  Many of the academic programs offered at SMHEC are nationally ranked academic programs.  The achievement of excellence for SMHEC’s academic programs is a primary goal of SMHEC.