Graduate School USA, formerly referred to as the Graduate School, USDA, is a private non-profit educational institution headquartered in Washington, DC with regional campuses around the United States.
Its stated mission is to "develop people and to make government more efficient and effective by offering a wide variety of classes and programs, ranging from government-based specialties such as governmental accounting and auditing, human capital management and acquisition to foreign languages, economics, leadership and landscape design." The school has approximately 200,000 participants per year with over 600 courses, including 300 evening and weekend courses.
History
The Graduate School was created in 1921 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide adult continuing education. The Graduate School remained a part of the USDA as a Nonappropriated Fund Instrumentality (NAFI) until February 2009. At that time the school severed ties with the Department of Agriculture and became a private, nonprofit institution. Following the privatization, the school announced it would seek accreditation that would allow it to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Nearby Southeastern University began seeking proposals for a merger in summer 2008. Southeastern was facing financial difficulties and a possible loss of accreditation. In March 2009, Southeastern announced that it would be purchased by Graduate School USA. Southeastern asked the Middle States Commission on Higher Education to delay any adverse action on accreditation pending the merger with Graduate School USA. The request was denied, and Southeastern was stripped of its accreditation for a number of administrative failures, including a lack of strategic planning, financial resources, and data systems. There was a delay in the purchase until Southeastern made a final agreement with Federal officials for fines the university had incurred. The asset purchase was completed in March 2010.
In March 2011, Graduate School USA announced plans to open a new campus in a planned redevelopment of Washington DC's Southwest waterfront. Plans called for the school to be a major anchor in the redevelopment known as The Wharf, with the school leasing 190,000 square feet of space at the corner of Maine Avenue and Ninth Street SW for its new campus. In October 2013, the school announced it would pull out of the new campus project "due to government cutbacks and budget uncertainty."
In October 2013, Graduate School USA's presidential search committee began accepting nominations and applications to fill the position of president and CEO, which was vacated when Dr. Jerry Ice retired on September 13, 2013 after more than ten years as president. Jack Maykoski was appointed to interim President and CEO in March 2016.
Programs and Divisions
Government Training and Professional Development
It offers expert training and workforce development for federal, state and local government. The services include quality training courses, individual assessments, custom course design, assistance with organizational development and career center operations, coaching and mentoring development, and career counseling.
Academic Programs Division
The Academic Programs Division offers individual courses, certificates, and degree programs. It is organized into three departments: the Department of Management, the Department of Health Sciences, and the Department of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Center for Leadership and Management
The Center for Leadership and Management conducts leadership and management courses, long term leadership programs, and leadership effectiveness assessments. Most leadership development programs are geared specifically toward federal government leaders.
- Aspiring Leader Program, for federal employees at the GS 4-6 levels
- New Leader Program, a six-month development program for federal employees at GS 7-11 levels
- Executive Leadership Program, a nine-month development program for high-performing federal employees at the GS 11-13 levels
- Executive Potential Program, a year-long development program for senior-level public service employees at the GS-13-15 levels
- SES Development Seminars, a series of seminars designed to prepare GS-14 and GS-14 level federal employees for positions in the Senior Executive Service
Global Solutions
The International Institute, as "the global arm of the Graduate School," administers grant programs on behalf of the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State, the Open World program of the Library of Congress, the Pacific Islands Training Initiative and the Virgin Islands Training Initiative of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and USAID staff development.
Accreditation
Effective November 2012, Graduate School USA is a Candidate for Accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Upon approval of Candidacy by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Graduate School USA voluntarily withdrew its accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education. As of June 27, 2016, Graduate School USA voluntarily withdrew its candidacy for accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and agreed to cease offering for-credit academic programs on August 31, 2016.
The departments of Management and Health Sciences grant Associate Degrees (as well as certificates, like the other departments).
See also
- List of colleges and universities in Washington, D.C.
References
External links
- Official website
- U.S. Department of State - International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)
- Open World Leadership Center - the Library of Congress
