Published: July 21, 2016
Students on computer

Provost Russell Moore has announced the merger of Be Boulder Anywhere (BBA) with the Graduate School, effective July 1, 2016.

BBA has been responsible for developing and promoting new professional master’s degrees at CU Boulder for both on-campus and distance students. These services will now be expanded to all graduate education. As part of the reorganization, the unit will drop its current name, and its director, Professor Stephen Lawrence, will serve as Associate Dean in the Graduate School, reporting to Ann Schmiesing, Interim Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs.

Provost Moore noted, “This merger not only will capitalize on the great work being done in BBA, but also ensure that faculty and staff have a one-stop shop for professional master’s degree programs. I am confident that Associate Dean Lawrence and Dean Schmiesing will help CU achieve its goals of increasing graduate program enrollment in high-quality programs.”

Dean Schmiesing added, “I am very excited about this change. Joining with BBA will allow the Graduate School to work on new projects and new communication strategies, and thus to meet the evolving graduate education needs of individuals in Colorado and beyond.”

With this move, the Graduate School will also be responsible for developing CU Boulder’s Massive Open Online Courses, known as MOOCs.

“We have long needed a clear administrative home for our experiments in emerging educational markets,” notes Associate Vice Provost William Kuskin. “As MOOCs develop they are proving to be extremely attractive to learners seeking post-baccalaureate certification.  The Graduate School is the perfect unit to focus this endeavor.”

More information about graduate education can currently be found on the Boulder Connect and on the Graduate School websites.