Extended Education and Professional Development

The MASU Extended Education and Professional Development (EEPD) Committee represents one of the most innovative functions of public universities. These entrepreneurial officers are engaged in bringing education to groups beyond the “traditional” 18-22 year old student – working adults, online learners, retirees, and lifelong learners of all sorts. The EEPD Committee directs its attention to matters involving many topics in continuing education, including such issues as credentialing and educational attainment, workforce alignment, corporate partnerships, online learning, and regional competitiveness. In many ways, the EEPDs are the futurists of the academy.

As with all MASU committees, during their convenings, members of the EEPD Committee provide insight on the implications of current state and federal policy issues and fiscal dynamics affecting Michigan’s public universities. Contemporary higher education topics and trends are examined through the lens of extended education and professional development, with strategic consideration given to such factors as automation, innovation and educational technology, alignment between the academy and the workforce, and demographic change.