University Without Walls Celebrating 50 Years of Access and Innovation for Non-Traditional Students and Working Adults

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts’ University Without Walls (UWW), a revolutionary concept in 1971 to provide equal access to higher education to all learners, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a series of events planned throughout the year.

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Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Ford Foundation, UMass Amherst and 18 other colleges and universities embarked on a plan in 1971 to provide a college education to all learners, including non-traditional students and working adults. Today, the program serves approximately 10,000 students per year in the commonwealth of Massachusetts and beyond.

“For the last 50 years, UWW has broken down barriers to a college education for our non-traditional students and has offered an alternative to a traditional college experience,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy. “By bringing together an array of programming and learning modalities, UWW today provides the infrastructure to offer all students lifelong access to a high-quality UMass Amherst education regardless of location or stage of life.”

By integrating in-person and remote educational experiences, UWW offers undergraduate, graduate, certificate and training programs and courses designed to meet the needs of students at every stage of their professional and educational lives. As one of the oldest and most respected bachelor’s degree completion programs in the U.S., UWW’s interdisciplinary studies provides non-traditional students with the support and credit for the experience they need to achieve their goal of a college degree. Renowned alumni include Monster.com founder Jeffrey Taylor, basketball stars Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Marcus Camby, Saturday Night Live musician Steve Turre, actor Erik Per Sullivan and Massachusetts state legislators Kate Hogan and Orlando Ramos.

“UWW’s 50 years of innovation in higher education has laid the groundwork for offering students unfettered access to the UMass Amherst experience,” said John Wells, senior vice provost for lifelong learning “Building on this success, UWW is ready to lead the way as we look to a future where all students will demand an educational experience that meets them where they live.”

Events are scheduled throughout the year to celebrate 50 years of UWW. As part of Homecoming Week, a virtual event was held called “UWW: Agent of Change” to discuss UWW’s ongoing success supporting adult students in becoming agents of change in their communities, professions and beyond. On April 14, UWW will host an in-person celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. in Old Chapel on the UMass Amherst campus. University leaders will welcome legislators, students, alumni and staff to the event. Throughout the year, the UWW Facebook page will showcase the vibrant lives and voices of the UWW community through stories and photos.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Current UWW students and alumni from Western Massachusetts and Eastern Massachusetts are available for interviews to discuss their experiences in the program.