As a Maryland student overseas, you are enrolled in one of the nation’s best-known institutions of higher learning–University of Maryland University College (UMUC). This means that you have the right to expect certain things:

Expectations

• You can expect that your UMUC Asia faculty member will be academically qualified to teach the course in which you are enrolled. Because all faculty meet rigorous standards set by the respective academic departments of UMUC, no one is approved to teach in Asia who could not be approved to teach with UMUC in the United States. Don’t be shy. Ask your teachers about their academic backgrounds. When you do, you will understand what UMUC requires of its faculty to ensure quality in the classroom.
• You can expect that all UMUC Asia faculty members will have been thoroughly briefed before they step into the classroom. It is virtually certain, for example, that a senior UMUC administrator, usually the Area Director and/or Academic Director, personally interviewed your teacher before he/she was appointed.
• You can expect that UMUC’s Asian Division will provide various forms of academic support to its faculty. Professional materials, orientation sessions, class visits by UMUC staff, faculty meetings, and faculty development workshops are some of the means of support we make available. An important example is the UMUC Asia Library, a professional collection of thousands of books, journals, slides, films, video tapes, and other instructional aids. All of these materials have been recommended by UMUC faculty and are available to them for their courses, along with a rapidly expanding array of electronic library resources available to both faculty and students.
• You can expect that your teacher will begin his or her course by explaining clearly what will be covered in each class, what work you will have to do, and how that work will be graded. To ensure that this is understood completely, faculty are expected to provide a course syllabus at the start of registration for each term.
• You can expect that for each three-credit course you will receive 48 classroom hours of instruction, which is more than at many colleges in the United States. UMUC knows how important faculty-student interaction is to learning and therefore requires that all classes meet for their fully scheduled time. Furthermore, because you must plan your life carefully to enroll in university courses, UMUC strives to avoid changes to the announced schedules.
• You can expect to be able to speak to a Maryland administrator whenever you have a question, compliment, or complaint, or when you need advice. UMUC administrators will visit your installation frequently, often coming into your class to introduce themselves and respond to questions. And of course you can always telephone the UMUC Asia headquarters at Yokota and talk directly to the appropriate office, or communicate by e-mail.
• You can expect complete, accurate information about your academic status and your progress toward certificates and degrees. The UMUC Asia Office of Student Affairs exists to keep track of your academic records and to provide you with evaluations and advice. Professional Academic Advisors visit Education Centers periodically to meet with you in person and are always available to help you via letter, e-mail, or telephone.

Thus, with University of Maryland University College you should indeed have certain expectations about the education the University provides. But along with the expectations go responsibilities, a set of attitudes and commitments that you must have toward your role in the educational process.

Responsibilities

• The University expects you to be serious about learning. UMUC would rather not have you enroll if you are looking for a “free ride.” The faculty do not “water down” courses because you attend class after a full working day. Most American college students today are, like yourself, part-time students who hold jobs. Nevertheless, American universities have renewed their emphasis on academic quality. UMUC shares this concern and is proud of its standards.
• Maryland faculty expect you to work hard in their courses. In practical terms this means that two hours of preparation and study outside of class will probably be necessary for each hour in class. If an online course, then even more time will be required because there are no formal 'in-class' sessions. Unless you are prepared to make this commitment, you probably won’t do well in a Maryland course. Thus, be careful about telling a UMUC faculty member, “I don’t have time to study for your course.” We ask faculty to listen sympathetically but not to lower their standards.
• The faculty expect you to be concerned about how well you write, for they know that clear writing is associated with clear thinking. They also know how vital written communication is in today’s world. And they know, too, that people are judged by how well or poorly they express themselves in writing. For all these reasons, they are concerned that their students be critical about the quality of their own writing. Is your writing as coherent as possible? Is it as precise as possible? Are the sentences clearly and coherently punctuated? Have you checked spelling before submitting a final draft? You will need lots of writing experience because you will have to be able to communicate effectively during your studies and in the professional world. If you are not communicating as effectively as you wish or need to, enroll in EDCP 101 or ENGL 101, 102, 291, or 391 as soon as possible. COMM 293, 393 or 394 are also good choices.
• UMUC expects you to have a background in mathematics appropriate to the course you are taking, and to make use of your math skills in understanding the course material and doing relevant exercises.
• UMUC faculty expect you to come to class. Because the essential points of the course are presented, explained, and discussed in the classroom, regular attendance is one of the most important keys to academic success. If you know that you will have to miss many classes, perhaps you had better wait until the following term to enroll. And when you miss a class, remember that you are still responsible for the material that was covered.
• You are expected to read the current Asian Division Catalog and to understand its contents. The Catalog is the single most important source of information about the Asian Division of UMUC. It describes everything from financial aid to degree programs and course descriptions. Maryland advisors and administrators will be happy to answer any questions you may have about what the Catalog says.

In short, if you are looking for a snap course or an automatic degree, you should not enroll with UMUC. We want you as a student, but only if you want to learn and are willing to work hard to earn meaningful university credit.

Expectations and Responsibilities: As a UMUC student you have the right to the former. And you should be aware of the latter.