Extended Studies Quarterly Newsletter
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Volume 4, Issue 2 | November 2025
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 Extended Studies Support Services: Agriculture & Natural Resources
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In this issue, we focus on the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and how its partnership with Extended Studies is helping to serve the public good, steward a healthy planet, feed and nourish communities, and build a sustainable tomorrow. Extended Studies provides administrative support services for a range of revenue generating learning opportunities.
The next 12 issues of the EXST newsletter will highlight the support services that EXST provides to help each of UMD’s 13 colleges and schools offer a myriad of revenue-generating learning opportunities that contribute to the unit’s mission. In this issue, we focus on the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) and how its partnership with EXST is helping to produce global visionaries who are prepared to serve local and global communities in a wide range of careers.
The next 12 issues of our newsletter will highlight the support services that Extended Studies provides to UMD’s 13 colleges and schools to offer a myriad of revenue-generating learning opportunities that contribute to the unit’s mission. In this issue, we focus on the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) and how its partnership with Extended Studies is helping to produce global visionaries who are prepared to serve local and global communities in a wide range of careers.
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AGNR partners with Extended Studies on offering courses and programs in Summer Session, Terp Young Scholars, Winter Session, Freshmen Connection, at Shady Grove, and for the Institute of Applied Agriculture.
The next 12 issues of the EXST newsletter will highlight the support services that EXST provides to help each of UMD’s 13 colleges and schools offer a myriad of revenue-generating learning opportunities that contribute to the unit’s mission. In this issue, we focus on the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) and how its partnership with EXST is helping to produce global visionaries who are prepared to serve local and global communities in a wide range of careers.
The next 12 issues of our newsletter will highlight the support services that Extended Studies provides to UMD’s 13 colleges and schools to offer a myriad of revenue-generating learning opportunities that contribute to the unit’s mission. In this issue, we focus on the College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) and how its partnership with Extended Studies is helping to produce global visionaries who are prepared to serve local and global communities in a wide range of careers.
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Summer Session
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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Approximately 300 AGNR students enroll in courses each summer. Since 2010, more than 4,500 AGNR students have taken advantage of Summer Session to earn extra credits and make progress toward graduation. Course topics of AGNR Summer Session offerings include Oral Communication, Introduction to Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, and Urban Agriculture: Designing and Assessing Edible Landscapes.
Offered through the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in the College of Arts and Humanities, the Summer Language Institute (SLI) provides immersive language-learning experiences in Korean, Arabic, and Persian at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Throughout the 2-week, 5-week, or 6-week program, SLI students engage in rigorous language instruction augmented by various cultural activities and events that increase their knowledge of the target language.
Project Global Officer (Project GO), which is embedded within SLI, promotes critical language education, study abroad, and intercultural dialogue opportunities through language study for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students. Extended Studies supports SLI and Project Go by providing scheduling, registration, and admission assistance; tuition and fee management; instructor contracting and payment; revenue collection and distribution; and marketing and communication support.
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Terp Young Scholars
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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Extended Studies and AGNR have partnered since 2005 to offer AGNR courses that have enrolled more than 300 high school students. Through TYS, students explore career pathways in agriculture, environmental science, and natural resources.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications.
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This past summer, AGNR’s department of Environmental Science and Technology offered its first course in Ecological Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which filled 19 of 20 available seats. Participants shared overwhelmingly positive feedback about the course’s impact and organization. In Summer 2026, Environmental Science and Technology will offer AI for Environmental Good for the first time.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications.
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Institute of Applied Agriculture
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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The Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA) offers a two-year, undergraduate academic certificate program that prepares students to be successful leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates, and communicators in agriculture and natural resources. Extended Studies provides admissions and registration assistance to IAA to help support its mission to create stronger food systems, sustainable green spaces for everyone, and a more resilient, equitable world for all.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications.
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Winter Session
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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Since 2010, more than 2,500 AGNR students have taken advantage of Winter Session offerings to lighten their spring and fall courseloads. A majority of courses are offered online, providing a convenient way for students to earn credits. For Winter Session 2026, students are choosing courses such as Introduction to Biometrics, Oral Communication, and Environmental Justice: Same World, Different Built Environment.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications. Since 2010, approximately 7,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Winter Session offerings and enrolled in over 15,000 ARHU seats, the second most of any UMD college or school. In Winter Session 2024, ARHU had 1,252 enrollments in its 111 sections, just shy of its highest Winter Session enrollment ever. Like Summer Session, EXST oversees the undergraduate admission process and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures.
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Freshmen Connection
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources offered a Freshmen Connection section in the program’s inaugural year (2006), and enrollment in AGNR seats has remained steady in subsequent years. Since 2010, Freshmen Connection students representing all majors have filled more than 2,000 AGNR seats, and the program has enrolled 540 AGNR students.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications. Since 2010, approximately 7,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Winter Session offerings and enrolled in over 15,000 ARHU seats, the second most of any UMD college or school. In Winter Session 2024, ARHU had 1,252 enrollments in its 111 sections, just shy of its highest Winter Session enrollment ever. Like Summer Session, EXST oversees the undergraduate admission process and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since 2010, ARHU has offered 1,218 Freshmen Connection (FC) sections that have garnered more than 24,000 enrollments, accounting for 27% of all FC seats – the most of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies acts as a resource for overall program-related issues; manages instructor contracting and payment; oversees UNIV100 instructor selection; provides marketing and communications support; advises approximately 40% of FC students; manages revenue collection and distribution; and oversees admissions, scheduling, and registration.
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Offsite Programs
Summer Language Institute and Project Go
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Extended Studies provides administrative support for more than a dozen undergraduate and graduate programs offered at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). AGNR’s Bachelor of Science in Fermentation Science offers students the opportunity to complete the final two years of study toward a University of Maryland Bachelor’s degree at the Shady Grove location.
Since 2010, more than 10,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Summer Session and enrolled in 36,000+ ARHU seats, the third most seats of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies oversees the undergraduate admissions process for the Summer Session and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and also acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since the program's inception, Extended Studies and ARHU have partnered to offer more than 100 sections of ARHU courses in Terp Young Scholars, enrolling more than 1,100 high school students. Extended Studies provides comprehensive administrative support for TYS, including program management, student and program services, financial management, and marketing and communications. Since 2010, approximately 7,000 ARHU students have taken advantage of Winter Session offerings and enrolled in over 15,000 ARHU seats, the second most of any UMD college or school. In Winter Session 2024, ARHU had 1,252 enrollments in its 111 sections, just shy of its highest Winter Session enrollment ever. Like Summer Session, EXST oversees the undergraduate admission process and provides scheduling assistance, tuition and fee management, revenue collection and distribution, instructor contracting and payment, marketing campaigns that target current and visiting students, and acts as a resource for compliance with university regulations, policies, and procedures. Since 2010, ARHU has offered 1,218 Freshmen Connection (FC) sections that have garnered more than 24,000 enrollments, accounting for 27% of all FC seats – the most of any UMD college or school. Extended Studies acts as a resource for overall program-related issues; manages instructor contracting and payment; oversees UNIV100 instructor selection; provides marketing and communications support; advises approximately 40% of FC students; manages revenue collection and distribution; and oversees admissions, scheduling, and registration.
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Team Member Spotlight
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Program Coordinator,
Enrollment and Student Services
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Levar joined Extended Studies in September 2019. He holds an associate degree in Medical Assisting, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Howard University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland Global Campus. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) in Global Business and Leadership, which he will be defending in October 2026.
Levar manages application processing and student support for Winter Session, Summer Session, Hearing and Speech in the Evening (HESPIE), Terp Young Scholars, and Freshmen Connection. He also serves as a Freshmen Connection instructor for UNIV100. His professional background spans higher education administration, communications, and student support. He is passionate about education, continuous learning, and acquiring knowledge that empowers both students and professionals to succeed.
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Program Updates
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Registration for Winter Session 2026 remains open through January 5, with seats still available in courses that fulfill major and general education requirements. Winter Session provides an excellent opportunity for students seeking flexible, online course options. Winter Session 2025 enrollment saw an increase of 6% over the previous year. At this time, Winter Session 2026 is on a similar trajectory with 4,468 course registrations, an 8% increase in enrollments over last year.
Winter Session enrollment opens in mid-October. This three-week session typically sees over 5,000 enrollments, most of which are current University of Maryland students. Academic units can begin scheduling sections of popular major and General Education courses for Winter 2026 in early July through the start of August. Over 90% of courses offered during Winter Session are online. Please contact winter-sched@umd.edu if you need assistance.
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Summer Session enrollment opens on February 24. Enrollment in Summer Session 2025 increased by 3% compared to 2024, reflecting continued student interest in taking summer courses. Demand remains particularly strong for courses that fulfill major requirements and satisfy general education requirements. If your department is interested in offering Summer Session courses, contact summer-sched@umd.edu.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
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Save the Date: Summer Session Kick-Off Breakfast
Wednesday, February 11, at 9:30 a.m. More details to follow.
Winter Session enrollment opens in mid-October. This three-week session typically sees over 5,000 enrollments, most of which are current University of Maryland students. Academic units can begin scheduling sections of popular major and General Education courses for Winter 2026 in early July through the start of August. Over 90% of courses offered during Winter Session are online. Please contact winter-sched@umd.edu if you need assistance.
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Terp Young Scholars (TYS), the University of Maryland’s premier for-credit pre-college experience for high school students, is expanding! TYS will offer 38 courses across disciplines such as theater, business, and artificial intelligence in Summer 2026.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
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The TYS application opens January 6. Course offerings will be published on tys.umd.edu in December. Faculty and staff may use tuition remission for this transformative program.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
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To support campus engagement, TYS staff will host two virtual information sessions specifically for faculty and staff:
- January 22, 2026 | Noon – 1:00 p.m. | Register
- April 21, 2026 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Register
We encourage you to share this opportunity widely within your college or unit.
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As you develop your recruitment strategies for Fall 2026, ensure your unit incorporates spring-admitted freshmen into your outreach and yield plans. Students eligible to participate in Freshmen Connection must be yielded on the same schedule as fall admits.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link.
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Professional Graduate Programs
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Distributions: Summer revenue distribution will be sent by December 1.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link. Extended Studies has added filters to the graduate program webpage to enhance the user experience. Prospective students can now filter by area of interest, program type, and program delivery method to better identify graduate programs that meet their needs.
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Extended Studies is working with the Office of Research Administration (ORA) to determine which unit (ORA or Extended Studies) will administer various sponsored programs. Generally, if the organization is private, non-profit, or state/county government, and no federal funds (or federal flow-down funds) are used to pay for the offering, then the agreement will be administered by Extended Studies. In that case, a 10% administrative fee will apply in place of ORA’s administrative fees.
Is your academic unit interested in proposing a course for Terp Young Scholars 2026? Attend an informational session where staff will review the program and answer questions about the course proposal process. September 17 at 12:00 pm. Register here to receive the Zoom link. Extended Studies has added filters to the graduate program webpage to enhance the user experience. Prospective students can now filter by area of interest, program type, and program delivery method to better identify graduate programs that meet their needs.
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Meet with Extended Studies
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Let us know if you would like to discuss opportunities for self-support programs. Submit an EXST Meeting Request if you are interested in speaking with us.
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Finance Updates
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Extended Studies continues to address and prepare all Winter Session and Term jobs within the new Workday HCM system. The Finance Team will contact each department's business office directly regarding jobs that require immediate action.
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Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 Budgets
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Extended Studies has opened the Summer 2026 and Fall 2026 budget system early. We encourage all department budget creators to begin entering course budgets as soon as their course schedules are verified, so that the budget approval process can be completed sooner. The Finance Team staff will provide formal deadlines for budget entry and contract generation in a direct email to all Department Budget Creators, Department Approvers, and College Approvers.
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Student and Program Services Updates
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Fall 2026 scheduling instructions are available on the Extended Studies administrative website.
Winter Session enrollment opens in mid-October. This three-week session typically sees over 5,000 enrollments, most of which are current University of Maryland students. Academic units can begin scheduling sections of popular major and General Education courses for Winter 2026 in early July through the start of August. Over 90% of courses offered during Winter Session are online. Please contact winter-sched@umd.edu if you need assistance.
- Fall/Term I 2026 is scheduled to open September 30
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Winter Session enrollment opens in mid-October. This three-week session typically sees over 5,000 enrollments, most of which are current University of Maryland students. Academic units can begin scheduling sections of popular major and General Education courses for Winter 2026 in early July through the start of August. Over 90% of courses offered during Winter Session are online. Please contact winter-sched@umd.edu if you need assistance.
- Fall/Term I 2026 is scheduled to open September 30
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Online scheduling opened in SIS on September 29. The deadline to complete online course scheduling was November 7. At this time, all scheduling updates must be submitted via email.
Winter Session enrollment opens in mid-October. This three-week session typically sees over 5,000 enrollments, most of which are current University of Maryland students. Academic units can begin scheduling sections of popular major and General Education courses for Winter 2026 in early July through the start of August. Over 90% of courses offered during Winter Session are online. Please contact winter-sched@umd.edu if you need assistance.
- Fall/Term I 2026 is scheduled to open September 30
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Marketing and Communications Resources
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Visit the Extended Studies administrative website for 2026 marketing toolkits for Winter Session, Professional Graduate Programs, Summer Session (available February 2026), Shady Grove programs, and MOOCs. Also available are past issues of the quarterly Keep Learning newsletter.
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