San Diego, CA, February 8, 2006 – Kaplan University graduate Jon Lamphier told a national commission created by the U.S. Secretary of Education Friday that it was the availability of online education that enabled him to earn a degree while he balanced family and career obligations.
“Rather than forcing someone to choose between supporting a family and pursuing a degree, online education allowed me to do both,” noted Lamphier, who graduated from Kaplan University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in Management of Information Systems, which he completed fully online while working full-time as a technology consultant. “It acknowledges and accommodates our increasingly mobile society…ultimately making college a realistic opportunity for many.”
A former Marine, Lamphier is in his final semester at Fordham University School of Law in New York, where he serves as an editor on the Fordham International Law Journal. In addition, he will earn his master’s in business administration from Fordham in 2007.
His remarks came in panel testimony before a national Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The commission was appointed in 2005 by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings to assess the future of higher education in the United States. Friday’s hearing in San Diego, California, explored innovation and flexibility in higher education.
“Jon’s story illustrates the power of online education,” said Kaplan University President Andrew S. Rosen. “It opens many doors for working adults, and helps makes their dream of earning a college degree a reality. The importance of the commission’s dialogue with non-traditional students is immeasurable—people like Jon are why we exist.”
Jonathan Grayer, Chairman and CEO of Kaplan, Inc. serves as a member of the commission.
Kaplan University, based in Davenport, Iowa, is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). Kaplan University currently serves more than 23,000 online and on-ground students.
About Kaplan Higher Education and Kaplan, Inc.
In addition to Kaplan University, Kaplan, Inc.’s higher education division includes Concord Law School and more than 75 campus-based locations. Kaplan Higher Education offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, as well as certificates designed to provide students with the skills necessary to qualify them for employment in fields such as business, criminal justice, education, fashion and design, health care, information technology, legal and paralegal studies. Kaplan is a leading provider of educational and career services to students, schools, professionals and businesses worldwide. For nearly 70 years, Kaplan has helped millions of individuals achieve their educational and career goals. Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO). For more information about Kaplan, please visit http://www.kaplan.com/.
# # #
Press contact:
Caitrin Muldoon
tel. (954) 515-3773/cell (850) 449-3667
cmuldoon@kaplan.edu
Note to Media: Interviews and photos of Jon Lamphier are available. Please call Caitrin Muldoon at (954) 515-3773 or at (850) 449-3667.
Note to editors: Kaplan is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)
Printable version