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September 28, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As I announced earlier, I have been planning to retire upon the appointment of a successor. In the interim, University System of Maryland (USM) Chancellor Jay Perman and I have discussed ways I can better serve the System as it faces the global pandemic that is reshaping higher education.

With that in mind, the Chancellor has asked that I accept an advisory role in which I will focus on System-wide data analytics and how best to position the USM to respond to the growing demand for distance education during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

As you know, I have often called myself a “data guy,” and this new role represents an exciting opportunity and, in many ways, a perfect fit. It offers an opportunity to leverage UMGC’s strengths in support of our sister institutions in the USM, and it aligns with our earlier $2.6 million commitment to the USM’s OnTrack initiative, which offers support to USM institutions developing online classes and to faculty for instructional design.

So, with mixed emotions, I have moved up the date of my departure from UMGC to accept this new role, which will allow me to better serve the System as I complete my tenure. I am pleased to report that Dr. Lawrence E. Leak—who previously served our university as a professor, vice provost, and chief academic officer—has graciously agreed to rejoin UMGC as interim president. He will serve in that capacity effective today and continuing until a successor has been named.

I thank each and every one of you for your belief in our mission and your unwavering commitment to our students and our university, especially during this unprecedented year. I am proud of each of you and equally proud of all we have accomplished together over the past nine years. It has been a true privilege and the honor of a lifetime to serve as president of ������Ƶ.

Be well and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Javier Miyares President ������Ƶ