Dr. Susan C. Aldridge, a specialist in adult and distance education, is the fifth president of the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), a position she has held since 2006. As the institution’s chief executive, Dr. Aldridge oversees the largest state university in the United States, with divisions in Maryland, Europe and Asia, the world’s fastest growing virtual campus, and more than 90,000 students in 28 countries.
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Dr. Aldridge received her doctorate and master’s degree from the University of Colorado, and her bachelor’s degree from Colorado Women's College. Prior to joining UMUC, Dr. Aldridge served as vice chancellor for Troy State University’s University College and eCampus in Alabama. Aldridge has served as a faculty member of the National University of Singapore and has held leadership positions in government and business.
Aldridge has served as chair and co-chair of the U.S.-China Forum on Distance Education and as co-chair of the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force on Distance Learning Standards. She was one of 11 university presidents appointed to a commission sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and tasked with studying how the United States can improve its system for higher education. Aldridge was a member of the NASULGC-Sloan National Commission on Online Learning. In 2007 Aldridge was one of seven national delegates appointed by the US Secretary of Education to visit Latin America to explore higher education partnerships and cooperation between nations.
Currently she serves on Maryland’s PreK-20 Leadership Council, the Service Members Opportunities Colleges (SOC) Board and the HR Certification, Inc. Board. In 2008, Dr. Aldridge was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to the Air University Board of Visitors.
Dr. Aldridge has written and spoken widely on adult education. Her July 2010 op-ed "No Adult Left Behind" appeared nationwide in McClatchy-Tribune newspapers. Her book Going the Distance was published in 2010.
She has received numerous honors for her academic research and professional contributions from organizations such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Administration on Aging, U.S. Social Security Administration, as well as from the Governor of Colorado.