[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7399]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING UNIVERSITY WITHOUT WALLS

  (Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of 
Massachusetts' popular and successful University Without Walls program 
as it celebrates its 40th anniversary at the end of this academic year.
  The University Without Walls program was established in 1971 to give 
adults an opportunity to complete their bachelor's degrees at a world-
class public university while simultaneously maintaining a job.
  Over these past 40 years, the program has awarded degrees to more 
than 4,000 men and women ranging in age from 20 to 80. From the 
Facebook generation to the Greatest Generation, this program continues 
to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people.
  While many colleges and universities across the country now have 
similar programs on their campuses, the program at UMass is one of the 
oldest and most well-regarded adult bachelor's degree completion 
initiatives in the Nation. I know many of the successful individuals 
from western Massachusetts who have benefited professionally from this 
initiative.
  I applaud Dr. Ingrid Bracey and her extraordinary team at the UMass 
campus in Amherst for their dedication to nontraditional students in 
both the classroom and the workplace. As one of their strongest and 
most outspoken supporters, I'm happy to share their success story with 
the American family here today in the House of Representatives.

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