Webster University Announces Partnership with United Auto Workers

SAINT LOUIS, Dec. 18, 2012 – Webster University will put its educational strength behind the Ford Motor Co. beginning in the spring 2013 semester when it partners with the United Automobile Workers (UAW) to bring graduate education to workers at Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant (LAP) in Kentucky.

This partnership, which is the first of its kind for Webster, will deliver the master's degree in Management and Leadership via online classes for those working for Ford in Louisville. These employees will pursue courses in an online cohort together.

“Webster is continually finding new ways to meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Provost and Senior Vice President Julian Schuster.  “Partnering with the UAW union allows us to enhance the community as well as an important sector of the American economy.”

Benjamin Ola. Akande, chief of Webster's Office of Corporate Partnerships, agrees.

“By bringing our high-quality masters degree to these Ford workers, we are fulfilling our mission to develop talents that position organizations like Ford and its employees for success,” he said. “This new partnership is the result of a collaborative effort among Webster's Office of Corporate Partnerships, its Online Learning Center and its Louisville campus. It's a demonstration of what is possible when we work together.”

Brian Daly, senior director of Webster's Kentucky campuses, said the University's offerings will include course opportunities in information technology and human resources development as well as in management and leadership.

"Kentucky ranks fifth in the country for light vehicle production but that ranking is expected to rise now that Ford is producing the next generation of light vehicles, the new Escape, at LAP, said Dr. Daly.  “With the upcoming expansion of Ford's other Louisville-area operation, the Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP), Webster University extends this opportunity to pursue graduate education to all Louisville-area UAW/Ford employees. Opportunities like this help develop the workforce that will make Ford a global leader in light, medium and heavy trucks.”

With its main campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses. Founded in 1915, Webster University's campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.