12/15/04 Contact: Dina Kanellos, 334/844-2203 (kaneldi@auburn.edu)
David M. Granger, 334/844-9999 (grangdm@auburn.edu)

AU’s DISTANCE MBA PROGRAM TO AWARD ITS 1,000TH DEGREE

AUBURN – When Jeff Danielson receives his degree on Friday, Dec. 17, he will not only be marking a milestone in his life but also one in the history of Auburn University's Distance MBA Program.

Danielson, a senior process engineer with Valero Energy Corp. in Houston, will become the program’s 1000th graduate since its inception in 1990.

“This truly shows the fortitude of the Auburn MBA outreach program,” said Danielson. “Many universities are just beginning outreach and distance learning programs. With 1000 graduates, Auburn has proven itself a leader in distance education.”

Recently ranked 26th by Forbes magazine among public institutions for “Best Return on Investment,” the Auburn MBA program has been accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) since 1980.

Like many professionals seeking an accelerated degree, Danielson could not afford to leave his work, family, and church obligations to become a full-time student. Further complicating matters, he was living on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands when he began the program.

“Due to the cost of travel and limited vacation, I couldn’t be in an outreach program that required a student to come to campus every semester or even every year,” he said. “My boss at the time, Chris Marrion (a graduate of the Auburn MBA program in the early 90’s), suggested I look at Auburn’s Distance MBA program. It turned out to be a great fit for my situation.”

Citing the high caliber of instructors as well as the helpfulness of all the staff, Danielson added that he is extremely satisfied with the education he received.

The AU Distance MBA program is a DVD-based delivery mode of the on-campus program that allows students to maintain full-time employment without career disruption or relocation. Students may begin in either Spring or Fall semester and have five years to complete the graduate degree program.

“The flexibility of the program removes geographic barriers, allowing us to further Auburn’s reputation as a national university,” says Dan Gropper, executive director of the program and assistant dean of AU's College of Business.

This semester’s graduating class includes 33 students from more than 20 states, including New York, California, and Nevada. They are employed by industry leaders such as Michelin, Procter & Gamble, SAAB Cars USA, Boeing, and Southern Company.

For more information about the program or to request application materials, please visit www.gop.auburn.edu or call 1-888-844-5300.

Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with nearly 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.

(Contributed by Dina Kanellos.)

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