October 15, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - The University Continuing Education Association (UCEA), South Region, has awarded the 
Outstanding Service to Continuing Education Award to Dr. Donald W. Swoboda, dean of the Division of Extended Learning & Outreach at Western Kentucky University.
The Outstanding Service Award is given to an individual who has contributed substantially to the development and maintenance of his or her institution and who has demonstrated service that is recognized and valued by UCEA South.
Dr. Swoboda is the founding Dean of the Division of Extended Learning & Outreach (DELO). The specific goals in creating the division were to expand WKU’s outreach mission, to operate as a self-supporting organization, and to enhance support for the academic capacity of the university. DELO relies on strong partnerships to create successful educational opportunities.
According to WKU Provost Dr. Barbara Burch, “He has established the outreach and extended learning mission of the university as a top priority and has done so in a way that has faculty, staff, administrators and the community fully on board.”
Dr. Swoboda has been in the field of Outreach and Continuing Education for more than 40 years and has been an active member of UCEA for more than 20 years. During that time he has served on numerous committees including the Executive and Professional Development, International Affairs, National Awards, National Membership, and National Convention Planning Committees. Dr. Swoboda served as UCEA Region V Representative to the Board of Directors.
“I am truly grateful and humbled by this recognition, and I want to express my thanks to everyone who contributed to the nomination and provided support for it,” Dr. Swoboda said. “Whatever success that I might have achieved is a result of the efforts of a dedicated and hard working staff, with whom I have been extremely fortunate to be associated.”
The award will be presented at the UCEA South Annual Conference on Oct. 27 in Blacksburg, Va.
“His leadership and impact are widely recognized and valued both within and outside the university community and I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition than Don Swoboda,” Dr. Burch said. “I am pleased that the committee was astute enough to see that Dean Swoboda was a natural for this award. It is terrific to see him recognized among his peers.”
The University Continuing Education Association serves as an important resource to the Continuing Education profession. Its members include public and private accredited, degree-granting colleges and universities, international universities, and nonprofit organizations with a significant commitment to professional and continuing higher education. Members rely on the Association for strategies that can help them respond to the growing population of adults and non-traditional students seeking continuous learning opportunities. UCEA attaches high priority to meeting the professional development needs of its members.
This past July the Division of Extended Learning & Outreach celebrated five years of success at WKU. To learn more about DELO, visit the website at www.wku.edu/delo.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu and at http://wkunews.wordpress.com/. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Stacey Biggs at (270) 745-1926.
-WKU-
"A leading American university with international reach"
Office of Media Relations
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-3576
Phone: (270)745-4295 - Fax: (270)7455387 - E-Mail: western@wku.edu