Distance education director to retire after 24 years
By Lori Robison
Staff Reporter
For over two decades, Monty
McMahon has been a man with a mis
sion: to provide a quality education to
students unable to attend traditional
schools and colleges.
And as the retirement date of June
26 nears, the director for UNL’s
Distance Education Program speaks
with pride and enthusiasm about the
program, its students, and its success
ful progress toward the technological
future of the coming century.
“I love Lincoln and the university
and the job,” he said, “If you’re con
tent and happy in a job that is fulfill
ing, why leave?”
Established by UNL in 1909,
McMahon said, DEP now provides
educational instruction for over
15,000 high school and 2,500 col
lege-level students in more than 136
countries.
In addition to the 90 college-level
courses offered through the program,
DEP offers high school students with
a complete four-year curriculum and
a resident staff of high school teach
ers. It is also, McMahon said, the
only fully accredited high school
diploma program in the country.
The director called the changes in
the program in the last two decades
“exciting and monumental.” There
has been a growing acceptance of
Distance Education by the public and
academic community as a viable
alternative to the traditional class
room setting.
With a 12-month open enrollment
system, individually based instruc
tion and Internet access, the pro
gram’s flexibility has meant that stu
dents who work odd hours, have
physical limitations or live in geo
graphically isolated areas have been
able to enjoy a quality education,
McMahon said.
“Now, the university is coming to
you,” he said, “Now (DEP) can teach
you wherever you are.”
In addition, more professors are
wanting to make their courses avail
able in this program, he said.
Citing major changes in technolo
gy as a major reason for the growing
interest and demand for distance edu
cation courses, McMahon added that
through desktop publishing, the
materials produced by the department
are as professional in appearance as
any other educational publication.
And with the continued growth of
technology, McMahon said, the qual
ity of the education received has
advanced considerably.
“It’s more fun,” he said. “There’s
better access, more access to distance
education and the universities are
responding.”
But the director’s contributions to
DEP will not cease when he retires.
Through McMahon’s efforts, a five
year, $19.5 million grant will help
ensure the program continues to offer
its students the best education possi
ble. The funds, donated by several
federal agencies, will eventually
bring the entire high school curricu
lum onto the information highway. In
fact, four classes—informal geome
try, expository writing, Global
Perspectives: Bosnia, and chem
istry—are already being offered to
high school students on the Internet.
McMahon also said plans are
being discussed for eventually bring
ing the college-education segment of
the program onto the Internet as well.
“This is the most cost-effective
method of education I know of,”
McMahon said.
However, independent study is
not all flash and glamour. The direc
tor warned against students believing
that it was easier than attending class
es, emphasizing self-motivation, self
discipline and goal-orientation as
necessities for success.
“We will provide the books and
make the instruction available to
you,” he said, “but the books will not
open by themselves.”
However, because of the skills
developed while succeeding at inde
pendent study, McMahon said the
high school students who complete
the program—which include three
National Merit Scholarship Award
winners—are more prepared for col
lege life and the world of work.
Students often write back, he said,
saying they made the dean’s list of
their college, but were bored with a
curriculum they moved through with
relative ease.
And although the director has
helped to guide DEP toward better
programs and a higher quality of edu
cation for 24 years, McMahon attrib
uted much of the programs success to
“an outstanding staff.” By providing
the tools and freedom for staff mem
bers to do their jobs, he said, they also
have the room to achieve.
McMahon’s decision to retire was
based on “family choices,” and he
plans to spend time with his family,
travel and devote more time to his
hobby -- building doll houses.
He said his lengthy stay at DEP
came from the satisfaction he has
received from serving as director of
the program.
“Over the years, I’ve signed hun
dreds and hundreds of diplomas for
people all over the world,” he said.
“Providing a quality education to
people wherever they are is extremely
rewarding.”
Daniel Luedert/DN
MONTY McMAHON, the director of UNL’s Distance Education Program, will retire on June 26.
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