Skip to main content

UTEP Recognized for Innovation in Lifelong Learning and Serving Community

Last Updated on December 23, 2019 at 12:00 AM

Originally published December 23, 2019

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

The University of Texas at El Paso’s Professional and Public Programs (P3) recently won the Learning Resources Network’s (LERN) Best Management Practice award. The international award recognizes innovation in the field of lifelong learning and serving communities. It was presented last month at LERN’s annual conference in San Diego, which was attended by 800 professionals in lifelong learning from five countries.

Program coordinators from The University of Texas at El Paso's Professional and Public Programs (P3) accepted the Learning Resources Network ‘s (LERN) Best Management Practice award from LERN President William A. Draves. Photo: Courtesy
Program coordinators from The University of Texas at El Paso's Professional and Public Programs (P3) accepted the Learning Resources Network ‘s (LERN) Best Management Practice award from LERN President William A. Draves. Photo: Courtesy

UTEP’s P3 offers a vast selection of high-quality, continuing education classes for personal enrichment, professional development and academic growth. The programs offered include camps for children, professional development opportunities for teachers, and classes teaching new skills or hobbies for the general public. P3 is a component of UTEP’s Extended University, the University’s hub for online and other nontraditional academic programs.

“We are proud, but not surprised, that P3 brought home a LERN award for Best Management Practice,” says Beth Brunk-Chavez, Ph.D., dean of Extended University. “Not only is P3 to be commended for their agility, innovation, and growth, but also for approaching their lifelong learning work with a positive attitude that impacts the members of the UTEP and El Paso community who come in contact with them.”

William A. Draves, the president of LERN, said, “With more than 100 award nominations every year, earning an International Award is an outstanding achievement. With the demand for programs to do more with less, there is a need and emphasis for improved operational procedures to create internal efficiencies, reduce costs and improve program delivery.

“The initiative involved three prongs – restructuring for efficiency, staff training innovations, and thirdly a whole series of staff manuals on administration, operations, programming and youth programs. The result was a more financially independent program, agile, positioned for growth and recognized as an asset to the larger institutions.”