Navitas strikes fourth US college deal

Global education services provider Navitas has announced yet another agreement with a college in the United States for a pathways program, its fourth in as many weeks, this time with the Univeristy of Massachusetts Boston.

The global education services provider has signed a five year agreement to establish the University of Massachusetts Boston Pathways Program, which will open in September 2010, the third partnership with universities in the University of Massachusetts system which educates more than 60,000 students and confers nearly 11,000 degrees annually on its five university campuses.

This announcement follows recent news of Navitas undergraduate pathway and pre-masters programs at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, also set to open in September 2010.

On January 12, Navitas chief executive, Rod Jones said the company's first foray into the US education sector with Western Kentucky University was a significant step in the global roll out of the company's business and academic models.

The pathway program at WKU is also set to start in September.

At 1202AEST, shares in Navitas had come off five cents, or 1.01 per cent, to $4.90.

Full announcement below:

Navitas Announces Fourth US College
Global education services provider Navitas Ltd (ASX: NVT) is pleased to announce the execution of an educational affiliation agreement for its fourth College in the United States.

The five year agreement, for the establishment of the University of Massachusetts Boston Pathways Program, with the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston), is the third partnership with universities in the University of Massachusetts system (UMass System) which educates over 60,000 students and confers nearly 11,000 degrees annually on its five university campuses.

The Navitas College at UMass Boston will open in September 2010 and will complement the recently announced Navitas undergraduate pathway and pre-masters programs at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, also set to open in September 2010.

"A third partnership with such a highly regarded academic institution will consolidate Navitas' entrance into the United States tertiary education sector, and further strengthen our links in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the university system," Mr Jones said.
"UMass Boston has a rich history and has developed into an innovative and enterprising educational institution with an international reputation for academic excellence and student support."
The UMass Boston Chancellor, Dr J. Keith Motley, said he looked forward to a long and successful partnership with Navitas.

"We look forward to working with Navitas to expand our offerings and further build our international student population and reputation," said Chancellor Motley.

"As a student-centered, urban public research university with a global perspective, we value our diversity and the richness it brings to our campus. Navitas will help us further build the cultural diversity that makes UMass Boston a destination for an educational experience that lays the foundation for global engagement."

UMass Boston is nationally recognised as a model of excellence for urban universities with more than 14,000 students and over 150 academic programs.

Under the agreement Navitas will have access to the university's teaching and other facilities, as well as accommodation and administration facilities at the campus.

Mr Jones said the strength of relationship with the three universities in the UMass System highlighted the robust nature of Navitas' US strategy and was further evidence of the global pathway programs which have been successfully implemented in Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Canada.

"Given the low capital cost of our operations, the three new Colleges are expected to mature to operational break even within around 18 months," Mr Jones said.

"We expect that the new Colleges will follow the familiar trend of strong enrolment growth and deliver an outstanding educational opportunity to international students in the US."