One Year after Hurricane Katrina, Online University Flourishes; Grantham University, Relocated from Louisiana to Kansas City, Continues to Grow, is Recognized by the Harvard Review as a Leader in Its Industry

Business Wire, July 24, 2006

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Grantham University, specializing in educating working adults, relocated from New Orleans to Kansas City in 2006 as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Grantham, an online university with more than 11,000 students, recently received recognition in Harvard Review's June 2006 issue on "The Future of Urbanization." The school is recognized as a leader in its industry because of the recovery and mobility involved during hurricane Katrina. As Grantham's Slidell, La., campus was destroyed by the hurricane, the school continued to function without interruption to more than 8,000 students around the U.S. and other countries. As a result of Hurricane Ivan two years earlier, Grantham's chairman Tom Macon had all the university's data digitized and stored on a secure server in Virginia.

Grantham University so far has created 150 jobs at its new Kansas City headquarters and plans to create more by year's end. Forty employees relocated from Louisiana with the University 10 days after Hurricane Katrina destroyed its facilities in Slidell, La.

"Prior to the hurricane, my work life was spent nourishing a newly formed team of student progress representatives and in my personal life, I was planning my daughter's sweet 16 birthday party," said Tina Taylor, student programs coordinator at Grantham University. "I never suspected our lives would be changed so drastically. We lost everything in the hurricane."

Taylor made the move to Kansas City with her daughter by bus. Grantham University relocated the pair along with dozens of other employees, and paid for housing and all utilities for six months.

"Grantham University did everything possible to make our transition from a devastated Slidell, Louisiana, to Kansas City as painless as possible," added Taylor. "We were allowed the time we needed to take care of personal business with our homes and families and for all this and more, I'm so grateful."

Many employees who made the move are still feeling the effects from hurricane Katrina on a personal level.

"Just as Andrew Jackson's forces defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812, our employees from the gulf coast were able to defeat and overcome one of the most powerful natural disasters in history," said Tom Macon, chairman of Grantham University. "Our team of employees showed their dedication and commitment to our school and our students."

Established in 1951, Grantham University has contributed to the formal education of thousands of adult students and military service members, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in a variety of industries. Grantham offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Criminal Justice, Business Administration, General and Interdisciplinary Studies, Computer Science, and other technology-related degrees.

As a University with a strong focus on academics, Grantham's students complete coursework at times and places that fit their busy schedules. Grantham's faculty, administration and advisors are comprised of educators, business executives, industry professionals and entrepreneurs. Among the advisors are Dr. D. Bruce Merrifield, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce under President Reagan and an endowed chair at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Dr. Herbert I. London, founder, endowed chair, and former Dean of Students at New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study; and Dr. Mark Skousen, chairman of www.investmentU.com, economist, financial advisor, author and economics professor at Columbia University's Barnard College.

"This past year our student base has grown 40 percent," added Macon. "Our growth and success is a testament to all our employees from Louisiana, Missouri and Kansas."

About Grantham University:

Established in 1951, Grantham University, with more than 11,000 active students, is a private institution that specializes in educating the working adult student. Its mission is to "level the playing field" by making a high-quality college education available to adult learners based on the combined academic and economic principles of Accessibility, Affordability and Academic Accountability. Grantham University offers military scholarships for active duty, reserve, guard, veterans and military family members, as well as scholarships for law enforcement professionals. Grantham's courses are online and self-paced, allowing students to study at home, at work, on Temporary Duty (TDY) or from almost anywhere in the world. Grantham University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). For more information, visit www.grantham.edu or call 1-800-955-2527.