UT Tyler Expands Nonprofit Certification Classes to Longview Area Professionals

June 8, 2023

UT Tyler Expands Nonprofit Certification Classes to Longview Area Professionals

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June 8, 2023

Media Contact:  Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer–Strategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
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The University of Texas at Tyler offers nonprofit management certification classes to East Texas professionals through a partnership with United Way of Smith County. Previously available only at the United Way Building in downtown Tyler, workshops will now also be available in Longview at the UT Tyler Longview University Center.

“Since moving to Longview, I have noticed the community’s strong commitment to giving back, an it’s an infectious culture that permeates the entire area,” said Dr. Rodney Ellis, LUC director. “As a consequence, there is a need to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of those currently in the nonprofit industry here in the area or those who desire to be in the industry.”

The UT Tyler Department of Social Sciences is collaborating with United Way of Smith County to manage the East Texas Center for Nonprofits, which provides the workshops to enhance the skill sets of nonprofit professionals. This expansion comes on the heels of UT Tyler’s new Master of Public Administration nonprofit management track.

“We will be merging these efforts so ETCN workshops will lead students to MPA degrees,” said Dr. Thomas Guderjan, UT Tyler professor and department chair. “Community members who serve on nonprofit boards or staff members of nonprofits will now be able to further their education and earn a quality UT Tyler degree.”

Registration fees vary between workshop/certification and includes Continuing Education Units and workshop materials. Partial scholarships are available. Attendees must attend all classes to receive certification. For a full schedule of workshops or to register, visit uwsmithcounty.org/our-trainings.

For questions, contact nonprofit mentor Pam Anderson at pam@uwtyler.org. The next ETCN workshop in Tyler, “Board Bootcamp,” will be 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. June 14 at the United Way building, located at 911 South Broadway Ave. The Nonprofit Management Certificate Program will begin Friday, June 30, at the UT Tyler Longview University Center, located at 3201 North Eastman Road in Longview.

“The collaboration between UT Tyler and ETCN has already proven invaluable to many nonprofits,” said John Gaston, United Way of Smith County president. “We are seeing more traffic through the center and various trainings are being offered to build nonprofits’ capacity. We appreciate UT Tyler working with us to revitalize the ETCN post-COVID 19.”

The UT Tyler Longview University Center offers upper-division courses for residents of Longview, Gregg County and surrounding areas. Students experience cost-saving convenience, greater flexibility in scheduling their classes and reduced travel expenses, all while receiving a quality UT Tyler degree. Currently offering nursing and industrial technology degree completion courses, the LUC will offer additional education and business management courses beginning this fall. For more information, visit uttyler.edu/luc/ or contact Ellis at rellis@uttyler.edu.

United Way of Smith County is creating a better community by inspiring collaboration, fundraising and volunteerism for dozens of essential programs and areas throughout Smith County, including education, health and wellness, financial stability and crisis intervention. For additional information, visit uwsmithcounty.org/.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.