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For more information on EF's ambitious development grant program, contact Katherine Carr at 303-951-3505 or e-mail kcarr@silvermktg.com.

The DMAWEF Course Development Grants

With the support of generous DMAW donors, the DMAW Educational Foundation has set aside funds to implement direct marketing courses on college campuses.

The DMAWEF's Course Development Grant Program, which approves coursework in such areas as direct mail, telemarketing, Internet, and direct response advertising, came to life in 1996. Dr. Janet Wagner of the University of Maryland expressed a need for such a program when she told DMAW, "We don’t have a DM course, but I feel, with your help, we can put together a prototype DM101 course."

With that incentive, the EF earmarked $5,000 to create what became the University of Maryland's catalog number BMGT 351, a permanent part of the marketing curriculum offered to 35 juniors and seniors every spring and fall. These students spread our message into future classrooms and/or become bright, prospective colleagues in the fast-paced world of communications and technology.

But DMAW~EF has not just one, but two, success stories to tell. When Dr. Margaret Klayton-Mi of The University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA, heard what the University of Maryland was able to accomplish, she requested a similar grant. The EF Board unanimously voted to provide the $3,000 she needed to pioneer the first-ever DM course at her college. Called "Interactive Marketing," the class was taught in 2001 and again in the spring of 2002, with 20 students in each class. Dr. Klayton-Mi continues to expand upon her direct marketing course offerings.

Continued capacity enrollment at both the University of Maryland and The University of Mary Washington proves these courses have found their place in today’s curricula. The Educational Foundation is truly fulfilling its mission to promote direct marketing knowledge and is demonstrating to professors like Drs. Wagner and Klayton-Mi the need to motivate students into the direct marketing discipline.

Due to these successes, EF has been actively expanding its offerings to include the Faculty Development Grant, created to assist professors who have an opportunity to go to a seminar directly affecting student interest in direct marketing, but who need travel costs and fees covered to make it happen. This support provides further incentive for them to take initiative in promoting our industry.