MADISON, WI, August 17, 2022 — Sonic Foundry, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFO), the trusted leader in video capture, management and streaming solutions, today announced that its Global Learning Exchange™ (GLX) business, which provides students around the world with cost-effective, locally supported access to top-tier online learning solutions, has finalized partnership agreements with Hilbert College, the University of North Alabama (UNA), and SkillUp Online.
The completion of these partnerships in advance of the fall semester will allow Global Learning Exchange™ students to enroll in a variety of learning programs from each of the three providers’ offerings. Hilbert College will offer several traditional degree-track programs, including BS programs in Business Management, Criminal Justice, and Cyber Security. UNA will promote its innovative International Minor programs in Marketing, Sociology, Management, and Human Resources. SkillUp Online will provide non-degree skills development programs in data science and cyber security backed by industry leaders like IBM and Microsoft.
“One of the primary goals of our Global Learning Exchange™ business is to provide students around the world with a wider landscape of options than traditional online education programs have offered,” said Sonic Foundry CEO Joe Mozden, Jr. “The partnerships we are announcing today represent an important step toward that goal.”
UNA Senior Vice Provost for International Affairs Dr. Chunsheng Zhang commented, “UNA is pleased to partner with Sonic Foundry’s Global Learning Exchange™ to provide international students with innovative online delivery of our quality and affordable minor studies, micro-credentials, and degree programs. We look forward to our collaborations in providing convenient, reliable, life-changing learning opportunities for traditional university students and working adults around the world.” Hilbert President Michael Brophy, Ph.D. added, “We are thrilled about the opportunity to join the Global Learning Exchange™ community. This innovative program will allow us to reach an underserved population of prospective students around the world and play a proactive role in addressing the global supply/demand gap in higher education.”
On July 2, Global Learning Exchange™ celebrated the Grand Opening of the Hub facility that will anchor its inaugural program in the Bahamas. In the months ahead, Global Learning Exchange™ will focus on partnership development with additional universities in the US, UK, and Australia, as well as with local education and labor leaders in several emerging markets around the world. GLX representatives are currently in discussion with potential partners in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Additional information on Global Learning Exchange™ can be accessed here.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Founded in 1830, UNA is the oldest public university in the state and the fastest growing in Alabama. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN and Big South conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: http://www.una.edu/ and www.una.edu/unaworks/.
About Hilbert College
Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With over 800 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs in criminal justice administration and public administration, including a track in health administration.
About SkillUp Online
SkillUp Online is a ‘Smart’ skills development platform for people and organizations looking to move into or across the rapidly expanding IT ecosystem. The company is delivering real solutions for the global technology skills gap by going beyond certifications with a human-centered approach to IT learning that scales. SkillUp Online enrollees complete their respective
courses of study 5x more often than the industry benchmark, with over 90% reporting that the platform’s unique deep-learning approach drove a better understanding of the material. Partnerships with industry leaders, like IBM, Microsoft, and NASSCOM, have solidified SkillUp Online as the most respected resource for lifelong IT learning, based on its commitment to putting outcomes at the center of the learning process.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements about the products and services of Sonic Foundry within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements about our products and services, our customer base, strategic investments, new partnerships, our future operating results, and any statements we make about the company’s future. These types of statements address matters that are subject to many risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from the forward-looking guidance we provide. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in context of the risk factors disclosed in our periodic forms 10Q, 10K and other filings with the SEC. These filings can be accessed on-line at www.sec.gov and other websites or can be obtained from the company’s investor relations department. All of the information and disclosures we make in this news release regarding our business, including any forward-looking guidance, are as of the date given and we assume no obligation to update or change this information, regardless of subsequent events.
About Sonic Foundry®, Inc.
Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Madison, Wis., Sonic Foundry (OTC: SOFO) is dedicated to transforming how the world works and learns through innovative and scalable technology solutions. Sonic Foundry’s brands include Vidable® and Global Learning Exchange® which help unlock a smarter, more connected world for learners, workers, and entrepreneurs everywhere. For more information visit www.sonicfoundry.com.
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