A New Model for Higher Education
The Industry Sector Hubs at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) represent a transformative model that integrates nine academic institutions, employers, students, and community partners into a collaborative system aligned with workforce needs. Grounded in the USG Strategic Plan, the hubs drive equity-centered, data-informed collaboration focused on career readiness, lifelong learning, and inclusive opportunity. Through this model, USG creates clear pathways to prosperity for learners and helps build a thriving, equitable economy in Montgomery County and beyond.
The programs from these nine institutions are represented by four industry sectors:
- Engineering and Technology
- Health and Life Sciences
- Public Service, Education and Social Sciences
- Business Enterprise
Convene, Elevate, Activate
Each of the four Industry Sectors are supported by two volunteer chairs: one representing the academic programs within that industry and one representing USG staff. The chairs are appointed to serve two-year terms.
The co-chairs help facilitate communications and collaborations among the academic institutions, business partners, students, staff and more. Together, they convene, elevate, and activate to achieve the following:
- Advance Cross-Institutional Collaboration and Innovation
- Leverage the multi-university model to support interdisciplinary teaching, shared resources, and collaborative scholarship.
- Encourage faculty and staff to pilot innovative academic models and collaborative governance structures supported by hub infrastructure.
- Promote Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Regional Impact
- Enable faculty to pursue applied research and scholarly activity that addresses regional challenges and enhances their academic profiles.
- Connect faculty with industry, government, and community organizations to amplify real-world research outcomes.
- Enable Strategic Coordination Through Data and Shared Governance
- Use cross-institutional data and employer insights to guide decision-making, program evaluation, and continuous improvement.
- Coordinate across stakeholders to ensure alignment with regional economic development strategies and shared educational outcomes
- Elevate Institutional and Regional Visibility
- Position USG and its partner institutions as leaders in education innovation and workforce development through targeted outreach and events.
- Showcase the hubs as engines of talent development and community engagement within Montgomery County and beyond.
- Foster Industry-Aligned, Career-Relevant Education
- Ensure all academic programs and co-curricular initiatives are informed by regional workforce trends and employer input.
- Promote the integration of competency-based learning and hands-on experiences to better prepare students for immediate employment.
- Facilitate Experiential Learning and Employer Engagement
- Develop robust pipelines for internships, mentorships, applied research, and project-based learning through strong employer partnerships.
- Engage employers in curriculum development and student-facing activities to build a future-ready workforce.
- Support Student Success and Belonging
- Provide holistic, wraparound student services that support academic achievement, career readiness, and a sense of community.
- Use the hub identity to create student affinity groups and networks with peers, faculty, and professionals in their industry.
Distinct Advantage
USG’s Industry Hubs redefine the connection between higher education and workforce development. By aligning academic programs with high-growth industries, offering hands-on experience, and fostering cross-sector collaboration, the Hubs benefit all stakeholders: students gain access to meaningful careers; faculty engage in applied, interdisciplinary teaching and research; and employers shape and access a skilled talent pipeline. This integrated approach drives both student success and regional innovation.
- Enhanced Alignment with Industry Needs: Hubs provide faculty with direct access to regional employer trends and workforce demands, enabling more relevant and applied curriculum development.
- Cross-Institutional Collaboration: Hubs offer faculty participation in a unique model that unites multiple universities to foster interdisciplinary teaching, shared resources, and collaborative research.
- Support for Teaching Innovation: Hubs give faculty the opportunity to integrate experiential learning, competency-based teaching and assessments, and workforce-informed projects with support from hub infrastructure.
- Outreach and Visibility: Hubs help raise visibility of the partner institutions within Montgomery County and the broader region through targeted outreach and tailored events.
- Opportunities for Faculty Scholarship and Research Impact: Hubs facilitate applied research and scholarship by connecting faculty with industry partners, community organizations, and cross-institutional peers, enabling projects that address real-world challenges and contribute to scholarly output.
- Pipeline of Talent: Hubs prepare job-ready graduates with relevant competencies that align with the region’s workforce needs.
- Co-Creation of Curriculum and Learning Experiences: Opportunities for employers to shape learning outcomes and participate in applied learning experiences.
- Engagement with Future Workforce: Employers can connect with prospective employees early through internships, career fairs, project sponsorships, and mentorships.
- Regional Economic Development: By aligning higher education with labor market demands, hubs help strengthen the local economy and address workforce shortages.
- Career-Aligned Education: Hubs ensure that all academic programs are integrated with real-world industry expectations through hands-on learning and competency-based development.
- Experiential Opportunities: Access to internships, mentorships, and applied projects with regional employers, ensuring graduates are workforce-ready.
- Guided Academic Journey: Holistic support services and programming tailored to student success from enrollment to employment.
- Community and Belonging: A structured hub identity helps students connect with like-minded peers, faculty, and professionals in their field of interest.
- Strategic Coordination and Impact: Hubs offer staff a scalable model to align institutional missions with regional workforce priorities, driving measurable impact in economic development and student success.
- Data-Informed Decision-Making: Staff gain access to rich cross-institutional data and employer insights, supporting better planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement efforts across the system.
- Innovation Enablement: The hub infrastructure fosters experimentation with new academic models, policy frameworks, and collaborative governance structures that staff can support and scale across the system.
- System-Wide Visibility and Recognition: Participation in hub work positions staff as leaders in higher education innovation, drawing attention to the role in addressing statewide talent and economic challenges.
- Facilitation of Stakeholder Synergy: Staff serve as a critical connective tissue, coordinating efforts across institutions, employers, and community partners to ensure alignment and shared outcomes.