The next OMA General Gathering will be held in San Antonio, Texas, from 30 October--1 November 2015. 

 

PERTINENT INFORMATION REGISTRATION

If you are planning to attend please register now at the OMA Website.

The sooner you register, the easier it will be to gather accurate head-count information for the welcome reception, meeting refreshments and group dinners.

Please also note that San Antonio is a major convention/tourist city, particularly during the fall. You are encouraged to reserve a room as soon as possible.   

VENUE

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Antonio Downtown (DT)

502 W. Cesar E. Chavez

San Antonio, Texas 78207

Tel:  1-210-224-7155

While the deadline for rooms at the special OMA rate has passed, there may still be reasonably priced rooms at the DT. Reservations can be made by calling the DoubleTree directly between the hours of 08:00 and 17:00 or by calling the 24/7 reservations center at 1-800-HILTONS.

The DoubleTree by Hilton is a quite comfortable hotel, to Hilton standards of course, located in downtown San Antonio.  The DoubleTree (DT) is not directly on the River Walk – where hotels are quite expensive – but such attractions as the River Walk, the Alamo, etc., are within comfortable walking distance. In addition, the DT provides a regular shuttle service to San Antonio's major tourist attractions.

FEES

Registration Fee: $30/person. This fee, payable upon your arrival at the Gathering, offsets costs of the meeting space rental, registration packets, name badges, the welcome reception and coffee breaks on Saturday.

As with previous OMA functions, the Gathering in San Antonio is largely a pay-as-you-go event.  Members and guests pay individually for lodging and meals.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday – 30 October 2015

13:30 – 17:30 Registration for OMA gathering in the DT lobby. (Payment of registration fee.)

17:30 – 18:45 Welcome Reception.   Light finger food and pay-as-you-go drinks. DT bar area

19:00 Group dinner at DT restaurant.  Since all of Friday's events will be at the DT and members/guests will be arriving at different times, this will make it easier to know where to meet. (Pay as you go).

Saturday – 31 October 2015

09:00 – 09:30 Coffee/tea/fruit/etc. in the DT Meeting Room

09:30 – 12:00 OMA Group Meeting

12:00 – 14:00 Lunch on your own

14:00 – 16:30  Depending on the issues raised during the morning session and the wishes of the attendees, this time will be held open to continue the meeting as necessary.

19:30 Group dinner at a restaurant near the DT. (Self-pay)

Sunday – 1 November 2015

No official OMA activities have been planned.  Certainly, OMA members will probably want to visit some of San Antonio's many historic sites.   And, several attendees are already making small group lunch and/or dinner arrangements for Sunday.

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Bruce Janoff will be at the San Antonio Gathering for the Oral History Project upon which he has been working for the last couple of years.   If you are interested in participating and being interviewed about your experiences in UMUC’s overseas programs, please contact Bruce for more information.   Certainly, the project, as it moves along, will add a great deal to the fascinating history of UMUC's overseas programs. This information will be archived and made available to scholars.   Under current consideration is the creation of a documentary about the UMUC overseas adventure and its unique contribution to American higher education.

AND FINALLY . . .

It is never too late to join the San Antonio OMA Gathering!  If your plans suddenly change and you show up in San Antonio on the 30 October – 1 November weekend even unregistered and unannounced, you will be very much welcomed. After all, sudden changes of plans were the hallmark of Maryland overseas and that will never change!

As with most OMA events, University of Maryland University College is not directly involved in the planning/hosting of the San Antonio Gathering.   

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding this OMA Gathering, please contact the event organizers, Cyndi Inkpen <cyndiinkpen@icloud.com>, who is on-site in San Antonio as “Ms. Inside Organizer” and Joe Arden <arden_joe@hotmail.com> who is involved from home in Bangkok as “Mr. Outside Organizer.”

We look forward to seeing you there!

Cyndi and Joe