ITHACA, NY, April 24, 2006 — eCornell is pleased to announce the signing of a distribution agreement with the National Technical Information Service to provide discounted tuition for online management training and executive development to government employees at the federal, state, and local levels. Courses and certificate programs from Cornell University are now available at preferred government rates as part of an initiative to provide a rigorous, scalable, and cost-effective learning solution to almost 10 million government employees.

eCornell’s highly-regarded content and its innovative Structured Flexibility™ model of course delivery are designed to focus on skill development with a direct emphasis on improving workplace performance and building organizational capability. Developed by faculty authors from Cornell’s highly-rated Johnson Graduate School of Management, School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and School of Hotel Administration, eCornell courses are led by instructors well-versed in the subject matter who personalize the learning experience for each participant. Through NTIS, government employees and agencies can take advantage of these programs at almost 25 percent below eCornell’s published course prices.

“eCornell is excited about its agreement with NTIS. We appreciate the opportunity to honor the dedication of our public-service employees by offering them reduced tuition so they can more readily afford the same executive education and professional development that has proven so effective in the private sector,” says Chris Proulx, eCornell’s President and CEO. “Discounted tuition will be available to individual employees as well as to government agencies that want to purchase these courses for their employees. This initiative provides a great opportunity for government employees at all levels to engage in a collaborative and personally engaging learning experience that will be timely and relevant to the challenges they face in the government sector.”

eCornell’s course completion rate of more than 90% and consistently high student ratings make it one of the most effective training options available to the government. Available to all federal, state, and local government employees and the military, eCornell’s programs target mid- and senior-level leadership, emerging managers and other high-potential employees, and human-resources professionals in five key content areas: leadership and strategic management, financial management, management essentials, human resources, and hospitality and foodservice management. These highly engaging and interactive learning experiences revolve around authentic workplace scenarios that reflect the challenges learners are likely to face on the job. By combining collaborative discussions, course projects, interactive simulations, assessments, and job aids, eCornell courses help participants learn and apply the skills they need to meet those challenges, providing a deeper learning experience and improving workplace performance.

Government employees also will benefit from the new programs eCornell will be adding to its course catalog each quarter, providing agencies with the most current and relevant management and leadership education available. To learn more and to enroll, government employees and HR officials can visit http://www.ntis.gov/ecornell/ecornell.asp

About eCornell:
eCornell provides many of the world’s leading organizations with online, asynchronous, professional and executive development in the areas of strategy, leadership and management development, human resources, financial management, and hospitality management. Its patent-pending course development model and proven instructor-led course delivery provide for engaging, rigorous, and interactive learning. eCornell is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cornell University. For more information, please visit http://www.ecornell.com.

About NTIS:
The National Technical Information Service is an agency of the Department of Commerce that serves our nation as the largest central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business-related information available today. For 60 years NTIS has assured businesses, universities, and the public timely access to well over 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas. Its mission supports the nation's economic growth by providing access to information that stimulates innovation and discovery.

For more information, please contact:
Ross Pearo
Vice President, Marketing & Business Development
eCornell
607-330-3334
rpearo@ecornell.com