Purdue goes the distance for off-campus education
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University will expand its distance-learning program, university officials announced Monday (March 7).
"Our goal is by 2012-13 to create capacity for 10,000 enrollments in online courses for Purdue West Lafayette students. We want at least 60 percent of those enrollments in courses originating at Purdue. The remaining capacity would be available through partner institutions in the Indiana College Network consortium," said Mark Pagano, dean of Continuing Education and Conferences.
Purdue student enrollments in online-learning classes totaled about 8,200 in 2009-2010, with 35 percent in courses originating on the Purdue campus.
Continuing Education and Conferences has opened a new distance-learning center on the ground floor of Stewart Center. It includes a state-of-the-art testing center for Purdue students taking Indiana College Network courses.
The effort is part of a growing trend. Eduventures, an educational research firm, projects that by 2013 participation in online learning will exceed 3.5 million and that 18 percent of all higher education students will be online.
"By offering more Purdue-originated courses, we will provide our current students with greater continuity of classes," said Mickey Latour, associate dean of distance learning since September. "We also will be able to reach out to those who might not be able to take courses in a college classroom, such as professionals who can't come to campus because of their jobs or military personnel on assignment."
Purdue also plans to attract new off-campus students to participate in online degree programs. Based on the recommendations by a taskforce of faculty and administrators, Purdue contracted with Chicago-based Deltak for marketing and development, beginning with a pilot project with the College of Education. Deltak works with 26 partner institutions nationwide and has launched more than 70 degree programs.
Online degrees are expected to provide a new revenue stream for the university.
"As budgets grows tighter, it's essential that we look to other sources of revenue," Pagano said.
Purdue has been involved in distance learning since at least 1922 when it started broadcasting engineering courses over WBAA. By the late 1960's the university was offering masters degrees in engineering throughout Indiana and neighboring states via closed circuit television. By the early 2000s, Purdue was involved in ICN and was offering its first undergraduate online degree - an associate of science in veterinary technology.
Writer: Jeanne Norberg, 765-494-2084, jnorberg@purdue.edu
Source: Mark Pagano, 765-494-62321, mapagano@purdue.edu
Mickey Latour, 765-494-8011, mlatour@purdue.edu
Related websites:
Purdue Distance Learning