Increased enrollment at Vincennes University is extending beyond the local campus to throughout the world through the university’s distance education program.
More and more students are taking advantage of the opportunity to complete their secondary education without even having to leave the comfort of their own homes.
For the 2011 fall semester, VU has 35 more full-time equivalent registered students for online courses than at the same time last year. The university now offers more than 400 classes and 30 degree programs completely online.
“I think one of the greatest of advantages of distance education is the portability and the flexibility,” said Kristi Deetz, the university’s senior director of external relations. “We have busy lives. People are working, they have families, they have other commitments.
“And to be able to have an educational opportunity where you work on it when you can and it fits into your lifestyle is a huge advantage,” she said. “And then also it brings education to areas where you don’t have a classroom to visit and so it broadens what you can study in your own hometown.”
Provost Ron Davis said the trend of more students taking online courses has been consistent throughout the country. He said the university’s distance education population is growing at a rate of about 1,000 credit hours per semester and he expects that trend to continue.
He attributed the increased numbers to more helpful services being provided to students through distance education.
“People who are time and place bound are turning more and more to distance learning, especially we’re seeing growth because we’re also providing services along the way with that — cohorts and set development and supportive resources to people at a distance,” Davis said. “And those make all the difference.
“The old style of distance learning was you’re on your own,” he said. “Today it’s you’re part of a team.”
One of those services is the Learning Unlimited program the university established through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Indiana State Library.
The program provides orientation, guidance and counseling from a “mentor coach” at several libraries throughout the state.
In addition to the face-to-face interaction, students enrolled in the Learning Unlimited program are loaned a netbook computer at no additional charge. The computers have wireless capabilities, include a camera and run Microsoft Office.
Deetz also presented the university’s summer enrollment numbers to the board of directors in May. According to the report, almost 3,000 students are currently enrolled in summer courses and more than 1,000 are full-time equivalent students.
A total of 168 more students are enrolled in summer courses this year compared to the same time last year.
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