Purdue University Receives HLC Approval for Purdue Global

  • 03/05/18

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – Purdue University Global is set to launch after receiving final approval from the Higher Learning Commission. Monday’s (March 5) notice of approval was the last step in the regulatory process for the new university, first announced in April 2017.

“We are grateful for the Higher Learning Commission’s decision to approve Purdue University’s conversion of Kaplan University to Indiana’s newest public institution of higher education, Purdue Global,” says Purdue President Mitch Daniels. “It opens a new era for our institution, with the opportunity to expand our land-grant mission to millions of adult students around the country. That opportunity brings with it the responsibility to provide the highest quality online education, not only to our new adult learners, but to all residential and online Boilermaker students.

“Starting today, Purdue University hopes to take a leading role in online learning nationally.”

Purdue Global will have its main campus in Indianapolis and is expected to launch officially in April. Betty Vandenbosch, currently president of Kaplan University (KU), will be the Purdue Global chancellor and will report to Daniels and the new institution’s six-member board of trustees, composed of five Purdue University trustees and one external trustee.

“We appreciate the Higher Learning Commission’s fast and unequivocal ‘yes,’” Vandenbosch says. “This gives us a chance to move forward promptly with a successful start. We are excited to become part of the Purdue University system and offer working adults a supportive and practical education tailored specifically to them.”

Approximately 30,000 students enrolled at Kaplan University will seamlessly transition to Purdue Global. These students will be able to complete their programs of study with their current instructors without interruption, but will earn a degree bearing the new institution’s name. Over time, additional programs are expected to be added to the curriculum.

“A large and growing number of Purdue faculty have demonstrated an active interest in working with Purdue Global or with the digital platform it brings,” says Frank Dooley, Purdue vice provost for teaching and learning. “All willing and interested faculty are welcome to join this exciting new opportunity in Purdue’s history.”

Purdue Global was created to enhance Purdue’s land-grant mission by expanding access to higher education for the millions of working adults who started and did not complete a college degree and for others unable to attend a traditional college campus. With the launch of the new institution, Purdue, which previously did not have a significant online undergraduate degree offering, seeks to catapult itself to become one of the largest online degree-granting systems in higher education.

Purdue announced its decision last year to acquire Kaplan University from Kaplan Inc. In mid-June, trustees of the new university approved plans to offer a tuition discount of approximately 45 percent for Indiana resident students and free tuition for degree-seeking Purdue employees. In December, the board voted to approve a Statement of Ethical Principles and Pledge to Students, a code by which all Purdue Global faculty, administrators, staff and support team members, as well as service partners, vendors, collaborators and other associates will be required to conduct themselves.

Founded in 1895, the Higher Learning Commission is one of six regional institutional accreditors in the U.S. HLC accredits degree-granting post-secondary educational institutions in the North Central region, which includes 19 states. Recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the HLC accredits approximately one-third of U.S. regionally accredited public and private institutions, including Purdue and Kaplan University.

Purdue University, a top public research institution, offers higher education at its highest proven value. Committed to affordability, the university has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012–13 levels. Committed to student success, Purdue is changing the student experience with greater focus on faculty-student interaction and creative use of technology. Committed to pursuing scientific discoveries and engineered solutions, Purdue has streamlined pathways for faculty and student innovators who have a vision for moving the world forward.

Kaplan, Inc., serves over 1 million students globally and provides an array of educational services to school districts, colleges and universities, and corporations and businesses. It established Kaplan University to serve adult students and help them prepare for careers in some of the fastest growing industries. Kaplan is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC).

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