The University of Indianapolis announced the arrival of UIndy Online and The Sease Institute this summer. According to the university website some of the degrees and certifications offered online include healthy diploma certification, master of science in aging studies, nurse leader graduate certification and more. Executive Vice President and Provost Chris Plouff said UIndy Online will meet the demands of students who are referred to as adult learners, or students who have taken time off from schooling and need a more accessible education.
According to its website, The Sease Institute was founded in order to adapt to the changing world of work with the goal of better outcomes for Indiana businesses and communities. The website also says The Sease Institute evolves along with the needs of the business community. Plouff said UIndy Online and The Sease Institute are separate programs but both share the same goals.
“They are two different things,” Plouff said. “UIndy Online is the post-traditional learner degree completion as well as support for our online programs. The Sease Institute has been around for a while … it’s really intended to be primarily, but not exclusively, non-credit-bearing education and training for the community at large.”
UIndy President Tanuja Singh said UIndy Online provides an accessible opportunity for many people looking to go into the workforce but may not have the credentials, as well as for students who may have had to step away from pursuing a degree for various reasons and are now looking to return to school.
“If you look at the governor’s office initiative, also Workforce Indiana, what they’re saying is we have a large percentage of people who would be qualified to do the job, they just do not have the credentials,” Singh said. “We want to make it easy for them to be able to complete a degree that helps them move up.”
Singh said UIndy already offers online courses, but it is not as focused as UIndy Online will be. She added that students will be able to take individual courses if that is all they need to pursue their goals.
“What we’re hoping is that people can do credentialing, they can do stackable certificates …” Singh said. “They may be able to come in and say ‘I just want to take twelve hours.’”
A nationwide search for the Founding Dean of UIndy Online and The Sease Institute is underway. Singh said the dean will work closely with Academic Affairs to build the courses available for UIndy Online. The press release said the dean of UIndy Online will join the same leadership level as the other four colleges at UIndy.
“We’re looking for someone who understands how the world is evolving and understands the responsive nature of education we are focusing on,” Singh said.
