Community Learning Network

The IUPUI Community Learning Network (CLN) serves citizens of Central Indiana and beyond by providing an array of options during the day, in the evening, and on the weekends.  A broad range of workshops, classes, and programs are offered off-campus, through IUPUI Off-Campus Learning Centers, and in area high schools or businesses.  These classes enable lifelong learners to continue, enhance, or complete their education through face-to-face instruction, as well as via online and DVD delivered courses.  In fact, enrollment data validate an increasing demand in Central Indiana for alternate forms of undergraduate and continuing education courses. 

The following highlights correspond with the campus goals of Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Civic Engagement:

Civic Engagement

  • Deliver high-quality education and training to Central Indiana’s workforce through continuing education offerings.
    • Maintained the largest continuing education program in the state of Indiana, offering more than 725 classes and training opportunities to citizens of Indiana, and generating approximately 7,780 enrollments in more than 30 off-campus locations. CLN offered 23 certificate programs; the top four include Project Management, Clinical Research, Human Resource Management, and Photography.  In addition, three new certificates were introduced during 2007-2008, including Leadership Development, General Business, and Executive Administrative Assistant.   
    • Maintained one off-campus learning center (the Community Life and Learning Center in Carmel), generating 577 undergraduate credit enrollments that resulted in 1,684.5 undergraduate credit hours and 2208 continuing education enrollments.  
    • Identified strategic locations and in the final stages of negotiations to establish two additional off-campus learning centers in northwest Marion County and in northern Johnson County scheduled to open in 2008-09. 
    • Continuing Studies maintained Web-based enrollment at 60 percent during the academic year and 54 percent in summer 2008.
    • Continuing Studies continued using TV advertising aimed at attracting new students.  These advertising efforts were focused on all three semesters.  Summer 2007 new student enrollment was 60 percent, but decreased slightly to 57 percent in Summer 2008.  Fall 2006 new student enrollment was 54 percent, increasing to 76 percent in Fall 2007.  Winter 2007 new student enrollment was 58 percent and increased to 73 percent in Winter 2008. Radio advertising was eliminated due to lack of effectiveness.
    • Continuing Studies provided customized contract training to Kroger, Eli Lilly, Indiana Blood Center, Camp Atterbury, Navistar, and Rigsbee Orthodontics.  A total of 54 separate sections of various training programs was offered to approximately 1,080 Kroger employees in various locations in Indiana and Illinois.  Kroger considers IUPUI Continuing Studies its “educational partner.”
    • CLN partnered with the following organization to provide noncredit classes: Indianapolis Museum of Art, Arthur M. Glick Jewish Community Center, Indianapolis Senior Center, OASIS, Indy Fringe, Conner Prairie, and the Indianapolis Symphony.
    • Continuing Studies partnered with the Institute of Reading Development Reading Program to offer summer classes.  IUPUI retained 10 percent of the gross tuition revenue, totaling $13,179, and served 593 students during the summer of 2007.
    • Continuing Studies continued to partner with Gatlin, 360 Training, and Financial Strategies to offer 25 online courses during 2007-2008.
    • Continuing Studies was affected by the economic downturn in both the public enrollment (noncredit) arm of the program and contract training during the 2007-2008 fiscal year.  Revenue and enrollments both declined, while delivery costs of noncredit programs (printing and duplicating, textbooks, supplies and market-based salaries for instructors) increased.  Nonetheless, Continuing Studies has not had an across-the-board increase in course fees in nearly 11 years. 
    • Continuing Studies generated $1,271,516 in revenue with approximately 7,780 enrollments.  The average course fee was $163.43.  Including contract training, the total revenue generated by Continuing Studies for 2007-2008 was $1,391,256, with programs reaching nearly 8,900 Hoosiers.

Excellence in Teaching & Learning

  • Enable adult students with jobs and full-time responsibilities to complete a college degree.
  • General Studies is the largest major at IUPUI. During 2007-08, 64 percent of the students served were female,       19 percent were minorities, and 64 percent were over 25.   
  • General Studies enrollments at IUPUI for Fall 2007 totaled 975.
  • The General Studies Degree Program had 435 graduates in 2007-08, with 66 earning the Associate of Arts in General Studies and 369 receiving the Bachelor’s degree in General Studies. 
  • General Studies program enrollments generated $3,614,209.69 in revenue for IUPUI in student tuition fee income (not including campus fees, textbooks, and so on), based on 20,713.5 credit hours in 2007-2008.
  • CLN generated $5,180,950 in revenue for IUPUI in student tuition fee income (not including campus fees, textbooks, and so on) based on 24,986.5 credit hours in 2007-2008 through off-campus, distance education, and weekend college.
  • Off-campus undergraduate credit programs generated 7,752 enrollments in the 2007-08 academic year.
  • Develop and implement distance learning technologies.
  • CLN collaborated with academic units to offer 152 distance education course sections, resulting in 6,155          enrollments during the 2007-08 academic year. Examples of course improvements include incorporating video clips and graphic interactive visuals to enhance student engagement in Geology G107. Spanish language faculty stream video lessons and Spanish language interviews directly to students’ computers and students now submit their language lessons as digital voice files.   
  • With instructional design money from the School of Continuing Studies, CLN developed an online class, Limited Cardiac Catheterization Radiography Certification.   Under new radiology licensing rules, beginning July 1, 2007, any individual performing a cardiac catheterization procedure and assisting with radiography tasks must have prior certification.  This course provides the necessary radiography training.
  • Scholarships and Development
  • The Irving J. Levy Scholarship of $500 was presented to Charles Anderson, Jr. 
  • The Bepko Scholarship of $100 was awarded to Carrie Smith.
  • Received $770 donations towards endowing the William Plater International Studies Scholarship for General Studies (total funding to date is $3,463.68).
  • Continuing Studies has two established scholarships for noncredit students.  The Bill Cronin Memorial Scholarship is awarded to recipients with financial need and is applied toward course fees or materials within the Home and Garden Certificate Program.  The Thomas F. McCarthy Memorial Scholarship is awarded to recipients with financial need and applied toward a career-oriented class.  During 2007-2008, Bill Cronin Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Michele Kennedy, Lisa Werner, and Erin East.  The Thomas F. McCarthy Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Dianna Walston, Theresa Browning, and Craig Anthony.
  • Transferred the materials, operations and grant funding of the Teachers Resource Center (TRC) to the School of Education. The TRC is a not-for-profit program designed to engage and educate young people in math and science through guided inquiry.