University trustees approved an additional $3.4 million for Global Campus as administrators said they expect a marketing campaign and partnerships with community colleges to put the online degree program in “fast growth mode.”
Current enrollment stands at 42 in the four programs now offered – a bachelor’s of nursing for registered nurses, a master’s in education and two certificate programs in e-learning – and 63 students have been provisionally admitted in the nursing program for September and beyond, said Chester Gardner, special assistant to the president.
At the board meeting May 22 at UIC, Gardner told trustees the university has established a partnership with the Chicago City Colleges that will allow its nursing graduates to enroll in the Global Campus R.N. program.
Nearly 200 students have applied for nine new programs to be offered in September, including a bachelor’s of business administration degree completion program, and master’s degree and certificate programs in patient safety.
“We’re about four months behind in our enrollment projections,” Gardner said of the program, which began enrolling students last October and put its first courses online Jan. 2.
Because the initial enrollment goals were unrealistic, tuition revenues are about $500,000 less than projected; however, Global Campus will end the fiscal year $2.5 million under budget, Gardner said.
Global Campus also created a Web site that is a gateway to all the university’s online programs, Gardner added. “Our marketing will benefit all online programs,” he said.
Global Campus is funded through a $6.45 million line of credit from the university, which will be repaid from future revenues over 10 years beginning in 2011.
