AIU Online Hosts Capitol Hill Demonstration and Q&A About the Fast-Moving Universe of Distance Learning
November 17, 2003
Contact: John Digles
The MWW Group
(312) 853-3131
jdigles@mww.com
HEA Reauthorization and surging enrollment numbers nationwide drive interest of policymakers
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 17, 2003 –With more students nationwide turning to distance learning to advance their higher education, AIU Online today hosted a demonstration of the virtual campus and a study of the latest trends in online postsecondary education for Capitol Hill policymakers. American InterContinental University (AIU) Online hosted the special event with the U.S. Senate Rural Education Caucus.
“Students nationwide are looking to online education and schools like AIU Online as a viable option for their continued studies and career advancement. My wife, Diana, earned a Master’s degree from the University of Wyoming from Washington D.C. largely by distance learning. It is vital for us to understand this education medium and its growing influence as we consider the Higher Education Act and other education legislation,” said Senator Mike Enzi, chairman, Senate Rural Education Caucus.
“Online education is a fast-moving universe. Many college-bound students are choosing to launch their careers while they earn their degrees online. Employed professionals nationwide are turning to distance learning to further their education and advance their careers while they stay in the marketplace. Our students range from college-aged freshmen, to thirty-something professionals. Twenty percent of our students are serving in the U.S. military and earning their degrees while they are deployed. The future of education is in practice today,” said Nick Fluge, COO of AIU Online and president of the Online Education Group at Career Education Corporation.
Fluge moderated the event with Dr. Robin Throne, AIU Online vice president of regulatory policy and governmental affairs and Paul Gleason, vice president of development.
The luncheon included a demonstration of a virtual classroom where students can interact with instructors and classmates from around the world. Senate and House staffers toured AIU Online’s virtual campus and the school’s award-winning Cybrary, boasting over 25,000 volumes that are available 24 hours a day.
AIU Online’s student friendly technologies were on display for Congressional staffers to see the ease and proficiency of the virtual learning environment. “In the online classroom, students can study anytime, anyplace and at any pace,” said Fluge. “Shy students can interact just as easily as their more outgoing classmates. The online learning environment tends to create a nurturing atmosphere of empowerment and equality.”
Dr. Throne attributed surging online enrollment numbers at AIU Online and other online universities to a wider acceptance of the online learning model, growing credibility of online education degrees and a tough economy where students have to work full-time while they study.
AIU Online offers degrees in Business Administration, Information Technology, Education, Criminal Justice, Healthcare Management, Human Resource Management, Marketing and Visual Communication. For more information, visit www.aiuonline.edu.
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American InterContinental University is a wholly owned subsidiary of Career Education Corporation (Nasdaq: CECO), one of the largest providers of for-profit, postsecondary education. CEC operates 78 campuses in the U.S., Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates and had approximately 79,500 students as of October 31, 2003. AIU Online is the web-based virtual campus of American InterContinental University, an international university with residential campuses located in Atlanta, GA; Los Angeles, CA; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; London, England; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. American InterContinental University has been educating students for over 30 years and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.