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Purdue University plans to acquire the for-profit Kaplan University and will convert it to not-for-profit school that has a Purdue name and focuses on online degrees.
The initiative is meant to address the need for post-secondary education for working adults and others unsuited to traditional campus study, Purdue officials said at an April 27 announcement.
Purdue's acquisition of Kaplan includes 15 campuses, 32,000 online and campusbased students and 3,000 employees. All Kaplan University students and faculty will transition to the new university, which will use the Purdue name in a fashion that has not yet been finalized.
The Purdue Board of Trustees unanimously approved the plan April 27. It still will have to go through additional levels of approval at the state and federal level.
President Mitch Daniels said extending Purdue's reach to online students is part of a focus on increasing college attainment rates and Purdue's "land-grant mission to expand higher education beyond the wealthy and elites of society."
"We cannot honor our land-grant...