EDUKAN College Consortium Celebrates 20th Year Anniversary

GREAT BEND, Kan. - Feb. 6, 2018 - PRLog -- EDUKAN, a consortium of Western Kansas community colleges, is celebrating twenty years of innovation, growth, and cooperation with our member institutions. EDUKAN was formed in 1998 by a consortium of six colleges in Kansas to take advantage of the internet as a platform to educate students and has continued to incorporate the latest technologies to enhance the online student experience of the thousands of students they serve each year.

"As we celebrate our 20^th anniversary, we reflect on the incredible strides that the organization has made over the years in the arena of online education. Since its inception, the drive to provide affordable, quality education in a leading-edge format has opened virtual doors for students to unparalleled academic opportunities.

All of EDUKAN's achievements are the direct result of the collective efforts and student-focused commitment of the EDUKAN Board of Presidents, the six Consortium Colleges, the EDUKAN staff, and of course the dedicated EDUKAN faculty." said Esther Lahargoue, EDUKAN's Chief Executive Officer.

EDUKAN is uniquely positioned to provide low-cost classes to students who need to take a course for a prerequisite, for high school students who want to get ahead and start their college studies through dual-enrollment, and for those who wish to earn their Associates Degree for under $10,000 to save money on their college tuition.

"EDUKAN has provided a platform of access and flexibility for students for two decades. As partner Colleges, we aim to continue this tradition while seeking new opportunities to expand the EDUKAN brand and mission. Our ultimate goal is to deliver a positive and accessible option for education that complements our work and efforts as community colleges," said Dr. Ken J. Trzaska, President, Seward County Community College and Chairman of the EDUKAN Board of Presidents.

Recent Milestones

·      EDUKAN has incorporated the use of biometrics for academic integrity and using this online student identity proofing to meet the Department of Education and Institution Accreditation Board requirements,

·      EDUKAN has pioneered the use of embedded materials to lower the cost of books for students so students get the right book for their course every time,

·      EDUKAN has upgraded their Learning Management Systems to ensure students can do their studies and course work on their mobile devices from laptops to tablets

·      EDUKAN has integrated tools for both instructors (surveys) and analytics to better understand what today's online students need and how they work to be proactive in the overall governance of the technology platform

EDUKAN has students enrolled in online courses from around the US and with the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA), more students are taking advantage of the 14 year-round semester term options available to them.

EDUKAN is also expanding internationally with a number of targeted campaigns to help students who wish to get an US-based college education but may be hampered by the cost of moving and taking classes on a campus or due to immigration restrictions.

Currently, EDUKAN's distance education offering includes 205 plus courses year-round with 19 certificate and Associate degree programs.

More about the Founding of EDUKAN

EDUKAN was formed not as a separate institution, but instead a cooperative effort between member colleges to offer courses via the Internet. Students who enroll in EDUKAN's online program take coursework through one of the six participating institutions.

The institutions involved include: Barton Community College, in Great Bend; Colby Community College, in Colby; Dodge City Community College, in Dodge City; Garden City Community College, in Garden City; Pratt Community College, in Pratt; and Seward County Community College, in Liberal.

Lahargoue added, "EDUKAN's future is bright as it pursues a clear strategy for continued growth and expansion in both national and international sectors, while at the same time continuing to find pathways that promote innovation in online learning."

About EDUKAN

EDUKAN provides access to quality, affordable, higher education online courses for students pursuing college degrees, certificates or individual courses. Founded in 1998, EDUKAN has been helping students who are returning to complete a degree, high school students looking for early college credit, students needing a flexible schedule or specific courses to complete their degree path, or people looking to make a career change.  EDUKAN courses are all accredited through our consortium of Kansas learning institutions with excellent reputations and long histories helping students achieve their educational goals.  EDUKAN Consortium member institutions are: Barton Community College, in Great Bend; Colby Community College, in Colby; Dodge City Community College, in Dodge City; Garden City Community College, in Garden City; Pratt Community College, in Pratt; and Seward County Community College, in Liberal. For more information, please visit http://www.edukan.org.