TERRE HAUTE — The Vigo County College Corp. is proposing a industrial, statewide online school that would increase enrollment and present more revenue for the college district.

It was a person of 3 concepts introduced by Invoice Riley, VCSC director of communications, for the duration of Monday’s University Board get the job done session.

The district is suggesting a few prospective plans to be included to the strategic prepare. The professional, statewide on-line school is just one. The two some others contain a “flex faculty” that could be positioned at the third elementary university to be shut, and the third will involve a new fabrication, innovation, engineering and engineering [FITE] center.

“We have to situation ourselves for the foreseeable future,” Riley advised board customers. With no innovation, the district expects to continue to reduce students until it stabilizes at about 13,000 pupils in 2030.

He mentioned that 3% of VCSC people want on the web education for their youngsters.

“There is demand from customers for this kind of instruction,” Riley said. The on the web university could serve VCSC and spot learners as well as others statewide.

The place as Vigo Virtual Achievement Academy [VVSA] is targeted on staying an alterative product for VCSC college students, the statewide on the web college “would be a industrial business to provide college students statewide,” Riley explained. It would compete with other statewide digital educational facilities.

The quantity one operator for on line schooling in Indiana is based in Florida, Riley stated. “What if we crafted a little something below that could serve Indiana pupils a minor far better.” The district could associate with larger education and learning in the initiative.

Originally, the aim would be to concentration on on-line education at the elementary stage. Numerous on-line educational facilities concentration on significant college. Riley thinks there is space in the marketplace for an elementary emphasis.

Also for the duration of the presentation, Riley discussed a achievable “flex faculty.” It would be a multi-use, versatile application college college students would not be there all working day.

It could serve VCSC students, these as with month-to-month grade-degree field excursions showcasing fingers-on things to do, with a target on STEM. It also could provide supplemental activities and instruction for homeschooled learners.

The flex college could give blended understanding assist and virtual college guidance. It would be a place where pupils could get versatile credit rating — perhaps a significant university university student could structure a program using everyday living practical experience and mapping people to mastering targets, Riley proposed. It also would be a area exactly where students could get externships.

The making would function till 8 p.m. with mentorship, following-faculty treatment, night food services and grownup training programs.

A flex school can use the “versatility waiver” from the state.

The waiver allows overall flexibility dependent on seat time learners could likely be deemed enrolled even even though they are not there for a entire day, Riley mentioned. Residence schooled learners “would be a person populace that could seriously profit from this resource,” he claimed.

A different strategy discussed was a proposed fabrication, innovation, technology and engineering [FITE] center, which would be new. It would present a obvious route to a vocation, with hands-on articles. A different target would be to attract college students from other Wabash Valley colleges.

It could placement learners and the local community to reply to workforce wants, Riley stated.

Although the largest emphasis would be on high school college students, it could serve other individuals past higher university. “It would be a position for pupils to go who are interested in not just occupation expertise but engineering, engineering and innovation,” Riley explained in an job interview.

The district would forge partnerships within the local community — labor unions, incubators/accelerators, larger instruction and industry.

“It would be a different kind of much more adaptable place that would assistance us reply to regional aims with workforce improvement,” Riley claimed. Some of individuals who use it could be qualified to go instantly into the workforce.

Riley reported there is no specific timeline for any of the a few proposals. “We are just owning the dialogue about including these to the strategic approach,” he said.

According to Rob Haworth, VCSC superintendent, strategic plan committees will examine the concepts and deliver recommendations that will go to the board, hopefully this summer months for feasible inclusion in the strategic plan.

As far as the business, on the net school, Haworth says the district needs to “accelerate its efforts” to catch up with individuals that are leaders in that space. “We believe there is a marketplace for a general public-school operated online professional university that we consider will be gained well all-around the condition.”

He thinks setting up it at the elementary degree would be a “reachable” goal for subsequent yr.

Riley reported he thinks the district has a “one of a kind item” in terms of length instruction for elementary pupils it has been produced by the curriculum crew and elementary lecturers.

Sue Loughlin can be arrived at at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected] Adhere to Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.