> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Career Resources
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
Campus Deal
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

As Kaplan Sale Faces Final Hurdle, Purdue President Criticizes Faculty Opponents

By  Chris Quintana
February 20, 2018

Purdue University’s president, Mitch Daniels, and some of its faculty members are still sparring over the institution’s proposed purchase of Kaplan University.

Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue U.
Purdue U.
Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue U.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education have already approved the deal, and the regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, is scheduled to review the proposal in a hearing this week. The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported on Monday that some faculty members said they would travel to Chicago for the hearing in an effort to stop the acquisition.

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Purdue University’s president, Mitch Daniels, and some of its faculty members are still sparring over the institution’s proposed purchase of Kaplan University.

Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue U.
Purdue U.
Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue U.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the U.S. Department of Education have already approved the deal, and the regional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, is scheduled to review the proposal in a hearing this week. The Lafayette Journal & Courier reported on Monday that some faculty members said they would travel to Chicago for the hearing in an effort to stop the acquisition.

“Our main goal is just to encourage the commission to consider sending this deal back to the Board of Trustees and to include proper faculty and student input,” said Alberto Rodriguez, chair of Purdue’s University Senate.

Daniels pushed back against the faculty protest, according to the newspaper, and specifically criticized a petition that raised concerns about Kaplan’s being under government investigation.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Anyone who has signed that letter has been misled,” Daniels said. “By now, I don’t know how. These things have been refuted. If that had been turned in on a term paper, you’d have given it an F.”

The deal has been contentious since it was announced, in April. Some faculty members and other observers have questioned the university’s motives and said they feared that the quality of the university’s degrees could suffer. Critics of the plan have also complained that faculty members weren’t included in the decision-making process.

Others raised concerns that Kaplan, a for-profit chain, would retain control of its institutions while benefiting from the association with Purdue, prompting questions about whether the new entity could be considered a public university.

Daniels has argued that the move will allow Purdue to better serve adult students and expand its online offerings, the newspaper reported.

Kaplan has 29,000 students online and in person in Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Under the deal, the Kaplan name would be dropped and the institution would be called Purdue University Global.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chris Quintana is a breaking-news reporter. Follow him on Twitter @cquintanadc or email him at chris.quintana@chronicle.com.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Leadership & GovernanceFinance & OperationsInnovation & Transformation
Chris Quintana
Chris Quintana was a breaking-news reporter for The Chronicle. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

  • Purdue’s Purchase of Kaplan Is a Big Bet — and a Sign of the Times
  • In Purdue’s New Vision, How ‘Public’ Will Kaplan U. Be?
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin