Wednesday
April 3, 8:11 am Eastern Time
Press Release
MAITLAND, Fla. & NOTRE DAME, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April
3, 2002--
Satellite
Theological Education Program (STEP) delivers online religious
education to pastoral ministers across the United States
A
preeminent U.S. Catholic higher education institution has
turned to technology to address key religious education
issues and promote theology beyond its American heartland
campus borders.
The
University of Notre Dame will commit more than half a million
dollars over three years toward
instructional technology investments for enhancing a pastoral
distance education program through the help of CollegisEduprise,
the leading technology services provider to higher education.
The agreement includes Application Service Provider (ASP)
support for WebCT, instructional training, course development,
and strategic services focused on return on investment (ROI)
measurement and program management.
Administrators
and educators at The Institute for Church Life (ICL) of
the University of Notre Dame, which brokered the agreement,
seek to advance the Institute's mission for ``teaching,
research and service to society and to the larger church''
through enhancement of its Satellite Theological Education
Program (STEP). ICL believes this ``theology through technology''
venture will enrich the broader church community through
improved access to quality religious reference materials
and respected instruction in the proud Notre Dame tradition.
The
enhanced STEP program will build on the Notre Dame brand
by offering theological education to pastoral ministers
and lay persons via digital resources, including an online
lecture series by famous Catholic leaders and theologians
via the World Wide Web. STEP, which is in its third year
of operation, hopes to increase enrollments and exposure
to theology while generating revenues for ICL through the
CollegisEduprise partnership. The online certificate program
will offer religious, academic and spiritual coursework
content created by Notre Dame and delivered through CollegisEduprise
and its coursework management partners.
The
pastoral programs address demand within worldwide Catholic
communities for greater access to the rich traditions of
the Catholic Church. In the United States alone, almost
half of the nearly 200 Catholic archdioceses and dioceses
(regions) do not have a Catholic college or university within
their diocesan boundaries. Catholics in these areas often
depend upon outside experts --such as Notre Dame's Institute
for Church Life -- to assist in training their priests,
lay ministers and volunteer workers.
Select
e-Courses available through STEP include: An Introduction
to Sacraments; The American Catholic Experience; Eucharist:
Source and Summit of the Christian Life; The Christian Conscience
and Ethical Dilemmas; and Biblical Literary Forms in the
Gospels. ICL leaders also envision increased access to digital
learning assets, such as electronic versions of religious
texts and ancient scripture, through this technology services
relationship with CollegisEduprise.
``We're
employing new technology resources through CollegisEduprise
to continue our traditional work of education, evangelization
and spiritual development,'' said Tom Cummings, director
of STEP. ``The methods are new and the means of delivery
may be different, but our teaching is consistent and our
traditions and beliefs have stood the test of time.''
CollegisEduprise,
which is a secular privately held corporation, serves more
than 110 higher education clients nationwide, more than
10 percent of which are Catholic institutions.
``Because
of their traditional focus on higher learning and academic
integrity, Catholic colleges and universities are attractive
outlets for learning technology development and deployment
among students, faculty and staff,'' said Tom Huber, president
and CEO of CollegisEduprise. ``Our efforts to advance that
proud tradition are empowered by the spirit of each institution
and its strategic commitment to excellence through innovation
and an investment in faith and focus on academic reward.''
Other
Catholic institutions served by CollegisEduprise include
Loyola Marymount University (Calif.); Boston College (Mass.);
Seton Hall University (N.J.); Benedictine University (Ill.);
Regis University (Colo.); Notre Dame de Namur University
(Calif.); Saint Leo University (Fla.); St. Thomas University
(Fla.); College of Mount St. Vincent (N.Y.), Immaculata
College (Pa.), and St. John Fisher College (N.Y.).
About
CollegisEduprise, Inc.
CollegisEduprise,
Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive business,
technology and curriculum services to higher education.
Founded in 1986, CollegisEduprise links administrative and
academic goals through strategic vision and implementation.
CollegisEduprise clients achieve dramatic returns on investments
in technology by leveraging corporate expertise and economies
of scale to realize financial, strategic and operational
value on campus and online. Visit the CollegisEduprise Web
site at http://www.collegis.com.
About
University of Notre Dame
The
University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community
of higher learning, founded in 1842 by Rev. Edward Sorin
and animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy
Cross. Notre Dame is an independent, national Catholic university
located in Notre Dame, Ind., and ranks third nationally
among major universities in the graduation rate of all students.
The Institute for Church Life (ICL) of the University of
Notre Dame exists as an integral component of the University's
larger mission of teaching, research, and service to society
and to the Church. Through its resources, projects, and
affiliate centers the Institute reaches out to the whole
spectrum of Church leaders -- its bishops, clergy, religious,
and laity -- to provide training and service as well as
opportunities for spiritual rejuvenation and personal growth.
Visit the University of Notre Dame Web site at http://www.nd.edu.
Contact:
CollegisEduprise
Matt Gomez, 407/660-1199, ext. 2504; cell: 407/421-9365
mgomez@collegis.com
