Who We Are & What We Do

Who We Are
ICN is a cooperative service of Indiana’s colleges and universities and their educational partners. It’s operated by the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System (IHETS), one of the nation’s foremost state educational technology organizations, and governed by the Indiana Partnership for Statewide Education (IPSE), a key leadership committee. IHETS was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1967, and IPSE created the Indiana College Network in 1994, making it the first such “virtual university consortium” in the country. All members are accredited by the North Central Association’s Higher Learning Commission. High school programs are accredited by NCA’s Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement.

What We Do
In a general sense, ICN is a match-making service: we help people locate the educational programs of interest to them, and we help member institutions find students. ICN itself does not offer certificates or programs—those come from our accredited member institutions. Through its Web site, ICN provides information about distance learning in general and about the array of distance learning opportunities available, from short classes for continuing education through full diploma or degree programs at all levels.

ICN has two core values: keeping student needs at the center of what we do, and maintaining the balance between “high tech” and “high touch.” The staff responds promptly to inquiries and helps prospective students find a nearby learning center or the right institutional office to get started. Through ICN, institutions also arrange for their students to take classes from other ICN members as seamlessly as possible while preserving financial aid eligibility.