Purdue University Global chosen as name for online school

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A recently acquired online college purchased by Purdue will be called Purdue University Global.

The (Lafayette) Journal and Courier reports that trustees at the northern Indiana college announced the new name on Thursday.

Purdue is taking over the for-profit Kaplan University chain in order to expand its reach into online education. Kaplan currently enrolls 32,000 students online and at more than two dozen campuses across numerous states.

Purdue is several weeks away from what university officials hope is final approval of its acquisition of Kaplan.

The name won't be official until the Higher Learning Commission approves the deal.

Purdue faculty are concerned Purdue's brand could be hurt if the new Purdue-Kaplan entity can't match the academic rigor of the school's brick-and-mortar campuses.

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Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com