Rasmussen College Opens Learning Center to Help Close Chicago’s Digital Divide

Rasmussen College, a regionally accredited private college, Tuesday unveiled a technology-infused learning center in Chicago for high schoolers, college students and community members to access the internet and receive college coaching at no cost. With the new center, Rasmussen seeks to close the digital divide in the area, while increasing the number of high school students taking dual-credit courses at the college, as well as providing a resource for degree-seeking adult students.

The Rasmussen College Centro de Aprendizaje will be located inside of a building space at 3948 West 55th Street, donated by Banco Popular, residing in a southwest neighborhood of Chicago where just above half (53 percent) of families use broadband regularly, according to a 2011 broadband use survey from Broadband Illinois.

Its target audience will be students who lack adequate broadband to complete homework assignments, since the lack of internet access has been cited as a contributing factor to the area’s lower academic achievement statistics in recent years. Notably, a 2012 demographic survey of Chicago found that among individuals living in the area age 25 or older, less than 4 percent hold an associate’s degree and 7 percent hold a bachelor's degree, compared to national averages of 7.76 percent and 18.25 percent respectively.

The new center has 21 computer terminals, large tables for groups, a student lounge and a conference room. It also includes:

  • 21 Lenovo mini computers with 19-inch monitors;
  • A high-speed copier/printer/scanner;
  • A 60-inch flat screen monitor with audio visual controllers, including projector and laptop connections, located in the conference room; and
  • A 60-inch monitor in the main learning center area with AV hook ups.

To run the space, Rasmussen is working with its existing partner, the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), a nonprofit organization that manages 31 neighborhood Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serving 17,000 students. Since 2009, Rasmussen has worked with AUSL to open college access to students at five CPS high schools: Chicago Academy High School, Collins Academy High School, Phillips Academy High School, Orr Academy High School and Solorio Academy High School. The college offers students at these schools dual-credit opportunities at no cost. To date, more than 700 high school students have completed Rasmussen courses, resulting in approximately $865,000 in college cost savings for the students. According to a campus spokesperson, Rasmussen plans to expand the program to more CPS schools in the future.

The space is also available for local business and community organizations “to use as a meeting space at no cost, whenever possible, a public benefit the college provides its 22 campuses,” according to the announcement.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • cloud and circuit patterns with AI stamp

    Cloud Management Startup Launches Infrastructure Intelligence Tool

    A new AI-powered infrastructure intelligence tool from cloud management startup env0 aims to turn the fog of sprawling, enterprise-scale deployments into crisp, queryable insight, minus the spreadsheets, scripts, and late-night Slack threads.

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.

  • geometric pattern of interconnected triangles and hexagons

    Gravyty Merges with AI-Powered Student Engagement Companies Ivy.ai and Ocelot

    Gravyty, a provider of alumni and donor engagement and fundraising solutions, has announced a merger with AI-powered student enrollment and engagement companies Ivy.ai and Ocelot. The combined company will operate under the Gravyty brand.

  • person typing on a touch screen schedule plan calendar

    2025 Tech Tactics in Education Conference Agenda Announced

    Registration is free for this fully virtual May 7 event, focused on "Thriving in the Age of AI" in K-12 and higher education.