INDIANAPOLIS – WGU Indiana, the state’s top choice for a credible and affordable online education for working adults, has received a $30,000 Lumina Foundation grant to study the feasibility of a scholarship campaign for non-traditional adult students interested in finishing their college degrees. In just two years since its inception, Indiana’s eighth state university has attracted more than 2,400 adult students across the state interested in its high-quality, competency-based model paired with flat-rate tuition.

WGU Indiana officials sought financial support from Lumina for the study to further direct the university’s strategic and actionable plan to execute a scholarship campaign. The Lumina grant will help determine donor propensity to provide funding for non-traditional student scholarships.

“Lumina Foundation is generous for agreeing to fund this feasibility study,” WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber said. “Our average student is 37 years old and works fulltime. However, most college scholarship campaigns focus on high school seniors who are recognized as the traditional, college-bound students. WGU Indiana was founded on helping adults complete their degrees in a student-centered, yet challenging environment. There is little research in the area of needs-based scholarships for adult students, so we’re eager to learn more.”

WGU Indiana will work with Achieve, a national fundraising agency based in Indianapolis, to conduct the feasibility study, which will also provide unique information about the views, opinions and biases toward non-traditional students.

“Lumina Foundation is focused on increasing college attainment,” said Jamie Merisotis, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. “With more than 740,000 Hoosier adults who have some college but no degree, we have a great opportunity to increase the college degree attainment rate in Indiana. We are supporting this research because we believe WGU Indiana is one of the best options available for adults to obtain a high-quality degree in a timely fashion.”

WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in four high-demand career fields – Business, Information Technology, Education and Health Professions, including Nursing. Its flat-rate tuition has never increased, providing affordable access to a high-quality education for approximately $6,000 per year.

For more information on the state’s nonprofit, online university, visit the WGU Indiana website at indiana.wgu.edu or call 877-214-7014.

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 About WGU Indiana

WGU Indiana has been established by the State of Indiana as a nonprofit, online, competency-based university to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents. Formed through a partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is open to all qualified Indiana residents. The university offers over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana in its Reaching Higher, Achieving More agenda for the university’s excellence in academic quality.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and nationally accredited through the Distance Education and Training Commission (DETC). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

WGU Indiana is an approved education provider for Indiana state grants and scholarships offered through the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI).  In addition, the university has partnered with Ivy Tech to offer graduates who have completed their associate degrees a seamless transfer to complete their bachelor’s degrees at WGU Indiana, including application fee waivers and tuition discounts.

About Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation, an Indianapolis-based private foundation, is committed to enrolling and graduating more students from college—especially 21st century students: low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners.  Lumina wants to increase the percentage of Americans who hold high-quality degrees and credentials to 60 percent by 2025.  Lumina pursues this goal in three ways: by identifying and supporting effective practice, through public policy advocacy, and by using its communications and convening power to build public will for change.

INDIANAPOLIS – With more than 2,200 homes showing pended sales in April in Central Indiana, overall year-to-date pended home sales are up 12 percent over this time period last year, according to statistics compiled by F.C. Tucker Company.

On a monthly basis, April 2012 pended home sales rose 3.3 percent over April 2011, an increase of 72 homes sold in the nine counties that F.C. Tucker tracks. Five of the nine counties reported increased sales compared to April 2011.

“The housing market continues to show signs of stabilization,” said Jim Litten, president of F.C. Tucker Company.  “Home sales and prices are gradually increasing while inventory is decreasing – all signs of a strengthening market.”

In April, Madison County saw the largest increase in pended home sales which spiked 32 percent, raising the number of pended home sales to 136 from 103 in April 2011. Hancock and Morgan counties also experienced increases of 23.4 and 20 percent over April 2011, respectively. Johnson County saw the biggest decline – 18.2 percent. Shelby and Boone counties experienced decreases as well – 7.3 and 1.2 percent respectively.

Available homes for sale in the nine-county region dropped 11.3 percent in April 2012 with 13,556 homes on the market, 1,735 fewer than in April 2011. All nine Central Indiana counties experienced varying inventory declines with Marion County experiencing the greatest decrease in inventory at 16.3 percent. Hendricks County’s inventory was the most stable, down just 1.9 percent.

Overall, sales prices for the nine-county Central Indiana area increased by 0.9 percent. Tucker’s data indicates that six counties experienced slightly higher home sales prices than in April 2011. Year-to-date, Morgan County led the way with an 11 percent increase in home sales prices, while Boone, Madison, Hendricks and Shelby counties also reported gains. Johnson County saw the largest decline at 1.6 percent. Hamilton and Hancock counties also experienced decreases. The average year-to-date sales price for a home in the nine-county area was $143,553.

Of the pended home sales in the region last month, seven were priced more than $1,000,000; 60 were priced $500,000 to $999,999; 194 were priced $300,000 to $499,999; and 1,991 were priced at $299,999 or less.

Upon returning home to Indianapolis, I drove by one of the new billboards our Borshoff team recently designed for Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL). I proudly pointed the message out to my husband, appreciating that our electric company encourages us to think about the way we use our energy.

Our latest campaign for IPL promotes Power Tools, the company’s collection of energy efficiency programs.  Whenever you see the billboards while driving around town, catch one of the clever commercials on the radio or chuckle at the fun print ads or animated TV spot, I hope you’re inspired to discover your inner genius and take advantage of the great Power Tools programs IPL offers.

It’s simple – log on to IPLpower.com and click on Power Tools to discover ways to use your energy wisely!

Ready to be enlightened?  You can check out the new 30-second TV spot here.

“Sustainable living and working are central to the vision for CityWay. From the construction phase through its completion, CityWay will remain on the forefront of environmentally-friendly practices, and it will allow residents and visitors to maintain an environmentally-friendly lifestyle,” said Scott Travis, senior development director of Buckingham Companies.

CityWay, which encompasses an art hotel, green space, new state-of-the-art YMCA, apartments, restaurants, retail and office space, is transforming previously underutilized land north of South Street into a vibrant neighborhood within walking distance of many of Indianapolis’ largest employers and cultural districts.

CityWay’s sustainability initiatives will deliver:

• Green space: CityWay will include significant landscaped areas, vegetated rain gardens, light-colored hardscape areas to reduce heating effects and ample trees that will develop into a mature tree canopy. The buildings have been designed to maximize the use of natural light, and pedestrian pathways will be provided, including a connection to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

• Energy and water efficient design: CityWay will reduce water use by more than 20 percent through the use of water efficient fixtures. CityWay is also incorporating energy efficient appliances, LED light fixtures and occupancy controls in rooms to minimize energy consumption during non-occupied times. The project also uses local resources whenever possible to reduce the environmental impacts resulting from transportation of building materials.

• Storm water control:  Through the installation of a storm water collection system, CityWay will reduce storm water runoff, as well as virtually eliminate the need to use potable water for landscape irrigation.  The hotel roof drain system will collect in a 2,500 gallon cistern that will be used to irrigate vegetation throughout the hotel site.  In addition, any storm water on the site that is not reused or infiltrated through the use of rain gardens will be treated and discharged directly into Pogue’s Run, a dedicated City storm water system, thereby reducing the impact on the City’s combined sewer system.

• Recycling: CityWay will integrate an easily-accessible recycling program for paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics and metals in multiple locations throughout the community.  Furthermore, sustainable practices are being used during construction, such as reusing crushed concrete and asphalt from the former parking lot and on-site demolition as clean backfill and base for the new building foundations.

• Enhanced indoor environmental quality: Construction plans will engage LEED certified low-emitting materials, including adhesives, paints and flooring; operations plans contain a sophisticated carbon-dioxide monitoring system in densely-occupied spaces and restrictions on tobacco usage 25 feet from any entrance.

• Carpooling and electric vehicle support: CityWay will dedicate a portion of all parking spaces as preferred parking for low-emitting and/or fuel-efficient vehicles and carpool drop-off and pick-up zones. CityWay will also install electrical vehicle charging stations throughout the neighborhood.

The aforementioned initiatives will each contribute to the LEED certification application for The Alexander Hotel. The LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, rating system is designed by the U.S. Green Building Council to recognize effective green and sustainability strategies in building design and construction. More information can be found at www.usgbc.org/LEED.

Note: Renderings are available upon request.

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About CityWay

CityWay, is a dynamic new 14-acre neighborhood in the heart of downtown Indianapolis that encompasses a 209-room art hotel, destination restaurants, a state-of-the-art YMCA, apartments and 40,000 square feet of retail and office space.  With a pedestrian-friendly urban design, the mix of public spaces, offices, residential and retail will make CityWay an attractive place to work, play and live, and will serve as a catalyst for future development in the surrounding neighborhood. For more information, visit www.cityway.com.

About Buckingham Companies

Founded in 1984, Buckingham is a full service, fully integrated, real estate company that includes the development, acquisition, management and construction of a wide range of property types including multifamily, student housing and mixed-use communities. Buckingham manages nearly $1 billion of real estate assets for its own account, clients and institutional partners. More than 90 properties consisting of nearly 15 million square-feet of property, and approximately 15,000 rental units nationwide comprise the managed portfolio. Additionally, Buckingham Foundation annually supports more than 45 nonprofit and civic organizations through philanthropic outreach in the areas of affordable housing, community and economic development, and arts and culture.  For more information, visit www.buckingham-co.com.

About Dolce Hotels and Resorts

Dolce’s portfolio includes hotels in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado, California, Ontario, Texas, Nevada, Belgium, France, Spain and Germany. As a leader in the meetings industry, Dolce hosts some 30,000 events and 4 million group clients globally every year. The company’s founder pioneered the conference center concept and Complete Meeting Package, both now embraced as standards by the International Association of Conference Centers. Dolce’s vision is to create inspiring environments that bring people together.  Its mission is to delight its guests, challenge its associates, reward its owners and serve as a role model in its communities. Headquartered in Rockleigh, N.J., and founded in 1981, Dolce is majority-owned by Broadreach Capital Partners. The company employs more than 4,000 worldwide. Additional information is available at www.dolce.com.

First, I’d like to share a few trends and lessons learned from 12 months of website immersion.

1. Go big. Make a splash on your home page with big pictures, or big type. Say hello to the world so they’ll remember you. And make it clear what you do.

2. Talk less. Show more. If a picture can do the talking, use it.

3. Make every page count. Make each one engaging, 100% necessary and easy to navigate.

4. Show what makes you…well, you. Don’t only present the “business” side. Show your personality. And culture. Be real. Say things your competitors can’t, and in a language your clients will understand.

5. Make it universal. For every monitor. Every browser size. And every device. Optimize. And optimize again.

6. Last but not least, learn how to shift refresh. The web developer for borshoff.biz taught me this. Holding shift while refreshing clears your cache while instantly refreshing your browser. (Which I probably did over 300 times while our site was in progress!)

I’m not sure how to fill my wall once I take these 47 websites down.  (And what to do without Ryan Noel asking every day if the site is live yet?) But I have a feeling my wall will play host to smaller things now – like mobile site designs. Check back in six months for what I’ve learned.

INDIANAPOLIS – WGU Indiana and Community Health Network have entered into  an agreement to offer discounts on tuition and fees to Community Health Network employees, as well as a scholarship in commemoration of Health Care Appreciation Week. Community Health Network employees are now eligible for a waiver of the $65 application fee and a five percent tuition discount.

“This is a big step forward in helping Hoosiers go further through education,” WGU Indiana Chancellor Allison Barber said. “Community Health Network is home to over 11,000 employees, some of whom make up the 740,000 Indiana residents with some college experience and no degree. This partnership offers employees a high-quality, innovative, competency-based, nonprofit model where they can keep their jobs and/or advance in their jobs while finishing a bachelor’s degree or earning a master’s degree.”

In less than two years of existence, WGU Indiana has grown to 2,400 students and has had students or graduates in every county in the state. The university offers CCNE-accredited degree programs designed for busy adults and healthcare professionals—many who already possess extensive knowledge and experience in a healthcare-related field.

“This partnership is part of our strategy to support Community employees in educational advancement as we strive to assure superior outcomes of care.  This represents not only an opportunity to provide a cost savings to our employees, but also access to quality education that is practical for adult learners with busy lives ,” Cindy Adams, PhD, ANP-BC, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Community Health Network, said. “Through benefits of the partnership, including scholarship support that will be offered in recognition of Health Care Team Week, we want to make it possible for our employees to enrich their careers through advanced education.”

WGU Indiana offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in four high-demand career fields – Business, Information Technology, Education and Health Professions, including Nursing. Its flat-rate tuition has never increased, providing affordable access to a high-quality education for approximately $6,000 per year.

For more details on the fee waiver and tuition discount for Community Health Network employees, visit indiana.wgu.edu/communityhealth or call 877-214-7014. Those interested in all of WGU Indiana’s scholarship opportunities can visit indiana.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/scholarships.

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About WGU Indiana

WGU Indiana has been established by the State of Indiana as a nonprofit, online, competency-based university to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents. Formed through a partnership with Western Governors University, WGU Indiana is open to all qualified Indiana residents. The university offers over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. In 2012, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education recognized WGU Indiana in its Reaching Higher, Achieving More agenda for the university’s excellence in academic quality.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and nationally accredited through the Distance Education and Training Commission (DETC). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

WGU Indiana is an approved education provider for Indiana state grants and scholarships offered through the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI).  In addition, the university has partnered with Ivy Tech to offer graduates who have completed their associate degrees a seamless transfer to complete their bachelor’s degrees at WGU Indiana, including application fee waivers and tuition discounts.

About Community Health Network

Ranked among the nation’s most integrated healthcare systems, Community Health Network is Central Indiana’s leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services, where and when patients need them—in hospitals, health pavilions and doctor’s offices, as well as workplaces, schools and homes.  As a nonprofit health system with over 200 sites of care and affiliates throughout Central Indiana, Community’s full continuum of care integrates hundreds of physicians, specialty and acute care hospitals, surgery centers, home care services, MedChecks, behavioral health and employer health services.  To learn more, visit eCommunity.com or call 800-777-7775.

Five years later, our commitment to that principle hasn’t changed, but our agency has. With more than 55 employees, an international client roster and ever-expanding capabilities, it was time to rethink how we shared our thoughts, our work and our philosophy.

Thus, a new site was born— one taking full advantage of current web technologies, better reflecting our growth and proudly showcasing the work we do. Here are a few of the new features:

• Larger, more engaging photography and interactive menus offer filtering options that improve the user experience.

• Work samples are at the forefront of the design, and are displayed much larger than on the old site.

• Our people and their personalities are featured.

• An Insights section organizes our Twitter feed, blogs, client news, Borshoff news and Borshoff videos into one simple-to-access place.

• The site is built utilizing new technology which allows us to — among many other things — create motion and interactivity without having to rely on Flash. As a result, it’s compatible with (and optimized for) all Apple iDevices.

As you can probably tell, we’re pretty excited the new site is up and running. We hope you find time to visit and explore it.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time you have the opportunity to conduct a media interview:

• Be yourself – humorous, relaxed and knowledgeable.
• Epitomize the company – act as you want others to see/know your company/organization.
• Concentrate on the interviewee – looking at notes too much indicates that the reporter or interview wasn’t important enough for you to prepare in advance.
• Smile slightly all the time on camera – a slight smile won’t really look like a smile; you’ll look confident and relaxed. If you don’t smile slightly, you will look like you are frowning.
• Make eye contact – focus on the reporter, not the camera.
• Speak with more energy and range and louder than usual – if you’re nervous, you are likely to speak softer and flatter than usual. Try not to speak faster than your natural place.

These will ensure you give a great interview and don’t leave thinking, “I wish I had remembered to…”