Kaplan University to Open Orlando-Based Facility
Nov 11, 2008
Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced today, November 11, 2008 Kaplan University’s selection of the Central Florida Research Park in Orlando as the location for its new online student support center. The support facility is projected to employ as many as 750 people over the next four years.
Governor Crist’s press release is below.
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Kaplan University Announces Plans to Open Orlando-Based Facility
New facility expected to bring 750 jobs to Orange County
ORLANDO – Governor Charlie Crist today announced that Kaplan University, a leading provider of online higher education, plans to open a new online student support center in the Central Florida Research Park in Orlando, where it will employ as many as 750 people over the next four years.
“Kaplan’s selection of Orlando is a major score for the Central Florida region, and I am excited that this opportunity has come to Florida,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “I thank all the local, regional, business and government partners who brought this project to fruition because they have enhanced our efforts maintain a business climate that nourishes the growth of educational institutions like Kaplan University.”
“Kaplan has experienced explosive growth over the last several years making it necessary for us to look for additional space to house our employees,” said Andrew S. Rosen, President of Kaplan University. “We looked at 20 different cities and decided that the Orlando site was the best fit for the University because of its affordable cost of living and great labor pool. We enjoy doing business in Florida and look forward to building upon our presence in the state.”
The University is planning to open the new facility in a two-story, 124,000-square-foot space at 12650 Ingenuity Drive, however the lease arrangements have not been finalized. The facility, slated for opening in January, will house admissions advisors, financial aid officers, human resources and information technology representatives who will support Kaplan University’s online students.
Kaplan expects to transfer approximately 60 seasoned employees from its other locations to get the office up and running, while hiring and training 750 new employees from the Orange County community over the next four years. Kaplan has already begun hiring new employees in Orlando.
“We are very pleased to have been able to attract Kaplan to Orange County,” said Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty. “The provision of 750 jobs to our county is enormous at this time. We need to aggressively lure good companies such as Kaplan to our community to continue to provide our citizens with employment opportunities. Here in Orange County, we will do what we can to enable companies to come and grow in our region.”
Kaplan University has four other online student support centers in South Florida-the largest of which houses 1,500 employees in two 100,000-square-foot buildings at 6301 Kaplan University Avenue, off of West Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale. Additionally, the University has support centers in Chicago and Phoenix.
The employees at all of these facilities provide admissions, student advising, financial aid, technical and academic support for Kaplan University’s 37,000 online students. The University opened its first offices in South Florida in 2000 with 65 employees and today has approximately 2,200 there.
Kaplan University also has eight ground campuses in Iowa and Nebraska, where approximately 5,000 students attend classes at traditional brick-and-mortar facilities.
Kaplan University, based in Davenport, Iowa, is regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). The University offers more than 100 academic programs and currently serves more than 41,000 online and on-ground students. To learn more, visit www.kaplanuniversitynews.com.
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