ION membership has perks! Institutional members receive discounts on course registration for all faculty and staff employees. The faculty development and online learning liaisons at the institution also gain access to member-only resources that include resources to support your on-campus professional development and information on achieving accreditation for online programs.

Become a Member

New members, please contact ION for assistance setting up your account.

Any educational institution, government agency, or business is eligible to join ION. Members receive $100 off every course registration for their employees.

Member Benefits

  • Discounted Course Rates
  • Member Only Resources
  • Institutional Support

ION courses are designed to fulfill the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation of Distance Education Standard 6 requirements for the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) and the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions (C-RAC) which states:

“Faculty responsible for delivering the online learning curricula and evaluating the students’ success in achieving the online learning goals are appropriately qualified and effectively supported.”

The professional development courses provided by ION serve as a systematic training program the incorporates tested effective practices in online pedagogy and demonstrate competencies in online learning.

Institutional Membership

Institutional Memberships

Institutions can purchase ION memberships to offer discounted enrollment for their faculty and staff. Please contact ion@uis.edu for pricing.

Founding ION Professional eLearning Program Members

In 1997, ION was founding as a collaboration between ten community colleges and the University of Illinois. ION grew until all 48 community colleges in Illinois were members. Today, all the Illinois community colleges and the three universities of the University of Illinois System form the founding members of ION. They include: the University of Illinois Chicago, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois System Offices, and participating Illinois Community Colleges.

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code.

ION Professional eLearning Program for Non-Founding Members

In 2011, ION opened up membership to any college or university interested in offering processional development to faculty and staff. To check if your institution is a member, please email ion@uis.edu.

Secondary Education Professional eLearning Program Members

Secondary Education members include any Illinois school. Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code.

Individuals

Although being an ION member means discounted course fees, you don't have to be a member to enroll. Check out the Course Fees section to learn more about registration costs.

Course Fees

Course Fees for ION Members

Founding ION Professional eLearning Program Members

Founding members include: participating Illinois Community Colleges, the University of Illinois Chicago, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the University of Illinois System Offices.

  • $200 Annual Institutional Membership Fee
  • $150 for all 4-week and 8-week courses, including the Practicum

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

ION Professional eLearning Program for Non-Founding Members

  • $500 Annual Institutional Membership Fee
  • $295 for all 4-week and 8-week courses, including the Practicum

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

Secondary Education Professional eLearning Program Members

Secondary Education members include any Illinois school

  • $500 Annual Institutional Membership Fee
  • $150 for all 4-week and 8-week courses, including the Practicum

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

 

Course Fees for Non-Members 

  • $295 for 4-week Courses
  • $395 for Core and Elective courses 8-week courses 8-week courses, including the Practicum

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

 

Graduate Course Fees

Graduate Credit 

For those taking the courses for academic credit through the University of Illinois Springfield, you only pay tuition through UIS. You do not pay a second fee. Courses are generally 2 graduate credit hours. See registering for graduate credit courses for more information.

Graduate Credit for University of Illinois Employees

University of Illinois employees enrolled in self-supporting programs, such as ION Professional Development courses, are not eligible to receive employee or graduate tuition waivers.

This policy applies to all Employees of the University of Illinois system, including employees:

  • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
  • University of Illinois Chicago
  • University of Illinois Springfield
  • University of Illinois System Employees

 

Fees for University of Illinois Employees

ION Professional Development gives a free Founding Membership to the Urbana-Champaign campus, Chicago Campus, and UI System Offices. UI employees at these locations may take courses at the discounted Founding Member rate.

Any UI department may transfer funds to ION to pay for employee fees using the Miscellaneous Stores Service Requisition Voucher. Please list each course and the participant on separate lines of the form.

Fees for University of Illinois Springfield Employees

UIS employees, including full and part-time faculty, do not pay a fee to take any ION Professional Development courses. Your affiliation with a UIS campus department will be verified.

Payments, Refunds & Withdrawals

Payments

For courses taken for CEUs, payment must be received by the fifth day of the course. Arrangements for a payment plan may be made directly with the ION Professional Development office.

You may pay online by credit card using the link included with the emailed invoice. Checks, money orders, and purchase orders.

Please make checks payable to the University of Illinois and send to the address below:

ION Professional eLearning Programs c/o Business Office
University of Illinois Springfield
One University Plaza, MS BRK 425
Springfield, IL 62703-5407

Phone: (217) 206-8650

Refunds and Withdrawals

Individuals

If a course is canceled or rescheduled, you may request a refund or a transfer to another course.

You must withdraw from a course by the second day of the term to receive a refund. Withdrawals later than the second day of class are not eligible for refunds. Request withdrawal from a course by completing the course withdrawal form.

Institutional Prepaid Funds

If a course is canceled or rescheduled, individual participants may transfer to another course. Individuals must withdraw from a course by the second day of the term for the institution to receive a refund. Withdrawals later than the second day of class are not eligible for refunds.

Prepaid seats are good for one membership year from the date of purchase. After June 30 of the purchase year, any remaining balance will be applied toward the following year’s membership fees. After one year of no activity, prepaid funds are forfeited. Any refund requests must be received in writing before June 30 of the prepaid fund purchase year. Please address refund questions to the following:

ION Professional eLearning Programs c/o Business Office
University of Illinois Springfield
One University Plaza, MS BRK 425
Springfield, IL 62703-5407

Questions

Contact us at ion@uis.edu or 1-217-206-8650.