Membership has its perks! Institutional members of the Illinois Online Network 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 the 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.

• Renew Your Membership
• Membership Fees

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.

Members

Founding Partners

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.

Annual Institutional Membership Fee $200

Institutional Membership

Since 2011, new institutions have been able to purchase an annual membership for their institution.

Annual Institutional Membership Fee $1,250

Continuing Education Units – ION professional development

Registration is open to members of the general public as well as ION partner institutions. The registration fee is determined by membership status, course length, and course level.

Institutions may join ION any time throughout the year. Membership fees will be pro-rated based on the number of terms left in the fiscal year.

Founding Members

ION was founded in 1997 as a partnership between the University of Illinois and ten Illinois community colleges. That special relationship remains strong today, and extends to all 48 Illinois Community Colleges.

Any Illinois community college that wishes to join ION is eligible for special pricing for their institutional membership. Paid founding members receive the lowest possible price for continuing education courses for all employees.

Secondary Education

Any secondary education school in Illinois that wishes to join ION is eligible for special pricing for their institutional membership.

Continuing Education Course Fees

Graduate Credit through UIS

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.

Continuing Education Units – ION Professional eLearning

Registration is open to members of the general public as well as ION Professional eLearning partners. The registration fee is determined by membership status, course length, and course level.

Institutions may join at any time throughout the year. Membership fees will be pro-rated based on the number of terms left in the fiscal year.

Course Fees

Individuals (Participants with No Membership Affiliation)

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

ION Professional eLearning Program for Non-Founding Members

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

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

Founding ION Professional eLearning Members

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

• Annual Institutional Membership $200
• $150 for all 4-week and 8-week courses

Contact ion@uis.edu for membership code

Secondary Education Professional eLearning 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

University of Illinois Springfield

UIS employees, including Full and Part-time Faculty, do not pay a fee to take non-credit ION Professional eLearning courses. Your affiliation with a campus department will be verified.

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.

Graduate Credit through UIS

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

Continuing Education Credit through ION Professional Development

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.

University of Illinois Springfield

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.