IHETS is a consortium of Indiana’s public and private higher education institutions, state government agencies, public libraries, public broadcast stations, and K-12 schools collaborating to advance the education and public service activities of its members through reliable, cost-effective shared technology and eLearning services like the Indiana College Network (ICN).
IHETS is:
- A trusted provider of cost-effective technical services
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- A contributor to economic / workforce development
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- A platform for collaborative opportunities
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- A bridge between public & private higher ed institutions
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- A facilitator for civic engagement and education
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- A partner in government & community outreach
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- A central catalyst for online learning opportunities
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- A leader in technology and innovation
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- An advocate for educational access and attainment
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IHETS’ core technology services include audio and video conferencing, webcasting (audio and video streaming), web conferencing, WiMax, help desk, and IT consulting and security services. The IHETS Board of Directors also provides governance for the I-Light fiber optic network. IHETS' academic services, including the ICN, support the public and private colleges and universities in their efforts to deliver, increase, and enhance educational access for K-20 students and lifelong learners.
Rich History, Dynamic Future
On March 11, 1967, the Indiana Higher Education Telecommunications Act was signed into law. This act authorized the trustees of the four state-supported universities—Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, and Purdue University—“to jointly arrange...for the use of a multipurpose, multimedia, closed circuit, statewide telecommunications system...to interconnect the...campuses of the universities, and centers of medical education and service.”
Subsequent legislatures added the trustees of Vincennes University, Indiana Vocational Technical College (now Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana), the Independent Colleges of Indiana, and the University of Southern Indiana to that list. The system that evolved from this legislation became known as IHETS. Today, all Indiana colleges and universities are members of the IHETS consortium and are eligible for and entitled to receive its services.
To maximize the opportunity for statewide collaboration IHETS expanded to include representation from K-12 schools, public libraries, state government agencies, and public broadcasting in 1999.
In 2006, IHETS and its Board of Directors began an organizational transformation toward a more agile, member-driven collaborative institution. Since then, IHETS has been on the path toward developing self-funding models based on realignment of services to better respond to member needs, and finding greater operational efficiencies. Look for IHETS to announce several exciting projects in 2009 as it continues to partner with consortium members to positively impact educational access and success for Hoosiers of all ages.
IHETS is an organization of 20 full-time employees and is headquartered in downtown Indianapolis, IN.