Yimin Wang thinks a lot about who’s going to college — and who’s not.
Mostly, she is considering who the modern college student is. Nearly half of all college students are financially independent and 64% work at least part time, according to a 2025 report from the Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice.
“Higher education needs to have strategies to provide education in a way that meets with our learners where they are,” Wang told Mirror Indy, “Not only geographically, but also in terms of their life.”
That’s exactly what Wang plans to do in her new role as dean of UIndy Online and the Sease Institute, the university’s hub for workforce and certificate programs. Wang, who most recently worked for California State University, Monterey Bay, has focused on online education throughout her career. She replaces inaugural dean Pam Wimbush, who died last summer just months after starting at UIndy.
UIndy Online launched in July 2024, as part of the southside university’s efforts to serve students who are older and in the workforce. Wang hopes to make major moves in her first few months not just by adding new online degrees, but also by offering short-term certificates and training programs.
Here’s some of what students and community members can expect from University of Indianapolis in the coming months.
UIndy Online
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This fall, UIndy wants to add its first fully online bachelor’s degrees in areas such as health sciences, organizational leadership and education.
The new degrees are under review and awaiting final approval. Wang said the university chose degrees in high demand among people who are working and want to get additional training in their field.
“We’re not only developing those programs to strengthen our current academic portfolio, but also with a new modality that we can really serve working adults,” Wang told Mirror Indy.
In addition to adding new degrees, Wang said the university is also partnering with Ivy Tech to make it easier for students to transfer from the community college to UIndy Online.
That includes looking at ways to make college more affordable for transfer students and making sure Ivy Tech classes transfer and build toward a UIndy degree.
“We want to make that transfer very student friendly,” Wang said. “This is to really enable community college students to have a head start.”
Sease Institute
Through the Sease Institute, Wang said UIndy is looking for opportunities to provide job training to communities in Indianapolis.
The institute recently launched a partnership with Radiant Community Development Corp., a Carmel-based housing developer that owns affordable housing communities throughout the state, including on the south and west sides of Indianapolis.
UIndy plans to offer certificate classes and training at some of Radiant’s affordable housing communities in Indy. The first of these programs — a 12-week construction training course — will start on the west side this summer, though much of the class will be virtual. Young adults between 18-26, especially those from Haughville and Hawthorne, will be eligible.
By bringing classes directly to community members, UIndy hopes to eliminate some of the barriers preventing people from seeking additional education or training.
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Students can get nearly $4,000 in grants for certain certificate programs.
“We really want this institute to be the drive for positive community change,” Wang said.
UIndy also plans to add certificate programs in long-term and palliative care, which is a specialized medical treatment for people with terminal illnesses. The university hopes to add the first courses this fall.
While the focus aligns with UIndy’s aging studies degrees for undergrads and grad students, it’s also an area that can sometimes be overlooked in health care, especially if workers have been in the field for a long time.
“This is really an area of need that not many educational systems or credentials have been covering as of yet,” Wang said.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, on most social media @clairerafford or on Signal 317-759-0429.
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