Creating a new university-The United States Open University

Summary form only given. The Open University in the United Kingdom (UKOU) is well known for having pioneered the use of distance learning as a way to offer high quality higher education to many people. The Open University now offers its courses in many countries and so it was natural that, in 1998, it was decided to create a separate institution in the United States, the United States Open University (USOU). USOU is a sister organization to UKOU and will offer essentially the same type of education to residents of the United States that is currently offered in the UK. The long-term aim of the USOU is to establish a university based on teaching, research and scholarship, with both permanent US based Faculty and Associate Faculty. This paper covers all these aspects of the creation of USOU.