BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana University officials are looking to expand the school's online presence as a way to reach more students and create a major source of revenue.

Executive vice president for university academic affairs John Applegate tells The Herald-Times that the university also wants to create a quality brand in a dynamic online market and to support student success.

Even without a major initiative, IU has created 109 programs, but is serving only 5,000 students. By comparison, Penn State University serves 12,000 students and the University of Massachusetts serves 30,000 students.

IU's Office of Online Education Director Barbara Bichelmeyer says the university needs to do a better job of marketing its programs. She says said it's clear online education can be just as good as or better than the traditional classrooms.