Whether students are pursuing their degrees at proprietary or traditional universities, innovations in delivery methods have fundamentally changed the way Americans are getting an education. A continual driver of technological advancements in education, Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: APOL) and University of Phoenix today announced the launch of PhoenixConnect, a private, academically-focused social network providing students, alumni and faculty tools for greater collaboration, discussion and learning support. The online network will initially be available to the university's School of Business students and faculty.

The majority of higher education students today - 73 percent - are non-traditional "working learners" with full-time jobs. This is the profile of the average University of Phoenix student. PhoenixConnect brings together these thousands of students who are motivated to aspire to degrees while balancing a job and other responsibilities, and enables members to tap into an immense business network of like-minded people interested in augmenting their skills to succeed in the changing global economy.

"As the first university to provide degrees online, University of Phoenix has been leading educational innovation for more than 30 years," said Michael White, Chief Technology Officer of Apollo Group. "We pride ourselves on offering a practical, quality education, and by leveraging the power of social networking, PhoenixConnect unites our most incredible resource - our global network of people - to further enhance learning, teaching and social and professional opportunities for University of Phoenix students."

The average size of both physical and online University of Phoenix classes is 15 students. Due to the personal and professional commitments many University of Phoenix working learners face, forming study groups and creating a socially engaging learning community can be challenging. PhoenixConnect empowers students to extend their network beyond their small 15-person classes and connect with students and faculty across the entire School of Business, regardless of which program, country, or timezone they're in. While classes remain small, study groups have no boundaries.

Even as students focus on their busy lives and heavy academic course load, many have very specific interests and ideas about how they want to apply their learning to a rapidly changing world. Many University of Phoenix students report an interest in becoming small business owners and entrepreneurs, working to solve environmental and energy issues, or improving health care. PhoenixConnect enables users to connect with other students and faculty to focus on these special interests, enriching their academic experience and helping propel them towards their academic and professional goals. PhoenixConnect's 20 communities are already active with lively debate on issues ranging from personal ("Resume reviews") to social ("Has technology made our lives easier?") to industry-related ("Outlook for Accountants").

Launched on September 24, 2010, PhoenixConnect saw an adoption rate of almost 95 percent during its first week. Now one of the largest globally-networked business schools in the world, University of Phoenix developed the platform to provide students with expanded learning opportunities and support mechanisms in and out of the classroom. Some of the resources offered by PhoenixConnect include: