Anadolu University was created in 1982 from the union of four existing higher education institutes in Eskişehir: the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences of Eskişehir, the State Academy of Architecture and Engineering, the Institute of Education, and a medical school. As the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences was founded earliest, Anadolu University has adopted that year as their date of establishment.
Campus
Most of Anadolu University's faculties and schools, including the Open Education Faculty, are located at the Yunusemre Campus in the centre of Eskişehir. The Yunusemre Campus also contains student housing, Anadolu's university hospital, and most of the university's administration buildings. Ikieylul Campus, just outside Eskişehir's city centre, houses the School of Physical Education and Sports, the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, and the School of Civil Aviation, along with the associated Anadolu University Airport. In addition to these two campuses, the Porsuk Vocational School is located separately in Eskişehir, the Bilecik Vocational School in Bilecik, the Bozüyük Vocational School in Bozüyük. To serve its distance education students, Anadolu University operates 88 administrative centres, or bureaus, in urban areas throughout Turkey, many of which offer academic counselling and optional evening classes.
Distance Education
The Higher Education Act of 1981 nominated Anadolu University as the national provider of distance education, upon which it has placed strong emphasis since its creation in 1982. The university's goal is to educate Turks who live in rural areas and others "who do not have the time or resources to enroll in conventional schools." This effort has been largely successful, as enrollment in open education programs has increased from under 30,000 in 1982-83 to over 870,000 in 2005-06 and is now also available to Turkish communities in Northern Cyprus and the European Union. Programs offered via distance education include 4-year Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and in Business Administration and nineteen 2-year associate degrees in a variety of fields. Anadolu University has received a mandate from the Turkish Ministry of National Education to educate Turkey's preschool and English language teachers and does so by distance education, though students in the latter program are also required to take two years of in-person classes. Anadolu University and SUNY Empire State College offered distance education eMBA degree from 2005 to 2010. Courses are delivered by a variety of methods, including pre-recorded television and radio broadcasts, videoconferences, and via internet. Students can also access academic counseling or attend optional evening classes at some of the Anadolu University bureaus located throughout Turkey.
