Published: May 10, 2008 04:06 pm            

FLASHPOINT: Ivy Tech becoming a model for community college systems

Each April, our nation celebrates Community College Month, which recognizes the history and bright future of institutions like Ivy Tech Community College. The community college is a distinctly American ideal, having shaped local economies and the lives of students for more than half a century. Perhaps the best way for Indiana to commemorate Community College Month, therefore, is to recognize how our community college system can be a catalyst in helping the state reach its true potential.

In Ivy Tech’s short time as a comprehensive community college system, we have achieved phenomenal success, growing to an annualized student population of more than 110,000. Today, Ivy Tech is the largest singly-accredited statewide community college system in the U.S. and the second-largest and fastest-growing institution of higher education of any kind in Indiana. While we are proud of this growth, we know we can and should be serving many more students.

To realize how vital Ivy Tech’s success is to Indiana, one need only look at our impact on our highest-priority industries:

• More than 14,000 Ivy Tech students take technology classes in areas like advanced manufacturing and logistics.

• An additional 8,000 are enrolled in health-care programs, helping address Indiana’s imminent nursing shortage and building our capacity to support the biomed/biotech industries.

• 13,000 are studying business, allowing them to serve the needs of existing employers and learn entrepreneurial skills.

• 15,000 are in liberal arts programs, giving them the skills to transfer to four-year institutions.

• And beyond our for-credit programs, Ivy Tech’s Department of Workforce and Economic Development serves as Indiana’s largest workforce training provider.

The key to Indiana’s success, however, is not just preparing its existing college-going population to meet employers’ needs. More critically, we must help more prospective students overcome the socioeconomic, financial, and logistical barriers that prevent them from attending college. Both nationally and in Indiana, the numbers show that no one is better prepared to meet these students’ needs than the community college. Consider these statistics:

• 49 percent of all Ivy Tech students are more than 25 years old.

• One quarter are married, and almost 39 percent have dependent children.

• 73 percent work, and 37 percent work more than 31 hours a week.

• 30 percent have annual households incomes of less than $30,000.

• Only 17 percent have parents with a college degree.

• Nationally, a majority of all the students enrolled at institutions of higher education attend two-year colleges.

We must do everything we can to assist these individuals in achieving their goals. The increasing demands of the 21st century workplace mean that our workers will need more post-secondary skills than ever before. Consequently, we need to continually reinvest in higher education if we hope to catch, and eventually surpass, other states.

Community College Month is a moment in time that allows us to highlight our successes. However, if we seek to make the most of the opportunities before us, we must heighten our sense of urgency regarding the work yet to be done. Indiana has never before had such a great opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a robust community college alumni population. Now it is time to begin establishing a world-class legacy all our own.

— Dr. Jeff Pittman

Chancellor

Wabash Valley Region

Vice Provost

Distance Education

Ivy Tech Community College

        

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