Ivy Tech Bloomington sees increase in enrollment

For the city of Bloomington, IU is not the only higher education establishment with a growing student enrollment. At the start of the 2003 school year, Ivy Tech's Bloomington campus has recorded a 15.7% increase in its enrollment compared to last year's increase of only 5.7%. \nIvy Tech is a one to two-year community college offering students technical programs or non-degree-track courses for those simply wanting to enhance personal and professional skills. Ivy Tech also offers associate's degrees, Technical Certificates and Career Development Certificates. \nThe increase in enrollment has been attributed to the college's August 14, 2002 move and expansion in the west side of Bloomington.\nThe expansion moved Ivy Tech from its 20-year home in the Westbury Village complex on Arlington Road to a new 148,000-square-foot facility on West Ind. 48. The new facility cost the college $23 million and includes state-of-the-art labs for computer technology, drafting, nursing, science and writing classes. The expansion was built to house the growing population at the college.\n"We like to keep the size of the classes relatively below thirty students," Dean of Academic Affairs Jim Smith said. "The majority of our students receive a two-year degree and then are able to pursue jobs in the local area or attend a four-year college later on."\nDean of Students Diana Jacobs said Ivy Tech has identified four primary reasons for the increasing enrollment numbers.\n"The enrollment consists of those students who lost their jobs due to plant closings and down-sizing, younger students who were referred to Ivy Tech State College to start their academic career and then to transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their baccalaureate degree, former students who have decided to come back and finish their studies and finally high school students who are taking courses at Ivy Tech State College as part of dual enrollment agreements with local high schools," Jacobs said. \nIvy Tech freshman, Ryan Walke, said attending Ivy Tech while living in a university town such as Bloomington is a good choice for him. Walke said he can attend the smaller college, but still live in the IU atmosphere.\n"I chose to attend Ivy Tech over IUPUI and IU because I wanted to go to a two year college," Walke said. "It takes me about 20 minutes to get to Ivy Tech from my house in Bloomington."\nBecause of the recent move to the west side the new Ivy Tech campus is accessible for students to attend the college without making a drive to one of the other regional branch locations. \n"Out of the fourteen regions, the Bloomington Campus has the third highest enrollment increase in the state compared to Ivy Tech Muncie which had a 24% increase and Ivy Tech Kokomo increasing by 16.5%," Jacobs said.\nAccording to Smith, classes with the highest enrollments are General Studies, Computer Information Systems and Business Administration. General Studies offers courses such as English, History, and Sciences such as Anatomy and Physiology. \n"General Studies is one of the highest enrollment subjects to study because most students can get their requirements of a two year degree at Ivy Tech and then transfer to a four year college, IU being one of them," Smith said.\nWhile Ivy Tech's student base grows each year, Smith said the college has no plans to increase course offerings or facilities at this time.\n"We might have to expand, but right now we are very flexible for future possibilities," he said.\n-- Contact staff reporter Katie Killebrew at kpkilleb@indiana.edu.