Transfer pact reached

The Ivy Tech State College Bloomington-IU-Bloomington partnership grew stronger Monday as administrators from the two institutions signed an articulation agreement allowing Ivy Tech biotechnology students the ability to transfer all their program credits to IU.\n"My main objective is to increase the opportunities for individuals who wish to get a baccalaureate degree without having to leave Bloomington," said IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis.\nGros Louis joined Ivy Tech Chancellor John Whikehart at Ivy Tech's Alumni Hall to welcome the biotechnology community of Bloomington into an age of cooperation between the two schools. \n"Ivy Tech and IU have something in common -- we both have undefeated football teams," Gros Louis said.\nRepresentatives from Baxter Pharmaceutical Solutions and Cook Pharmaceutical Solutions attended the signing.\n"I think this agreement will help all the industries in this area, not just health care," said John Stephens, human resources manager for Baxter. "This will help the people, and we'll have a happy, healthy workforce."\nThe agreement, which was signed by Ivy Tech's Academic Dean James Smith and IU-Bloomington Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education Catherine Larson as well as the two chancellors, stipulates only courses with a "C" grade or better will be transferred. Students reaching the end of their two-year associate program with Ivy Tech now have the option to move their entire course load to IU-Bloomington and continue with IU's four-year bachelor's degree program. According to the agreement, all credits associated with Ivy Tech's biotech program can be transferred to IU, including several math, physics, chemistry and Spanish courses. \n"The willingness of IU to partner with us and provide this opportunity for our students makes this a win-win situation for all parties involved," Whikehart said. \nIn December 2003, a similar agreement between IU-Bloomington and Ivy Tech-Bloomington was reached that allowed the transfer of credits for general studies degrees. That agreement was signed by former Chancellor Sharon Brehm.\n"I hope this is the first of many articulation agreements I sign before I retire again," Gros Louis said.\nIvy Tech's biotechnology department was created this semester, so currently only 21 students are enrolled in only two classes, Ivy Tech's biotech program chair Sengyong Lee said. But Lee looks to the future to find the true impact of the agreement.\n"Right now, maybe only 10 or 20 percent of the students want to continue their education at IU," he said. "But in the long run, it could be 50 percent."\nLee said he thinks the pact will be a positive move for students of Ivy Tech and IU.\n"It's going to provide students with an opportunity to move on to a four-year program after two years here," he said. "It's really a great educational opportunity for our students."\nThough the move came in the wake of an enrollment crisis at IU, Gros Louis said increasing IU's student roll was not the only reason the University made the agreement.\n"It's about enrollment, but it's mostly about the students," he said. "It's never going to be huge figures, I don't believe."\nGros Louis said several more articulation agreements are being considered, including the criminal justice, nursing and kinesiology programs.\nThe new agreement is one of many the Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership is dealing with, Director Steve Bryant said, but is paramount to the success of area life sciences industries.\n"This is the example of how it should work," Bryant said. "We have a lot of these companies in our own backyard, whereas other areas don't. This will help develop the pipeline for these types of firms like Baxter and Cook."\n-- Contact senior writer Rick Newkirk at renewkir@indiana.edu.