Ivy Tech, IU reach decision on credits

While some industries are cutting back on employees, Indiana’s elementary schools will soon be putting up “Help Wanted” signs.

In an effort to increase Indiana’s supply of elementary school teachers, IU President Michael McRobbie and Ivy Tech President Tom Snyder signed an agreement Tuesday in Indianapolis that will make the transition from Ivy Tech’s campuses to IU’s easier for elementary education students.

The signing finalized the arrangement the two institutions have been working on for years.

IU Spokesman Larry MacIntyre said students who complete the elementary education requirements at Ivy Tech will be able to transfer their credits to IU.

He also said it is important to simplify the credit transfer process because Indiana is in need of elementary teachers.

“The benefit is to help the state of Indiana,” MacIntyre said. “The state is going to need a lot of elementary education teachers in the next 10 years when the baby boom generation retires.”

Ivy Tech Spokeswoman Kelly Lucas said the community college enjoys partnerships with IU and other universities because it helps Ivy Tech students earn bachelor degrees.

“It’s a real advantage to our students because they can start in a smaller setting and save a little money,” Lucas said.

Lucas said Ivy Tech has a diverse student body such as adult students who have never been to college before. She said the average class size at Ivy Tech is 22 students, so it is easier for some people to start there before moving on to a larger place like IU-Bloomington.

With more than 120,000 students, Lucas said, Ivy Tech is Indiana’s largest post-secondary institution. The college has credit arrangements with other public universities in the state, such as Indiana State University and Ball State University and also private schools such as the University of Indianapolis and Butler University.

Chuck Carney, the director of communications and marketing for the IU School of Education, said Tuesday’s announcement should be appealing to students going into education because of the recession and the high demand for teachers.

“In these economic times, the more we can feed into a growing job field, the better,” Carney said.