Press release from Ivy Tech Community College:
Continued Success of Ivy Tech Community College Key to Indiana’s Economic Growth
By Thomas J. Snyder, President of Ivy Tech Community College
These are exciting times for Ivy Tech Community College. This week, we announced another milestone—the largest enrollment in the College’s history, with 119,773 students enrolled on the first day of classes this semester. It’s worth noting that this comes on top of four consecutive semesters of record enrollment numbers. This semester’s student population, for example, represents a 32.9 percent increase over the first day of classes last Spring, and an increase of more than 50 percent over the first day of Spring 2008 classes. Given that Ivy Tech is the engine that will drive Indiana’s economic recovery, this is good news not just for the College, but for Indiana as a whole. A thriving community college means that Indiana will have a workforce ready for the opportunities on the horizon.
There’s another statistic, however, that we feel is even more compelling: of the nearly 120,000 students enrolled this semester, 88,520—nearly three-quarters—were enrolled last semester. This retention of students is an increasingly important focus for Ivy Tech. While we are encouraged by continued enrollment growth, what truly motivates us is student success, and student progress toward completion. As we strive to develop a workforce capable of keeping twenty-first century employers competitive, this is the primary standard by which we will measure ourselves as an organization. We are striving not just for a growing population of students, but a community of learners that leaves Ivy Tech with the skills they need to succeed in their careers.
This intent focus on student success also reveals the true meaning behind our new vision statement: Changing Lives and Making Indiana Great. We’re striving for a culture that improves the skills, employability, and earnings potential of each of our students. Collectively, this will lead to a statewide workforce that improves Indiana’s ability to compete for jobs in today’s global economy. As Indiana’s fastest-growing college, we have a responsibility to align our goals with those of the state, and to set an example for those we serve. We believe our vision statement is ambitious—and we believe it must be for Ivy Tech to be true to this responsibility. By setting the bar high, we ensure that our students will aim high for themselves, and that as a state, we will succeed like never before.
Through this focus on student success and our commitment to accelerate greatness, by setting ambitious organizational goals, we are demonstrating that growth is just a small part of the Ivy Tech story. Each of our nearly 120,000 students reflects the potential we have to Change Lives and Make Indiana Great. Nothing is more important to Ivy Tech’s future than our commitment to each one of the men and women in our classrooms throughout the state. We stand ready to help build a stronger, thriving Indiana, one community at a time.
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