News release from Ivy Tech Community College:
Ivy Tech Community College to celebrate largest graduating class in its historic 50th year
(May 1, 2013) INDIANAPOLIS – This year, Ivy Tech Community College will celebrate the largest graduating class in its history as an estimated 16,700 credentials will be awarded. The College will host 14 commencement ceremonies all across the state from May 5-May 17, as well as commemorate its 50th anniversary.
This year’s credentials represent an increase of 1,200 as compared to last year. Over the last four years, Ivy Tech’s total number of credentials awarded has increased by 67 percent. In addition to earning credentials Ivy Tech students have earned thousands of credits to transfer to four-year institutions throughout the state.
This year marks the College’s 50th anniversary and in celebration of that historic moment, Ivy Tech is also awarding over 50 honorary degrees at its ceremonies across the state. In addition, the College has set a bold goal as part of its Accelerating Greatness efforts to increase the number of graduates to 50,000 by 2025.
“In celebration of our 50th year, we feel it is fitting to establish an ambitious goal in order to increase the number of students receiving credentials, and if the past few years’ numbers are any indication of our potential success, we are well on our way to reaching our goal,” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder.
Ivy Tech was established on March 15, 1963 as Indiana Vocational Technical College and offered one academic program and had an enrollment of just over 3,000 students. Today, the college offers more than 125 areas of study and enrolls nearly 200,000 students annually. Once a small vocational and technical school, Ivy Tech is now the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system.
Over its 50 year history, the college has served over one million Hoosiers. Nearly 97 percent of all Ivy Tech graduates stay in Indiana after graduation and directly and positively impact the state’s economy.
This year’s ceremonies will be scheduled as follows:
- May 5 at 2 p.m., Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue University, West Lafayette. Todd Barton, Mayor of Crawfordsville, will be the featured speaker.
- May 9 at 7 p.m., Emens Auditorium, Ball State University, Muncie. Ivy Tech Chancellor Andrew Bowne will be the featured speaker.
- May 9 at 7 p.m., Hulman Center, Indiana State University, Terre Haute. Paul Brenner, President, Broadcast Traffic Consortium, LLC & SVP, Chief Technology Officer, Emmis Communications, will be the featured speaker.
- May 10 at 6 p.m., Purcell Pavillion at the University of Notre Dame, South Bend. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be the featured speaker.
- May 10 at 7 p.m. (CST), Ford Center, Evansville. Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann will be the featured speaker.
- May 10 at 7:30 p.m., Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne. Judge Lorna G. Schofield, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, will be the featured speaker.
- May 11 at 9:30 a.m.., Ivy Tech Community College, Kokomo. Ivy Tech student Amanda Bagwell will be the featured speaker.
- May 11 at 10 a.m., Franklin Community Middle School, Franklin. Jack Hess will be the featured speaker.
- May 11 at 11 a.m. (CST), Genesis Convention Center, Gary.
- May 11 at 1:30 p.m., Tiernan Center, Richmond High School, Richmond. Congressman Luke Messer will be the featured speaker.
- May 11 at 2 p.m., Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis. Congressman Andre Carson will be the featured speaker.
- May 12 at 1 p.m., Horner Center, Hanover College, Hanover. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly will be the featured speaker.
- May 14 at 6:30 p.m., Northside Christian Church, New Albany. State Representative Ed Clere will be the featured speaker.
- May 17 at 6 p.m., IU Auditorium, Bloomington. Ivy Tech student Daniel Stec will be the featured speaker.
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.
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