Mathew Stevens teaches a seminar class at Ivy Tech's 38th street location on Wednesday. Ivy Tech graduation rates have been on the rise. Staff photo by Don Knight
Ivy Tech’s enrollment figures deceasing
Percentage changes from fall 2011 to fall 2012
Statewide head count: down 7 percent, full-time equivalency: down 9 percent
East Central Region head count: down 15 percent, full-time: down 11 percent
Anderson’s head count: down 10 percent, full-time: up 3 percent
Marion’s head count: down 11 percent, full-time: no change
Muncie’s head count: down 19 percent, full-time: down 18 percent
ANDERSON — Ivy Tech’s East Central Region and regions all over the state are seeing decreasing enrollment figures, but it’s not for completely bad reasons, officials say.
First, East Central Region Interim Chancellor John Lightle said there are two figures telling two stories. Head count accounts for any who take a class in the building, whether it be a student taking just one course or a student taking multiple classes for an associate degree.
Then there’s the full-time equivalence figure, which accounts for the more traditional college student taking a class load.
While the East Central Region as a whole saw a 15 percent decrease in total head count and an 11 percent decrease in full-time equivalent students this year, “Anderson held its own very well,” Lightle said, as the campus was down 10 percent in head count, but up 3 percent in full-time equivalency; the only campus in the East Central Region to see an increase.
“We welcome every student who walks through the door,” Anderson’s Vice Chancellor Jim Willey said. “The goal is to get students through the completion of a (full-time equivalent) program.”
The full-time equivalence numbers are the ones used for funding purposes and what the Indiana Commission for Higher Education looks at, he said.
Willey said Anderson’s full-time number could be up because of the many popular health programs, such as dental hygiene and nursing, the campus offers, along with new advanced manufacturing programs.
“The programs will drive enrollment,” he said. “As programs change, so do students following the programs.”
Over 90 percent of students in Anderson pass their boards in majors like nursing and dental hygiene, too, he added.
As for decreasing numbers in the region, Lightle said more people are getting jobs with less time to take classes, displaced worker funds are being exhausted and some students are transferring to other universities to finish degrees or just moving out of the area altogether.
“It’s just a whole myriad of things,” he said.
In the 10 years he’s been at Ivy Tech Community College, he said he’s continued to see Ivy Tech grow. It’s when a big company leaves an area or the economy takes a dive that people really look to go back to school, he noted.
Ivy Tech isn’t used to seeing declining enrollment numbers, but Lightle said it isn’t unusual for colleges.
Willey added that despite Ivy Tech’s low costs, there are also tighter financial aid restrictions.
To get those figures back up, both said there’s a major effort in secondary schools with dual credit programs, in which high school students can earn college credit.
“They graduate high school with 3, 12, 20 college credits and know they’re capable of college work,” Lightle said. “It encourages them to enroll as a college student.”
Willey added that Ivy Tech will continue to stress its affordability and accessibility, and the team of advisers who help students along the way.
While Ivy Tech has its own need to keep full-time numbers up for funding, both Lightle and Willey said the focus will remain on students and developing a more skilled and educated workforce for the state and community.
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.