Ivy Tech enrollment declines slightly in Marion

Last fall, enrollment dipped by 7 percent statewide, 15 percent regionally and 11 percent in Marion. This fall those numbers are 4 percent, 1 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

Grant County’s campus fell from 1,556 students in fall 2011 to 1,391 last fall after a three-year run at about 1,500. Lightle said then “worst-case scenario, we might be flat a year from now.”

“Overall the campus is doing well, even though we (did) see some very slight declines,” Lightle said Monday.

Students this fall face a $5-per-credit-hour tuition increase, the first of four over the next two years, and a $1-per-hour student activities fee capped at $12 per student.

In-state tuition at Ivy Tech was $111.15 per hour.

Bowne said in June the school’s “hope is that it won’t have any significant impact on enrollment.”

“The purpose for doing it is to direct more resources to support students and their success. … It’s not going to salary increases,” Bowne said. “When you put it in the big scale of accessibility and affordability for students, we’re still the best value in Indiana.”

The student activity fee, Bowne said, will be allocated by regional leadership and benefit activities “from recreation to wellness to social activities to bringing in guest speakers.”

Bowne said Monday community colleges “see a trend of declining enrollment as people begin to get more jobs and the economy recovers,” and Ivy Tech’s number of students 25 years old and older reflects that trend.

“In 2011, we saw students 25 (years old) and older make up 53 percent of our total enrollment. Today that number is 50 percent,” Bowne said. “Coupled with the record number of Ivy Tech graduates we saw last May, (this) leads us to believe that a number of adult students who enrolled in the community college a couple years ago when the recession hit are now entering back into the workforce with better marketable skills.”

Michael Hicks, a Ball State University economist, said last fall the recession had “certainly” caused a big spike in enrollment at community colleges across the country.

He said as the Indiana economy improves Ivy Tech might lose students whose enrollment made them more attractive to employers.

“Being enrolled in Ivy Tech is a strong signal to a prospective employer that you’re serious,” he said. “As a company looks to hire those would be the first that are snatched up.”

Bowne said Ivy Tech is fighting enrollment losses by “continuing to offer additional academic advisors, co-requisite math classes and individualized contact, via email and phone, from staff to aid in student success.”

The Marion campus gained two full-time academic advisors last year out of nine hired for the region as part of a state-wide initiative to increase access.

Staff and faculty volunteered in August to call 1,800 students in the region in danger of being dropped from their classes for nonpayment, part of an initiative to encourage students and combat dropouts.

Co-curricular classes enable students to take a remediation course and new material simultaneously by teaching related lessons near to each other during the semester.

Faculty are also benefitting from added support this year thanks to a $1 million George and Francis Ball Foundation grant the region received last year. Bowne said the funding has already been put to work providing professional development for faculty.

The region, which includes Anderson and Muncie, expanded this fall to add a full campus in New Castle.

Bowne said last month officials continue to meet with prospective donors for a 5,200-square-foot greenhouse for the Marion campus. As of May, $300,000 out of the $435,000 needed had been raised.

Construction will begin after the rest has been raised, he said.