By Chrissy Alspaugh, The Republic
calspaugh@therepublic.com
Ivy Tech Community College Columbus officials say they hope to avoid capping enrollment because of budget shortfalls at a time when enrollment is increasing faster than ever.
The rapidly growing college is facing space and faculty shortages at campuses throughout the state.
Ivy Tech this year requested an additional $22 million, mostly to hire faculty, according to Randy Proffitt, spokesman for the Columbus campus. The General Assembly didn't pass a budget by its normal session deadline and is expected to return for a special session in June to write a budget.
Ivy Tech-Bloomington Chancellor John Whikehart said his campus must expand to handle more students, but college officials aren't sure whether they'll have the funding to do so.
The Columbus campus' head count on the first day of the spring 2009 semester increased 47 percent over the last year. Students also were taking more credit hours, as the full-time equivalent numbers increased by 38 percent.
The college's Columbus region recently expanded its Franklin campus and now also is using space at two area high schools, Proffitt said.
Columbus' campus also is seeking approval for two new academic programs and is adding five new full-time faculty, he said.
"Space is definitely an issue. We're out of room," Proffitt said. "Frankly, we don't have room for the faculty coming on board.
"As we grow, we have more students and we need more people to teach them and support staff to handle the growth."
Proffitt said turning students away by capping enrollment will be "the worst of the possible scenarios and definitely goes against the grain of what legislators have charged the community college with doing."
Whikehart said the community college's mandate is open enrollment and open access, but the school needs funding to carry out its mission.
School leaders are working on contingency plans.
Indiana Commission for Higher Education said more Hoosiers than ever are in need of and are seeking additional education and training, and the economic development and workforce training needs of the state cannot wait.
The commission cautioned Ivy Tech against capping enrollment and instead encouraged the college to expand its use of distance delivery, consider increasing class sizes and hiring part-time adjunct faculty.
Until a decision is made, Proffitt advised students to register for classes as soon as possible, as sections fill up quickly and more may not open.
"We're doing our best to accommodate everyone, but we really don't know what is going to happen," he said.
More than 120,000 students take classes at one of Ivy Tech's 23 campuses each year.
Associated Press contributed to this article.