Steven Bardonner, Chair of the Design Technology program at Ivy Tech-Columbus, has been asked to become a member of the accreditation team of the National Association of Industrial Technology (NAIT) as it accredits technology programs across the nation. Bardonner was asked to join the team as a result of completing his training to be a NAIT evaluator and the expertise he gained as he prepared materials for the accreditation last November of the design technology and industrial technology programs of the School of Technology at Ivy Tech-Columbus by officials of NAIT. 

NAIT accreditation ensures that the program accredited has met a series of standards to provide industry with highly competent employees and assures graduates of a NAIT accredited program that they are receiving a marketable degree through relevant curricula.

The NAIT team will accredit the manufacturing technology program at Holmes Community College in Grenada, Mississippi. Bardonner has evaluated the self-study documents prepared by officials at Holmes Community College and will participate in a site visit by NAIT officials at the college on April 6th and 7th. The site visit validates the self-study and, if appropriate, results in the accreditation of the program on a national level. 

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly-accredited statewide community college system with more than 120,000 students enrolled 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.

Brett Smith and Erica Case, Ivy Tech Community College Visual Communication students, have been named recipients of the Douglas E. Blankenship Scholarship for Photography.  Smith received a $500 award, which he will apply toward lighting equipment; he will graduate with an Associate of Science in Visual Communications in May of 2010 and plans to become a professional portrait photographer.

Case received a $250 award, which she plans to use to purchase a new camera.   She will graduate with an Associate of Science in Visual Communications in May of this year and also plans to become a professional photographer, focusing on photo editing.

The Douglas E. Blankenship Scholarship for Photography is an endowed scholarship established by Laurey Blankenship Welbourne, a graduate of the Ivy Tech Graphic Design Program, as a memorial to her late husband and former photography student, Douglas E. Blankenship.  Blankenship died of mesothelioma in 2002, before being able to graduate.  The scholarship was created to help other students achieve their dream of becoming a professional photographer.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly-accredited statewide community college system with more than 120,000 students enrolled 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.

Ivy Tech Community College-Columbus is pioneering a new technology – live webcast courses.  The Columbus campus initiated this new technology last fall by offering two classes using live webcasting in a pilot program, then piloted three this spring semester, and is now offering 22 for the upcoming summer session. (more…)