Headcount in Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus classes in Jackson County is up 116 percent this fall as compared to last fall. A total of 320 students were enrolled on the first day of classes this fall; 148 students were enrolled at the same time last fall. Ivy Tech classes have been scheduled at Seymour High School, the First Church of the Nazarene, and Schneck Medical Center as a result of ongoing partnerships between Ivy Tech Community College and the community.
The headcount in the entire Ivy Tech Community College – Columbus region topped 5,000 on the first day of fall semester classes. The final number was 5,028, which represents a 47 percent increase over the 3,428 headcount of the first day of fall 2008 classes. Five-year growth figures are as follows: 2005 – 2, 354; 2006 – 2,495; 2007 – 2,905; 2008 – 3,428; 2009-5,028.
A number of strategies and cost-saving measures have been put in place by the College as it anticipated the unprecedented growth, according to Randy Proffitt, Executive Director of Marketing. Enrollments in all sections of classes have been maximized as much as possible; as many additional faculty and student services personnel have been hired as the budget would allow; processes in admissions and financial aid offices have been streamlined; additional classrooms have been carved out of existing space, he added.
“We are stretching our resources, but we are not sacrificing quality in the process,” said John Hogan, chancellor of Ivy Tech – Columbus. “We are growing responsibly and will do everything in our power to give the best service to individuals seeking to advance their education.”
The service area of Ivy Tech – Columbus includes the counties of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, and the southern portion of Johnson.