Ivy Tech Unveils New Long-Term Plan

Most classes involved with Advantage Shelby County will be held at the Ivy Tech campus at the city's Intelliplex development.

The new Ivy Tech Community College strategic plan has launched and it includes a target of 50,000 certifications, certificates and degrees a year in areas aligned with the needs of the state’s workforce. The five-year initiative is a year-and-a-half in the making and it involves seven goals that President Sue Ellspermann says align with comparable efforts of state agencies, industry groups, organizations and businesses. Ellspermann will be a guest this weekend on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.

"Our plan compliments the work of those with whom we collaborate including the Commission for Higher Education, Department of Workforce Development, the Indiana Chamber and industry groups, Strada Education Network, Lilly Endowment, and Lumina, to name a few," Ellspermann said. "Indiana is home to some of the world’s largest, most innovative corporations – not to mention countless ambitious smaller companies and start-ups, and all of them share a common need: well-trained, skilled workers."

Ivy Tech says the strategic plan is in-step with the state’s long-term goal of 60 percent post-secondary degree or credential attainment for Hoosiers. The goals of "Our Communities. Your College. Pathways for Student Success and a Stronger Indiana." include:

1. Student Success: Ensure every student persists towards their educational objective.
2. Recruitment and Enrollment: Recruit and enroll Hoosiers from every demographic into high-demand/high-wage career pathways.
3. Completion: Students earn 50,000 high quality certificates, certifications, and degrees annually.
4. Workforce: Students are placed into and succeed in high-demand, high-wage jobs.
5. Employee: Become known as a great place to work.
6. Financial: Ensure the institution has sufficient financial resources to achieve our mission.
7. Community: Effectively engage with and serve our unique communities.

Each objective, the college says, includes detailed tactics and metrics designed to ensure success. In mid-2017, Ivy Tech launched a restructuring plan that helped set the stage for the new strategic plan. It involved defining 19 campuses statewide to serve as "self-sustaining units," cutting back on the regional approach that was taken previously.