By Mark Ambrogi
In its first year, Ivy Tech Community College’s Hamilton County campus experienced strong growth.
The 2014-15 school year was the first for the Noblesville site in a building that formerly housed Noblesville East Middle School, 300 N. 17th St.
With a year of remodeling work at the new campus, the Carmel site has been closed, consolidating into one Hamilton County campus.
As the college’s 32nd campus, applications have increased for the fall semester, and Dan Clark, president of the campus, said he expects that growth to continue.
“We’re working hard with the four-year colleges to implement [easy transfer of credits],” Clark said. “The high school students and their parents are realizing they can save a lot of money by taking classes at the community college and transferring them to a four-year college.”
Clark said Ivy Tech’s introductory English course is $400, but the same or similar course at a four-year school is often more than $1,000, which he said could turn into saving $10,000 to $15,000 if a student chooses to complete their first two years at Ivy Tech.
The college currently offers about 2,500 classes, but has the capability of accommodating more than 7,000. Friday and Saturday evening classes will begin this fall.
“The Carmel site always had Friday night and Saturday classes, and there always was good attendance,” Clark said. “We’re trying to adjust our schools to make it easy for people who have to work to go to college.”
New classes have popped up in many areas of study, but this year the college has several new programs, too.
In June, the campus announced the introduction of the new Building Construction Technology program, where the college has seen particular growth in new student applications.
“With all the commercial and residential building here, we thought that would be a place where students could find good jobs,” Clark said.
The program will give students the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in applied science, a technical certificate as a carpentry specialist or a technical certificate as a construction management specialist.
Lucas Howard, program chair for Building Construction Technology, has been teaching at the campus since January. This semester, he’s teaching Introduction to Construction Technology and Introduction to Electrical courses.
Howard said in the spring, the college and program will introduce even more new courses that focus on carpentry.
Right now, Howard said for the fall semester, ages of students in his classes range from 18 to 40 years old.
“Ivy Tech has educational opportunities for all. Everyone from current high school students doing dual enrollment to returning adult learners can benefit from the coursework offered,” said Dr. Kathleen Lee, chancellor of Ivy Tech Central Indiana. “Ivy Tech is strategically partnering with organizations such as the Parks Department and Excel Center to better serve this community.”
The Excel Center is for adults who did not finish high school and want to take the courses.
“When they finish those programs, they can go into Ivy Tech programs,” Clark said.
FAMILIAR SETTING
Donnie Yancey graduated from Noblesville High School in 1987.
Now he finds himself back in that same building for Ivy Tech. Before the new high school opened in 1996, the building housed the high school.
“It’s kind of like homecoming,” he said. “A lot of it stayed the same when I was there. But there were changes when they made it a middle school and some that Ivy Tech has done.”
Yancey, 47, is seeking a two-year degree in advance manufacturing and robotics. This is his first college experience.
“With two kids coming up through school, I know I needed more to be able to provide for them,” said Yancey, who works at Home Depot while taking classes. “With me being in school, it’s an incentive for them to do good. My daughter Amber (Noblesville East seventh grader) and I have a little competition going, as far who’s getting the As.”
Henry Baird, a 2015 NHS graduate, received a Rotary Scholarship for $1,200 spread over three or four semesters. He plans to complete his first year at Ivy Tech and perhaps another year before transferring to IUPUI.
“I live five minutes from the campus and it use to be my middle school,” said Baird, who plans to major in marketing.
