Ivy Tech students numbers increase

One of two major institutions for post-secondary education in Greencastle, Ivy Tech State College has reported an increase in student enrollment based on the first day of classes for the the fall 2006 semester.

In a report released Aug. 23, Ivy Tech officials said the college hit a record high for the first day of classes with 69,803 students enrolled statewide on Monday, Aug. 21. This translates to a 6.9 percent increases over last year.

Statistics for the Wabash Valley Region of Ivy Tech, which includes the Greencastle campus, showed an increase of 3.4 percent or 4,573 students.

In a statement issued by the college, Wabash Valley Chancellor Jeff Pittman said, "I am extremely pleased with the region's enrollment through the first day of classes. Now more than ever, our community realizes a quality education is extremely important and Ivy Tech Community College provides this, along with very affordable tuition."

Ivy Tech officials said they believed Greencastle saw an increase in enrollment as well.

Greencastle Campus Manager Brad Johnson said he believes the students this year will benefit from several changes made at the Greencastle location.

New additions this year include anatomy and physiology labs as well as dual purpose classrooms.

The dual purpose room, Johnson explained, looks like a normal computer lab but can be easily transformed into a regular classroom by concealing the computers inside the desks.

A recent addition to the types of classes offered at Greencastle is the Registered Nurse Transition Program.

Johnson said the class is used mostly by people who already have Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) degrees but who want to transition to the RN status. They can do that by taking Ivy Tech's yearlong class which runs from August to August.

"Basically, one builds on the other," Johnson said.

The RN Transition Program began at Greencastle in May of this year, Johnson said.

In the fall of 2007, Johnson said, Ivy Tech Greencastle will offer a traditional RN program, meaning students don't have to have an LPN degree to join the program.

Students who complete the two-year program will earn the RN rating.

Currently Ivy Tech offers three degree programs. They are LPN, RN Transition and Business Administration.

The campus also provides general education courses, often used by students who transfer to four-year colleges or universities.

Ivy Tech is said to be the state's second-largest post-secondary institution with 23 campuses.

According to its website, it serves an average of more than 102,000 students each year in more than 40 different programs and 100 specialties.

In July of this year, Ivy Tech's Office of Institutional Research released a report in which they included statistics about the make-up of the statewide system.

In the Wabash Valley Region, the following breakdown of students' ages were given:

-- age 15-19, 1,176 students,

-- age 20-24, 1,460,

-- age 25-34, 1,260,

-- age 35-44, 710,

-- age 45-54, 353,

-- age 55-59, 31,

-- age 60 and above, 32, and

-- age not specified, 17.

The following statistics show what types of students take classes in the Wabash Valley:

-- No previous college experience, 871 students,

-- Previously attend college, 343,

-- High school students, 587,

-- Students readmitted to Ivy Tech, 447,

-- Continuing education or other students, 2,791.