Last modified: Thursday, May 8, 2008
Indiana University and Ivy Tech announce agreement on associate degrees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 8, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana announced today that they have entered into a statewide agreement on programs and degree options that will eliminate duplication and better meet the higher education needs of Hoosiers.
The agreement designates Ivy Tech as the primary provider of two-year associate degrees in Indiana, while IU will focus on baccalaureate and graduate education, and will eliminate existing associate degree programs that overlap with Ivy Tech's offerings. It will accelerate the transformation of Indiana University regional campuses and foster cooperation between every IU campus and its Ivy Tech counterpart.
"IU is fully committed to a partnership with Ivy Tech that will provide a complete range of educational opportunities for Indiana citizens," said IU President Michael A. McRobbie. "Our goal is to establish a seamless system that gives all Hoosiers access to the high-quality degree programs they need to prepare themselves for the workforce and the changing world."
"We continue to be pleased by the commitment Indiana University has shown in working with Ivy Tech Community College to create a comprehensive higher education system for Hoosiers around the state," said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. "We must continue to work together with our four-year partners to ensure that we are offering the best possible education system and options to the people of Indiana. This is yet another step in achieving that goal."
Under the agreement, the institutions will work together to develop pathways for students to articulate Ivy Tech associate degrees, including its new liberal arts degrees, with corresponding baccalaureate degrees from IU.
IU and Ivy Tech also will collaborate to market and co-brand their degree programs targeted to returning adult students, with Ivy Tech offering an Associate of Arts in general studies and IU a related Bachelor of General Studies. Those programs are designed to serve the needs of the estimated 650,000 Indiana residents who have graduated from high school but do not have a college degree.
IU will permanently retain a limited number of associate degrees that rely on resources that are unique to IU. They include:
- Medically related Associate of Science degrees offered at certain campuses in areas such as radiography, histotechnology, optometric technology, health information technology, dental laboratory technology and dental hygiene.
- Arts-related Associate of Science degrees offered at IU Bloomington in string instrument technology, recording arts and audio technology.
- An Associate of Arts in liberal arts degree for students who earn at least 60 hours toward a baccalaureate degree at IU but leave school for personal reasons.
In other areas, IU and Ivy Tech campuses will work together to eliminate IU associate degrees within the next five years.
The agreement builds upon and implements the May 2001 Campus Compact, an agreement by the Indiana Commission on Higher Education with IU and Purdue University. The compact provided a framework for associate degrees to be offered through Indiana's community college system while universities focused on four-year and advanced degrees.
Indiana University offers programs on eight Indiana campuses, including the original campus in Bloomington, a residential campus; an urban campus in Indianapolis, which includes the IU School of Medicine; and regional campuses in Fort Wayne, Gary, Kokomo, New Albany, Richmond and South Bend. It has more than 99,000 students and offers 1,048 degree programs.
Ivy Tech Community College is the nation's largest singly-accredited statewide community college system, with more than 110,000 students enrolled annually. With 23 campuses, 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.
