Ivy Tech Community College
Madison
campus
plans to complete expansion in 2007
By
Angela Bornstein
Contributing Writer
(March 2006) – Ivy Tech has completed its first
semester as a Community College and continues with plans of expanding
its facilities at the Madison, Ind., campus. It has been eight years
since the initial plans to expand were proposed.
Most recently, last October, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education
approved the bonding authority for the funding and then the state budget
committee approved the release of the funds.
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Ivy
Tech Community College expansion |
“We’re going through the drafting and construction
design period right now,” said Executive Dean Don Heiderman. “We
hope to break ground toward the end of April.”
He said construction is expected to take about 18 months. “That
would put us at a tentative finish date of November 2007.” He said
after the new building is constructed, it will be another six months
of renovation of the new building.
“Right now the construction management team is in charge of finding
a contractor,” Heiderman said.
The plans for the 80,000-square-foot building include new classrooms,
faculty offices, computer and science labs, and a central hub, which
will be connecting the old building and the two-story wings of the new
facility.
“This renovation will bring everyone back into one connected building,”
said Heiderman.
The central hub will have a business conference center up stairs and
a downstairs lobby-lounge area.
“We want the students to feel as comfortable as possible while
they’re here,” said Heiderman. The lobby will provide a study
lounge and in-between classes break area and a communal area for student
groups to meet while working on projects.
Heiderman said he wants to encourage students to stay on campus in between
classes.
A new student life department at Ivy Tech is working on those aspects
of the campus community. The new facility will have meeting rooms for
student government and other student groups, and a wellness center with
exercise equipment.
Another student and faculty benefit will be wireless Internet access.
The renovation goes beyond the main building. Ivy Tech will have an
additional larger parking lot, an entrance from Franks Drive as well
as extensive landscaping, which includes a retention pond for drainage.
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Don Heiderman |
“In the future, we’d like to invite some other
community organizations, such as the Department of Workforce Development
and the Chamber of Commerce, to build offices on our property,”
Heiderman said. “We really can’t wait to get started.”
According to statement from Southeast Region Chancellor Jim Helms, Ivy
Tech has been meeting the challenge put forth by the Indiana General
Assembly to be a community college dedicated to providing skills and
education for local business and industry needs and prospective growth
as well as preparing students for four-year degree programs.
Ivy Tech became a community college last July, and its first semester
began Aug. 22. Helms said the first semester has been a success, since
academics programs are expanding and new classes, including liberal
arts courses, are being added. “Student opportunities, such as
the ability to transfer credits to Indiana University East and then
attend Saturday classes at the Lawrenceburg Ivy Tech campus to earn
a bachelor’s degree without having to leave the community, are
growing,” said Helms.
Helms explained that community college status has improved Ivy Tech,
which is pretty much the same only with more choices and challenges.
In essence, a community college is specifically suited to meet the needs
of its particular community, offering occupational, adult and general
education courses along with transferable liberal arts courses.
“The transition to a community college has been an invaluable asset
to providing educational services,” Heiderman said.
“Construction of a new facility while renovating the current building
will let us add more academic programs, expand our abilities to custom-design
courses for businesses and industries and give us the space to add academic
and continuing education classes,” Heiderman said.
“More than ever, Ivy Tech will be the workforce provider and the
trainer of existing work forces for businesses and industries. And now,
Ivy Tech will be a vital benefit in attracting new businesses and industries.
This is an exciting time for the college, the campus and for our community.”
Ivy Tech enrollment for the spring 2006 semester is at 70,869, which
is 1 percent higher than last year, according to a statement from executive
director Hank Bentz.
The Madison campus lists an enrollment increase of 8.3 percent over
last spring with a head count of 1,856.
“More and more people continue to see the value of an Ivy Tech
education,” said Ivy Tech President Gerald I. Lamkin.
“We are preparing individuals to enter the workforce and earn a
good-paying job after graduation and others are transferring Ivy Tech
credits to earn a bachelor’s degree and in the process saving money
doing so. We expect to continue to grow as the state’s community
college,” said Bentz.