By Alex Brown
Multimedia Journalist, Inside Indiana Business

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has approved recommendations for Ivy Tech Community College. They are meant to strengthen Ivy Tech’s support services and ensure its degrees and certificates lead to employment.

The recommendations are the result of a request by the Indiana General Assembly for the Commission to review Ivy Tech programs with low graduation rates. The commission was given the authority to eliminate or restructure programs. Seven recommendations were presented, including:

• Discontinue, develop improvement plans or provide justification for programs that fail to meet benchmarks
• Provide predictable schedules and structured pathways for students
• Target student interventions and advising to ensure completion
• Smooth the transition from Ivy Tech to four-year colleges
• Improve Ivy Tech’s data system capabilities
• Better reflect Ivy Tech’s diverse mission in public reporting and performance funding
• Perform annual program evaluations based on benchmarks for student demand, labor market demand and effectiveness as measured by program completion

Ivy Tech says it will review its programs and report back to the commission with a plan to discontinue, restructure or improve any programs that fail to meet designated benchmarks.

Indiana Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Kevin Brinegar says this evaluation will only serve to increase the effectiveness of Indiana’s community college system.

“Given the continuous improvement model that is essential for all educators and businesses, we applaud the work that has been done and we are confident Ivy Tech leaders will use the information to benefits its students and all stakeholders,” he said.

Source: Inside Indiana Business