We should try to get as much out of Ivy Tech's uniqueness while we can. As soon as other states figure out what we're doing, they'll start imitating us:
Ivy Tech's plan to reinvent itself as more than a single-minded technical school is starting to pay off with big numbers.
The state's community college system announced Wednesday that enrollment has shot up by nearly 12 percent over last year, fueled in great part by a growing number of academically inclined students whose goal is to transfer to four-year universities.
I think we're going to realize in a few years that turning Ivy Tech into a true community college was one of the smartest things we ever did. People keep wondering how we should rework higher education to integrate it into the 21st century economy; the secret is that we may have already done the most important thing. Because it is so cheap, many more people can afford Ivy Tech. Because there are so many campuses, it is attrative both to stay-at-home graduating seniors and dislocated workers who need new training. Because most of its credits are transferrable to other public universities, it will draw those not sure if they're college material but want to give it a try.
