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February 10, 2010

Anonymous The Kokomo Tribune Wed Feb 10, 2010, 05:39 PM EST

Less than a month after classes began at Logansport’s new Ivy Tech campus, officials already are looking at expansion.

That’s good news.

School officials had projected an enrollment of fewer than 1,000 students this semester, but the actual number came in closer to 1,400. That’s where the college thought enrollment would be five years from now.

Ivy Tech officials believe the Logansport campus will maintain its current enrollment levels and perhaps even grow at a rate as high as 10 percent a year.

If the trend holds, the campus will soon need more classrooms as well, and the good news is the campus has room to grow. Ivy Tech owns about 50 acres surrounding the Logansport building.

There is no bad news in this scenario.

Enrollment at the new campus is made up of young adults just out of high school in search of a certificate or an associate degree that will prepare them for a career in one of many fields. It also includes students getting two years of college under their belts before going on to seek a degree at a four-year institution.

And the number also includes non-traditional students, mid-career individuals going back to school to prepare themselves for a new career or to meet new challenges in their current jobs.

Cass County has educational challenges. According to 2000 census data, 18 percent of residents 25 or older lack a high school diploma or its equivalent. That equates to about 4,800 people, or 10 percent of the county’s total population. More than 1,200 Cass County adults have less than a ninth-grade education.

Clearly, that’s not the sort of educated work force that will attract the high-paying jobs Cass County wants, but the growing enrollment at Ivy Tech is a positive sign.

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