In the last five years, the number of associate degrees granted by Purdue system-wide has dropped by more than one-third to less than eight percent of total degrees.
Recent efforts by the state legislature and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to streamline higher education have placed more focus on Ivy Tech Community College as the main associate degree-granting institution in the state. The College of Technology is assisting in the process by removing associate programs that duplicate services around the state and halting associate degrees entirely on West Lafayette’s campus.
The College of Technology already has a few agreements – called articulation agreements — in place with Ivy Tech that allow for a more seamless transition to certain Purdue programs. The agreements dovetail Ivy Tech associate degrees with Purdue bachelor’s degrees in industrial technology, mechanical engineering technology or organizational leadership and supervision. The Department of Aviation Technology is exploring options for its majors as well.
In fact, Jamie Mohler, interim associate dean of academic affairs and diversity, believes there are opportunities for agreements with all of the college’s programs. Each department would be able to negotiate an agreement that outlines a plan of study that will allow a smooth transition from Ivy Tech to a Purdue program.
“It starts to make Indiana function as a statewide system. It’s really to the benefit of the constituents of Indiana; it gives the student a progression path,” Mohler said. “We can continue to pursue our research mission and engagement, and we can broaden the impact of our degrees.”
The reach of that impact is statewide as well. Each of the college’s locations across Indiana has at least one degree program that can relate to an Ivy Tech degree.
“The most in-depth articulation is with the bachelor of science degree in engineering technology because Ivy Tech offers the AS in ET in all but two regions of the state,” said Duane Dunlap, associate dean for the College of Technology. “It is their fastest growing technical program across the state.” The engineering technology degree is offered at four CoT locations across Indiana. Plans are underway to expand the degree offering to Columbus, Lafayette, New Albany and Vincennes.
The engineering technology program recently received another boost with a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to partner with Ivy Tech to create a concentration in food and foodstuff supply chain technology at the Anderson location.
Last year, the College of Technology enrolled 135 Ivy Tech transfer students at its Statewide locations. The college hopes to double that enrollment, and articulation agreements will help achieve that goal.