Published: November 03, 2009 09:59 pm      

Indiana Tech exploring possibility of opening

If site can’t be found, college may open in Jeffersonville

Working adults looking to finish their college degrees may soon have another option in the area.

Indiana Institute of Technology, nicknamed Indiana Tech — a private college based in Fort Wayne with 13 satellite campuses — is looking to start a satellite site in New Albany, which would open next fall.

“We are looking to expand to the Southern Indiana region, because there’s a high number of adults looking to finish their college education,” said Steve Herendeen, associate vice president of the College of Professional Studies. “Our main mission is [to help] working adults go back and finish their degrees and be able to compete in the job market today.”

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, about 23 percent of the population 25 and older have had some college, but never received a degree.

Herendeen is hoping to bring those people back with a flexible schedule. The satellite location proposed for New Albany would allow people to take one class at a time, for four hours on one night of the week for five weeks. Then, the student would move on to the next class. Students would be able to take that night class on the local campus taught by a professor or online, Herendeen said. Degree options at the local site would include undergraduate and graduate degrees, he added.

In the next three weeks, Herendeen said he plans to talk with real estate agents on what’s available, either in ready buildings or a lot that is ready to be built on. He said New Albany will be the main focus. However, he isn’t ruling out other sites in this area, such as Jeffersonville.

Herendeen said he doesn’t see any direct competition locally, adding that no one offers five-week accelerated courses.

Robyn Davis Sekula, media consultant for Ivy Tech Community College of Southern Indiana in Sellersburg, said the campus does offer an eight-week option, as well as hundreds of online courses from seven academic schools. She also added that Ivy Tech has worked hard to make sure credits earned at the school will transfer to other schools.

A message seeking comment from Indiana University Southeast was not returned by press time. Ottawa University in Jeffersonville would be another Southern Indiana competitor.

Herendeen said once the local site opens, classes will be available in business and criminal justice. He said that will expand as demand dictates.

Those taking online courses can choose any major the school offers. There will be about three to four full-time employees at the new site, plus about five to six adjunct professors, he added.

He said fees for the local site as well as online courses will be $320 per credit hour, which includes fees for all books and materials. He added that financial aid is available.

Sekula said Ivy Tech is in favor of another school opening.

“The more quality educational options in the community, the better the community is off for it,” she said. “We certainly aren’t afraid of the competition.”

Sekula added that Ivy Tech offers tuition at $99.65 per credit hour, which is the lowest price for a public college in the state.



SO YOU KNOW

• WHAT: Indiana Institute of Technology, or Indiana Tech for short

• MAIN CAMPUS: Fort Wayne

• SATELLITE LOCATIONS: 13 in the state

• STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO: 19 to 1

• ATHLETICS: Compete in NAIA

• DEGREES: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees offered

• WEB SITE: indianatech.edu