Every Monday, the Greensburg Rotary Club meets for fellowship, a meal, and a presentation from a guest speaker. Today was no different. Rotarians filled the back meeting space at the Branch Gathering Place & Coffee House, enjoying a meal catered by Deborah Sellers Catering while listening to the featured speakers: Dr. Stephanie Amos, Ivy Tech Interim Chancellor, and Dr. Jackie Fisher, Ivy Tech Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for the Columbus Service Area.
Dr. Stephanie Amos stated that she has worked at Ivy Tech for fourteen years and, during that time, has served in several interim positions. She spoke about the Ivy Tech region that includes Decatur County. Currently, the region stretches more than 70 miles from north to south and serves Johnson, Shelby, Decatur, Bartholomew, Jackson, and Jennings counties. The main campus is located in Columbus, Indiana, with additional facilities in Franklin and Shelbyville. The Columbus Service Area includes 448 full- and part-time employees.
Dr. Marty Pollio has become the 10th president of Ivy Tech. Previously; he served as Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky. Dr. Amos said she is very excited about Dr. Pollio becoming president and feels that he will continue to take the college to the next level.
Dr. Jackie Fisher stated that, of the 11,358 students currently enrolled, Decatur County has 238 students (excluding dual-credit), 712 dual-credit students (instruction by high school teachers), and 122 dual-enrolled students (instruction by Ivy Tech faculty).
Dr. Amos and Dr. Fisher spoke about the strong commitment they see from the schools in Decatur County to help students pursue higher education, which they find quite impressive. Dr. Fisher also highlighted the training and apprenticeship partnerships Ivy Tech has with the local community.
The key academic program areas in our region are Advanced Manufacturing, Aviation, Agriculture, Business, Education, Engineering, Healthcare, and Information Technology.
The presentation provided details about Ivy Tech’s strategic plan, titled Higher Education at the Speed of Life. The plan focuses on aligning students with the needs of Indiana’s workforce and communities, taking into account industry demands and the new graduation requirements.
Learn more about Ivy Tech by exploring their website- Home – Ivy Tech Community College
