Opinion
July 30, 2005

The question is reasonable:

Why would Ivy Tech need to raise funds for the Bloomington campus just three years after opening a new $24 million campus?

The answer is actually quite simple: To continue to build on the tremendous success the state's community college has had serving the people of Bloomington and the state of Indiana.

A $3 million fundraising effort called The Campaign for Our Community moved into its public phase Wednesday. The campaign has four components that make huge sense for Bloomington.

First, support for life and health sciences will specifically help prepare workers for employment in this area's most promising economic sector. Developing and enhancing programs in areas such as biotechnology and radiation therapy is expensive, but a sound investment.

Second, funding for scholarships will help make entry into Ivy Tech more affordable for a wider pool of students. Currently, 70 percent of Ivy Tech's students need some sort of financial aid.

Third, future growth and expansion will be needed. When the new facility opened just three years ago, it was projected Ivy Tech in Bloomington would grow to 4,000 students by 2011. The enrollment this fall will be higher than that.

The fourth area is funding for the Center for Civic Engagement. Under the direction of chancellor John Whikehart, Ivy Tech has encouraged its students to be involved in their community. This will help them do that, to their benefit - and to Monroe County's.

As Whikehart pointed out at the public campaign launch, there's more to Ivy Tech and the fundraising effort than economic development. "It's about changing lives," he said.

Ivy Tech helps people grow, every day in countless ways. Support for this campaign will help that growth continue.