Ivy Tech Graduation Story – Seven students
Complete Associate of Science degree in less than one year
When: Associate Accelerated Program Celebration
6 p.m.-8 p.m., Thursday, May 9
Where: Ivy Tech Community College Evansville
Room 107 – Enter through Entrance B
3501 N. First Avenue
Background: Seven Ivy Tech students will be graduating with an Associate Degree and technical certificate this Friday, but will be having a celebratory dinner and presentations Thursday evening, as a prelude to the big event. They are earning their degrees after 11 months of classes through the Associate Accelerated Program (or ASAP as it is referred to).
Students in this program go to class five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is the fifth year of the ASAP Program. Financial support is provided by Vectren Foundation, Old National Foundation, One Main and employee donors.
Coursework is spread over five eight-week terms. It’s a rewarding program—but a rigorous one, that essentially becomes a student’s full-time occupation until graduation.
Classes are held in small, closely-knit groups known as “cohorts.†Classmates remain with their cohort throughout the program—encouraging, assisting, and depending on each other every step of the way. The ASAP coordinator helps students identify academic goals, then maps out a clear path they can follow to success, while faculty teams offer individual attention. Graduates leave with not just an associate degree, but with the skills they need to succeed in further studies—and the workforce.
These seven students’ degrees are part of nearly 2,600 credentials and degrees that will be earned by more than 1,700 students at the Evansville campus this academic year. 31 percent of Ivy Tech graduates, are graduating with honors – 21 percent with the highest honor – Summa Cum Laude.
Two of the students are Ivy Tech Outstanding Graduates – Natalie Henson is the Outstanding Graduate for Liberal Arts; and Mason Clark is the Outstanding Graduate for the Statewide Transfer General Education Core (Start as a Sophomore Program). It is highly unusual for two students in the same program to be named Outstanding Graduates. And, Gina Nalley, is our student speaker at Commencement Friday night.
