IVY TECH-Evansville IU Medical School Project Wasn’t Included In Funding Request

IVY TECH-Evansville IU Medical School Project Wasn’t Included In Funding Request

IT’S TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY RALLY AROUND IVY TECH-EVANSVILLE

Last week one of our contacts within Indiana Commission for Higher Education gave us an update on the status of the funding request by Ivy Tech-Evansville to be part of the IU Medical School-Evansville capital project.

We were told that the President of Ivy Tech Dr. Sue Ellsperman’s formal capital budget request did not include a funding request for Ivy Tech locating medical classes on the campus of the new IU Medical facility in Evansville for the upcoming Biennium. (2 years). The Commission for Higher Education will vote to support the funding of the following Ivy Tech priority list of capital projects statewide during the next Biennium (2 years. They are the following: Kokomo, Gary, Columbus, Ft. Wayne and Sellersburg.

Ivy Tech Community College Capital Projects in Gary

Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College in Gary held symbolic groundbreaking ceremonies Thursday for a new classroom facility, although local officials said the benefits will extend far beyond the college campuses.

Ivy Tech Community College’s Capital Projects In Kokomo

Campus upgrades welcomed local college students to the spring semester as Indiana University Kokomo continues renovations on its main building and Ivy Tech Community College’s Kokomo campus unveiled a new library.

The second phase of a $14 million renovation of IU Kokomo’s main building is nearly complete, with 11 new classrooms, labs and tutoring space already open for students to use. Other new features include gathering spaces with chairs, sofas and tables; a video production room; math resource center; and nutrition lab, with five fully-stocked kitchens and a computer screen so students can watch an instructor prepare food. Ivy Tech seeks $17.4 million for upgrade plan to create student services mall on campus.

Ivy Tech Community College Capital Project For Fort Wayne

Ivy Tech officials Monday unveiled plans for a $17.4 million building renovation that would create what amounts to a student services mall on its north campus in Fort Wayne.

Harshen Hall, built in 1965 as a children’s hospital on the grounds of the Fort Wayne State Developmental Center, would get the upgrades – if the Indiana Commission for Higher Education votes to send the project on to funding from the legislature, officials said before board members and guests toured the facility, described to them as mazelike and outdated. Ivy Tech’s chancellor for the Northeast Region, Jerrilee Mosier, said the project is fourth on the funding priority list submitted to the commission by Ivy Tech campuses statewide. Campus officials said they’ve been working on getting on that list for five or six years, but this is the first time they’ve been successful.

Ivy Tech Community College Capital Project For Columbus Campus

A $20.4 million renovation and addition on the Columbus campus ranks just ahead of Fort Wayne’s project

Ivy Tech Community College Capital Project For Sellerburg Campus

$14.8 million health-care building on the Sellersburg campus came in at No. 5.

Ivy Tech-Evansville request to build A medical educational classroom wing on the campus of the New I U Medical complex was not included.

FOOTNOTE: There is a report that only these top 5 projects will be approved by the Indiana Commission for Higher Learning and recommended to the legislature for funding. After recommendations are made, a final budget bill will be prepared by the legislature for the 2017 budget year discussions and adoption.

We urge our readers and supporters of Ivy Tech to immediately contact members of the Evansville City Council, the Mayors office, members of our local Legislative delegation and Governor’s office to urge them to contact the powers that be to include Ivy Tech-Evansville funding request to build a medical classroom at the new I U Medical School complex located in Downtown Evansville.

When Mayor Winnecke, I U Board President Pat Shoulders, members of City Council, members our local State Legislature, Chamber of Commence, CEO”S at our local Hospitals, local Trade Unions, main stream media, average citizens, leaders at U of E, Ivy Tech and USI pushed to have the I U Medical School complex approved by the State, they told us that Ivy Tech Medical students will be the key to the success of the new I U Medical School complex because they will bring around 1,500 medical students to the educational complex.

The above organizations, individuals, elected officials and community leaders also told us by including Ivy Tech students in this project it would be a big economic boost to downtown housing, entertainment and dinning demands because of the projected influx of 1,500 Ivy Tech students.

This an obvious developing story and we look forward to see how the movers and shakers of this community will come together and correct this insulting budget oversight. Its time that we take an active and aggressive stand so that we can insure that the outstanding Ivy Tech students enrolled in the Medical program will be included in the plan to located in a new educational wing at the IU Medical School Complex.

Bottom line, students at Ivy Tech are not second class citizens but highly motived and focus individuals and deserve to be taught at a first class facility located on the new campus at the I U Medical School complex Downtown Evansville!