Editor, Times-Union: There have been several articles in the news lately which were critical of the administration and students of Ivy Tech College in light of what they give to our community and questioning, by inference, how valuable they are to have here. I hope the writers of those articles were thorough in checking out the facts as they were presented. My suspicions are, however, that only one source was used for information, and understandably, because of this lack of research, only one view was presented in those articles.
I usually respect your editors' opinion and agree with them. In this case, however, I would challenge those people who presented the negative articles, and were perhaps innocently misled, to be open-minded enough to research the facts further and to try to give the community a less biased view of the changes that need to be made.
I believe the administration of the school when they inform us they need to move out of the present location. They may not have been given a specific eviction notice with a specific date on it, but I know they received indications they would have to move out. I know things are happening in which the current facilities will become more and more crowded and inadequate as other groups are brought in to use the space. Ivy Tech will be required to reduce, and/or share, but not enlarge the areas available to their students. Wouldn't it be prudent business sense to begin preparations for finding another location now, rather than waiting until it's an emergency situation?
What disturbs me most about the negative tone toward Ivy Tech is that it completely glosses over the wonderful accomplishments of this school. I personally know students who didn't fit the traditional "educational mold," yet the teachers at Ivy Tech have worked with them and helped create a productive, responsible, hard-working person who benefits our community. Our employers are crying out for this kind of employee. We should be praising this school for what it is doing. We should be trying to assist them even more ... not tearing it down and belittling their achievements!
I also know there are many many students who have benefitted from the savings in taking their first two years of college at Ivy Tech, then transferring these credits (successfully, I might add) to a four year college. How many of these students also go on to become productive citizens where the four-year college gets the credit and recognition ... yet much of the credit should also be given to Ivy Tech?
I've seen students who struggle with the enormity of the giant university and the sudden anonymity they find in the gargantuan environment. Sometimes these students begin to fail. I've seen these same people welcomed at Ivy Tech and, because of the warmth of this school and the size of the classes and the care of the teachers, go on to succeed and eventually make this transition successfully. This school is providing a valuable service to our community. It is working with students the larger schools would discard and yet many of these students have unrecognized potential and go on to be a tremendous success.
We need to get behind this school, to help it grow and reach even more of our citizens who might need a more nontraditional education, yet who have the potential to be a productive part of our community!
Yes, what they want to do takes money ... and yes, they may have put a lot of their "dreams" and "wishes" into their budget requests, (Again, I view this as part of their desire to do well by their students). But I happen to know that they will work with whatever we as a community give them. I also know this to be a generous community and one in which we recognize the future benefits to ourselves and our children and our businesses in helping this school grow and succeed. A new location in the Sprint building on Highway 30 would put this school in a prominent place where they could attract a larger student body, where they would be visible for adults who want continuing education and where they could be of the most service to our businesses and our community. Let's quit the negativity and give this school, which has already provided us a tremendous service at very little cost and with very little investment, a chance to do more and better things for those who need them.
Darla McCammon Warsaw via e-mail Editor's note: Many sources were used for the "Ivy Tech Future Up In The Air" article published Oct. 26, 2001, including North Central Region 2 Chancellor Virginia B. Calvin; Warsaw campus dean Joann Walgamuth; Warsaw Community Schools superintendent Dr. Lee Harmon, WCS business manager Rande Thorpe and WCS board of trustees president Craig Allebach; also Commissioner Stanley Jones of the Commission for Higher Education as well as State Senator Kent Adams; Joe DiLaura of Ivy Tech public relations; official minutes of the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees; and local Ivy Tech task force member Jean Northernor. Many others were interviewed over a month long investigation. Many others would not return phone calls. Neither Ivy Tech students nor their achievements were ever criticized in any article, however, the expectation that the community must fund a long-anticipated relocation by a taxpayer-supported institution has come under question.
