Indiana University and Ivy Tech Community College, Lawrenceburg Campus, recently completed a six-year partnership and plan to continue to work together to meet the needs of Southeastern Indiana. Students can complete credits with both Ivy Tech and Indiana University via face-to-face classes with IU East at the Ivy Tech Lawrenceburg campus to earn a bachelor’s degree in business, elementary education, nursing or communication.

Ivy Tech Chancellor James Helms and Indiana University East Chancellor Nasser Paydar have committed their two institutions to work together keeping the focus on the learner.

Ivy Tech Community College Chancellor Jim Helms began putting the program together in 2002 and 2003.

“The goal was for Ivy Tech Community College students completing an associate degree to be able to continue their education here at Lawrenceburg and to complete their bachelor’s degree,” Helms said.

Helms connected with then IU East Chancellor David Fulton and established a trial run with the successful partnership becoming a reality in 2004. Indiana University East Chancellor Paydar has continued to work with Chancellor Helms to continue to expand the bachelor’s degree program.

“All of these educational programs have become reality because of the excellent facility support of the City of Lawrenceburg,” Helms said.

“We are committed to the Southeast Indiana region and the continued effort to provide high-quality baccalaureate degrees at the Lawrenceburg Riverfront Campus,” Paydar said. “The partnership with Ivy Tech is one that IU East is dedicated to preserving for many years to come. ”

Greg Braxton-Brown, IU East’s director of Southeast Indiana programs, is adamant that programs serve the employment needs of people and institutions in the river counties.

“Our goal is to help Dearborn County Hospital with baccalaureate level nurses, to help all school corporations have a supply of new teachers and bring new skills to existing teachers, to support all businesses large and small with both business and communication students,” Braxton-Brown said.

In the near future Braxton-Brown hopes to add to the Master of Science in Education by offering a new master’s degree in management. The master’s program in education was the first graduate program offered at Lawrenceburg. The partnership between IU East and Ivy Tech brought on site graduate education to teachers in southeast Indiana. The graduate program is now on its second cohort of students and the first graduates have completed their master’s degree.

Braxton-Brown acknowledged the Dearborn Community Foundation grants that provided seed money to start nursing, communication and education programs. “Without the help of the foundation, we could not bring quality programs at public university tuition rates to the area.”

Currently, IU East has three full-time faculty members assigned to the Lawrenceburg campus with others who travel from Richmond and others who are part-time faculty. With over 200 graduates and plans for further expansion, this unique collaboration should continue to serve river county residents for many years to come.