1990 - 2006
Prior to 1990, there were no transferable courses between the two public higher
education institutions in Indianapolis, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Indiana Vocational Technical College (IVTC)-Indianapolis (now Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana). Although both were respected higher education entities with large student enrollments, they had been academically separated by tradition and historical mission.
That academic separation had become obsolete. Over the years, Ivy Tech, which had its roots as “Indiana’s technical college,” had departed from its original vocational emphasis and developed academic programs that more closely resembled the curricula of a traditional college, incorporating liberal arts, sciences, advanced technology,
medical professions, business, education, social work, and other offerings. In fact, many Ivy Tech courses and associate degrees closely resembled the first two years of
education at IUPUI.
Chancellor Meredith Carter of Ivy Tech and Chancellor Gerald Bepko of IUPUI recognized that it was time to change. They saw their institutions as complementary, and they understood that the outdated policy of “no transferable classes” was an artificial barrier for students who wanted to continue their education beyond the associate
degree, but did not want to “start from scratch.” The chancellors realized that course transferability and program articulation were desirable goals. Their conversations led to planning, and their plans led to action.
On February 21, 1990, Chancellors Carter and Bepko, along with Ivy Tech President Gerald Lamkin, signed a Memorandum of Agreement of Cooperation between IUPUI and IVTC. The document stated their intention to establish a wide-ranging cooperative partnership between IUPUI and Ivy Tech, including joint funding of the IUPUI and Ivy Tech Office of Coordinated Programs (later called Passport). The 1990 agreement stated its primary purpose: to promote access to higher education for citizens of Central
Indiana, from courses and associate degrees to baccalaureate, graduate and professional degrees.
The agreement called for cooperative efforts by schools, departments, staff and faculty to work together on articulation agreements that would make courses and associate degree programs transferable between the two schools. The Memorandum also called for cooperative faculty development, student services, information exchange, and an annual review of progress.
The Chancellors appointed a committed and active steering committee, consisting of key administrators and faculty of both institutions. Members of the steering committee from IUPUI were Carol Nathan, Associate Dean of the Faculties; Scott Evenbeck, Associate Vice Chancellor; Tim Langston, Dean of Student Affairs; and Bernard Morrell, Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Faculty Council Academic Affairs committee. The Ivy Tech steering committee members were Thomas Cooke, Dean of Instructional Affairs;
Darrell Cousert, Director of Student Services; Michael Clippinger, Division Chair of General Education and Support Services; Peter Magnant, Division Chair of Human Services and Health Technologies; and Rex Ward, Director of Business and Industrial Training and Development.
The steering committee was charged with implementing the goals of the agreement, evaluating progress, and issuing a report at an annual meeting. They would oversee 15 smaller committees that would deal with specific aspects of cooperation. The 15 ad hoc committees—generally composed of equal numbers of staff and faculty from each institution—were responsible for addressing specific initiatives stated in the
Memorandum of Agreement. The initiatives were: information dissemination, general education courses, program articulation, faculty exchange and development, general studies, counseling, access centers, facilities and technology, educational television, financial aid, alternative credit, placement testing, admissions, record keeping, student retention, and annual review.
Members of the steering and ad hoc committees were inspired by their mission. They were committed to make positive changes in public higher education and create pathways that would benefit students for generations to come. They met frequently.
They were creative and focused. They appraised the way things were done in the past and proposed better ways to educate students and help them to advance. They encouraged faculty members from both schools to work with colleagues in their field, compare courses, make needed adjustments, and adopt changes that would assure quality and transferability. Student services staff were charged with devising ways they could share resources and information to better serve students in such areas as financial aid, placement testing, and counseling. Librarians and technology staffs were
encouraged to find ways to share resources.
From the start of the collaboration, IUPUI and Ivy Tech faculties compared courses and curricula and worked together to make necessary curricular changes to ensure that transferable courses and programs covered the same amount and depth of material.
This faculty collaboration would ensure that Ivy Tech students would be well prepared to transfer to IUPUI and that students concurrently enrolled at both institutions would experience equivalent academic outcomes, regardless of where they took a course.
By 1992, 21 courses were articulated, including several hospitality administration courses, general education courses in economics, physics, mathematics,
communications, anatomy and physiology, sociology, and several computer courses, including computer literacy, systems analysis and design, COBOL, data processing, and data communications. Also by 1992, program articulation agreements were completed or near completion for Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Organizational
Leadership and Supervision, General Studies, and Health Sciences Education.
During the years 1993 – 95, the focus of IUPUI-IVTC Cooperative Agreement turned to the creation and implementation of the IUPUI/Ivy Tech Center for Higher Education and Workforce Development (CHEWD). The pilot project was designed to prepare people for jobs or post-secondary education. The Center, located in the IUPUI Krannert Building at 1125 East 38th Street, was managed by IVTC/IUPUI staff but also included information and referral services provided by Indiana College Placement and
Assessment Center (ICPAC) and employment preparation by the Job Training 2000 Skills Center (JT2000).
The Center’s services included vocational counseling, workforce development, and academic basic skills courses taught by Ivy Tech faculty. These services were designed to prepare participants for entry into college or success in the workforce. The courses included English as a second language, reading, writing, and mathematics. The Center also had a research and program assessment component that collected and analyzed data on student success and project effectiveness. After two years, the CHEWD pilot project was discontinued.
Although the Ivy Tech-IUPUI steering committee, subcommittees, and faculty members continued to work on articulation, the years 1992-1996 saw a marked reduction of progress in articulation. Articulation numbers were: 1993 (6 courses articulated); 1994 (13 courses and 1 program articulated); 1995 (1 course articulated); 1996 (1 course articulated).
Meanwhile, in 1994 Ivy Tech had received statewide accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Subsequently, in 1995—reflecting the college’s growing status as a postsecondary education provider—the words “vocational”
and “technical” were dropped, and the college’s name was changed to Ivy Tech State College.
In 1995, the Chancellors had signed a second memorandum of agreement that further clarified the mission of the IUPUI and Ivy Tech Office of Coordinated Programs. The agreement emphasized coordination and articulation of courses, student services, needs assessment, marketing, concurrent enrollment, and promoting both Ivy Tech and IUPUI as distinct higher education institutions that collaborate to meet the full range of
community needs.
Fortunately, after a dearth of progress from 1992-1996, articulations picked up again in 1997 with 26 courses articulated. Also in 1997, Ivy Tech and IUPUI signed an
agreement that allowed reciprocal access to student-related data. Registrars, advisors, assessment professionals, financial aid staff, and admissions officers were able to access student records on line from each other’s institutions. Thus, they were able to counsel and assist transferring and concurrently enrolled students.
In May 1998 the title of IUPUI-Ivy Tech Office of Coordinated Programs was changed to more memorable and descriptive Passport. The new identity used a passport-like image with Ivy Tech and IUPUI logos in the center, surrounded by stamps identifying courses and degrees that transferred between Ivy Tech and IUPUI, with the positioning statement, “Ivy Tech and IUPUI: Passport to Your Educational Goal.” A full set of materials—posters, folders, brochures—was introduced at the May 1998 annual meeting.
The period of May 1998 – April 1999 was a banner year with 82 course articulations and six program articulations. The large increase in course articulations resulted from 40 courses articulated through a program articulation between Ivy Tech Design Technology and IUPUI Engineering Technology. In addition, 38 courses were articulated between Ivy Tech Design Technology and IUPUI New Media Arts and Sciences- Drafting. Other highlights that year included:
Faculty development grants were awarded to Ivy Tech and IUPUI faculty in Early Childhood Education-Education and Industrial Technology-Engineering and Technology.
Academic advisors at Ivy Tech hosted a joint meeting with University College advisors to discuss articulation and better ways to advise transfer and visiting students.
The Passport website came on line.
During the fall and spring semesters Passport placed advisements in regional newspapers in Hamilton, Hendricks and Johnson counties, co-marketing credit and non-credit courses offered at Ivy Tech-IUPUI shared sites.
Highlights of the period May 1999 – March 2000 included:
Faculty in Ivy Tech Hospitality Administration and IUPUI Tourism Convention Events Management (TCEM) completed articulation agreements for 6 courses.
In December, Ivy Tech Dean Thomas Cooke and IUPUI Dean William Plater sponsored a teleconference on articulation, cooperation, and Passport.
Administrators and faculty from Ivy Tech and IU campuses in Bloomington, Gary, Columbus, Madison, Lawrenceburg, Kokomo, Richmond and South Bend participated in the teleconference.
The first two Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships (PAES) were awarded to Ivy Tech graduates Quintina Taylor (A.A.S. Paralegal Technology, 3.8 GPA) and Parastoo Kashanipour (A.A.S. Computer Information Systems 4.0 GPA).
The scholarships, funded by IUPUI, are awarded on a competitive basis to Ivy Tech graduates with at least a 3.3 GPA who are admitted to IUPUI. Awards are for $4000 to be used for baccalaureate degree courses at IUPUI. Up to eight Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships are available annually.
The Partners program was created for IUPUI applicants who are directed to study at Ivy Tech to improve their academic skills and complete specified
courses with grades of C or better before admission to IUPUI. Ivy Tech provides any needed developmental courses, 15 credits of freshman-level courses, and academic support to help students gain admission to IUPUI or continue at Ivy Tech.
Passport began sponsorship of annual student services breakfast meetings, which brought together Ivy Tech and IUPUI professionals from placement testing, financial aid, admissions, student records, advising, student activities, disability services, and other areas to exchange information, solve problems, and initiate better coordinated services.
1999 was the start of the transition of Ivy Tech State College to Ivy Tech
Community College of Indiana. In January 1999, the Indiana legislature passed a bill stipulating that Ivy Tech and Vincennes University would work in
partnership as providers of community college education throughout the state.
Legislators hoped that the two colleges working together would expand liberal arts courses and degrees at several campuses.
Passport prepared a list of Vincennes courses planned for the community college at Ivy Tech-Central Indiana during spring, summer and fall semesters with corresponding IUPUI articulated courses and distributed the lists to Ivy Tech and IUPUI admissions staff and academic advisors to assist them in counseling students.
Highlights of the period April 2000 – March 2001 included:
Three program articulations were completed:
o Ivy Tech A.A.S. in Visual Communications with B.S. in Media Arts and Science
o Ivy Tech A.A.S. in Hospitality Administration-Convention Management with IUPUI B.S. in Tourism Convention and Events Management
o Ivy Tech A.A.S. in Computer Information Systems Programmer-Analyst Specialty with IUPUI B.S. in Computer Technology, Standard Track.
14 courses were articulated.
Four students were awarded Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships.
Passport researched and published two booklets—one for Marion County, the other for seven surrounding counties—titled “Invest in Yourself” for prospective students who needed deep remediation in basic math, reading, writing, GED preparation, or English as a Second Language before enrolling in college. The booklets were used at the Ivy Tech Testing Center, IUPUI Enrollment Center, the Second Chance program, and widely distributed in adult education sites in eight counties.
Faculty course development grants were awarded to Kathleen Lee and Deborah Cullen (Respiratory Therapy), Mike Wallace and Maurice Bluestein (Technology- Engineering), Jacqueline Blackwell and Janet Imel (Education). These grants provided financial support, usually during summer months, allowing Ivy Tech and IUPUI faculty members to design or modify courses that would meet articulation guidelines.
Passport African American student success stories and photos ran in the Indianapolis Recorder.
In April 2000 the Indiana Commission for Higher Education launched the Transfer Indiana initiative, which included the creation the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Committee (STAC). The initiative encouraged statewide articulation agreements. Membership of STAC included two or three representatives from each public institution and a representative from the Independent Colleges of Indiana. The Commission identified the following objectives:
o to develop statewide transfer-of-credit agreements for courses that are most frequently taken by undergraduates;
o to develop statewide agreements whereby Associate of Arts and Associate of Science programs will articulate fully with related baccalaureate degree programs; and
o to publicize by all appropriate means, including an electronic Website, a master list of course transfer-of-credit and program articulation
agreements.
During its first year, STAC worked on two priorities: articulating the Vincennes University Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degree programs offered at Community College of Indiana sites with the state’s public four-year institutions, and developing statewide transfer course equivalencies for the 42 most frequently taken undergraduate courses.
Passport highlights of the period March 2001 – March 2002 included:
Eight program articulations were completed. They included six articulation of Ivy Tech A.A.S. or A.S. in Visual Communications Technology (various options) with IUPUI B.S. in Computer Graphics Technology (various options). Also, two articulations of Ivy Tech A.A.S. and A.S. in Design Technology (various options) with IUPUI B.S. Computer Graphics Technology (various options).
Twenty-four courses were articulated.
A statewide articulation was completed for the Ivy Tech A.S. and A.A.S.
Respiratory Therapy Technology with IUPUI B.S. Respiratory Therapy. New Ivy Tech campuses affected are in Lafayette, Michigan City, and Fort Wayne. The articulation was featured in a major Indianapolis Star story on Respiratory Therapy careers.
All Ivy Tech articulated courses in IUPUI’s Schools of Liberal Arts and Science were articulated statewide.
Five Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships were awarded.
Highlights of the period March 2002 – March 2003 included:
The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) completed a
statewide articulation for Ivy Tech’s A.S. in Criminal Justice with the SPEA B.S.
in Criminal Justice.
Seventeen courses were articulated, including 10 in Criminal Justice, 3 in Computer Design Technology, 1 in Business Technology, 2 in Biology and 1 in Construction Technology.
Eight Ivy Tech graduates were awarded Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships.
Passport produced a video titled Passport Students Speak Out with the assistance of IUPUI’s video-production professor and students. The video featured seven Passport students, Ivy Tech graduates who were studying New Media, Pre-Med-Biology, Computer Technology, Liberal Arts, Construction Technology, General Studies, Computer Graphics, and Mechanical Engineering Technology at IUPUI.
Data from a study of 1,798 Partners students indicated that 53% had enrolled at Ivy Tech.
Through a cooperative faculty development program, IUPUI’s Information Technology Training workshops were made available to Ivy Tech faculty and staff free of charge.
On May 2, 2002, STAC adopted a set of Principles Guiding Statewide Transfer and Articulation in Indiana, which closely resembled the principles and practices that had guided Passport since its inception in 1990. Briefly stated, the principles were: 1. Faculty primacy, 2. Equal partnership between community colleges and universities, 3. Collective responsibility for students transferring from associate degree to baccalaureate degree programs, 4. Comparable treatment of transfer students, 5. Articulation agreements that include course-to-course transfer as much as possible, 6. Priority in articulation for majors that enroll large numbers of students, 7. Inclusion of independent colleges, 8. Statewide and institutional evaluation to monitor the progress and degree completion of transfer students and shared results of data, 9. Communication of articulation agreements to a wide range of audiences, including students, counselors, faculty, and
administrative officers, 10. Currency of articulation information, 11. Multi-
directional transfer availability (lateral, reverse, swirling) to accommodate student needs, 12. Responsiveness to student problems by transfer coordinators at each campus and reporting of persistent problems to STAC, 13. Appropriate timing of transfer and advising of students regarding best time to transfer.
Highlights of the period March 2003 – March 2004 included:
A statewide articulation agreement, retroactive to May 2002, provided that any Ivy Tech A.S. or A.A.S. graduate may transfer into the IUPUI Bachelor of General Studies degree program.
Twelve course articulations were completed.
Eight Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships and one Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship were awarded for the 2003-04 academic year.
A special edition of Passport News, featuring 4 Latino students was published in English and Spanish. Multiple copies or both versions were distributed at IUPUI and Ivy Tech and mailed to more than 50 organizations, churches, agencies, schools, adult education programs, media outlets and businesses that serve large segments of the Latino community.
Passport coordinated a one-day workshop on the Adult Learner Focused Institution present by Dr. Thomas Flint, Vice President of CAEL. More than 30 faculty and administrators attended from Ivy Tech and IUPUI campuses in Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Gary, Fort Wayne, Columbus, Richmond, Kokomo, Bloomington, West Lafayette, and Ivy Tech Central Office.
Highlights of the period April 2004 – April 2005 included:
In 2004 Governor Joseph Kernan unveiled plans to end the Ivy Tech partnership with Vincennes University and expand the community college to all Ivy Tech campuses. In 2005, the state legislature changed the college name to Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, and Governor Mitch Daniels designated Ivy Tech as the sole provider of the community college system.
Passport opened a permanent advising office at Ivy Tech.
Program articulation agreements were completed for Ivy Tech A.S. in
Biotechnology with three IUPUI B.S. degrees (Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Biology).
Statewide articulations were completed in the following programs:
o Ivy Tech A.S. or A.A.S Apprenticeship Technology in Construction Trades with the IUPUI B.S. in Labor Studies
o Ivy Tech A.S. /R.N. in Nursing with the IU School of Nursing B.S. in Nursing
o Ivy Tech A.A.S. in Computer Information Systems-Networking specialty or Programming specialty or Web Management specialty or PC Support and Administration specialty with IUPUI B.S. in Computer Information
Technology-any track.
Eight Ivy Tech graduates were awarded Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships.
A description of the Spanish-English Passport News and distribution method was featured on the Web site of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission as an example of best practices in diversity.
Highlights of the period April 2005 – April 2006 included:
Passport adopted a new logo and new positioning statement: IVY TECH TRANSFER IUPUI Unlimited Educational Opportunities, and the Passport Website was redesigned for better navigation.
Thirteen Ivy Tech graduates were awarded Passport Academic Excellence Scholarships, and one Ivy Tech graduate was awarded a Phi Theta Kappa scholarship.
Fourteen students became the first Ivy Tech residents of Riverwalk, student apartment-housing on the IUPUI campus.
Seven program articulations were completed:
o Ivy Tech A.S. Human Services with IUPUI B.S. Social Work o Ivy Tech A.S. Business Administration with IUPUI B.S. Business
Administration-Management
o Ivy Tech A.S. Logistics Management and A.S. Community Emergency Preparedness and Management with IUPUI B.S. Organizational Leadership and Supervision
o Ivy Tech A.S. Library Technical Assistant with IUPUI B.G.S. General Studies
o Ivy Tech A.S. Design Technology-Interior Design specialty with IUPUI B.S. Interior Design Technology
o Ivy Tech A.A.S. Public Safety Fire Science specialty with IUPUI B.S.
Public Safety Management.
Many current Ivy Tech and IUPUI faculty and administrators have seen the results of Passport. Ivy Tech Professor and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Michael
Clippinger was a member of the original steering committee that implemented the 1990 Agreement of Cooperation. He recalled the teacher exchanges in which Ivy Tech and IUPUI faculty members co-designed syllabi and taught courses at each other’s
institution, a practice that encouraged cooperation and made the earliest articulations possible.
Clippinger described the principles that inspired articulation efforts and created
Passport, "Order, purposeful cooperation, and collaboration transformed the Ivy Tech- IUPUI relationship from the chaos of cross-purposed competition and benign neglect.
All was proved possible through creative leadership and deliberate efforts by women and men of good will who placed the interests of students above all else."
Data demonstrate the effectiveness of Passport. The number of Ivy Tech-to-IUPUI transfer students has grown annually since1992 (when 120 new students enrolled) to 2006 (when 518 new students enrolled)—an increase of 332%. Since academic year 2001-2002, the Ivy Tech-Indianapolis campus has been the largest feeder of transfer students to IUPUI, and those transfer students do exceptionally well. In academic year 2003-2004 (the last period with complete data) 1,558 Ivy Tech transfer students were enrolled at IUPUI per semester. They took an average of 10 credit hours per semester and achieved an average GPA of 2.70. Steady increases in Ivy Tech transfer students brought the number to 2,097 enrolled at IUPUI in fall semester 2006.
The future is positive for Passport students. Many have earned their baccalaureate degrees, and some have completed IUPUI graduate and professional degrees—
achieving goals they did not dream of when they took their first classes at Ivy Tech.
Passport has also been a factor in increasing diversity at IUPUI, since Ivy Tech transfer students typically have 6-10% greater minority representation than IUPUI first-time enrollees.
Dr. Michael Donahue, long-time Director of Admissions at IUPUI and member of STAC commented, “IUPUI and Ivy Tech have fostered a strong spirit of cooperation between
the two institutions. We have joint staff meetings; our Partners program gives students a better chance to succeed; and every semester we observe hundreds of students joining IUPUI after a successful experience at Ivy Tech. The Passport partnership has
benefited not only IUPUI and Ivy Tech but also the students and citizens of Indiana. This partnership is the model for other four-year colleges in Indiana.”
Prepared August 2007 Mary R. Grove
