Last Updated on January 4, 2018 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — Ivy Tech Community College’s Logansport campus will serve as host for the 2018-19 cohort of the Accelerated Associate Program (ASAP) in the College’s Kokomo Service Area.
This will be the Kokomo Service Area’s fourth class in the accelerated degree program that allows qualified and motivated students recently out of high school to complete a “two-year” associate degree in just 11 months. The program, now in its third year at the Kokomo campus, is being moved while the Kokomo Campus undergoes a $43 million transformation of its facilities and grounds.
“We are very excited to have an opportunity to offer ASAP in Logansport this coming year,” said Beth Chaney, ASAP coordinator for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “We are signing up students for the new class that begins in June and, of the 13 students who have already been accepted, eight are from Logansport High School, one is from Northwestern, one is from Kokomo, one is from Peru, one is from North Miami, and one is from Maconaquah.”
Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area includes Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami and Tipton counties and schools in the northern counties have been very supportive of the ASAP program, Chaney said, encouraging their students to explore the time- and cost-saving option. The current cohort of 12 students, recently completing the third of five modules needed to earn their associate degrees, includes nine students who commute from Rochester, Logansport, and Peru.
Under the ASAP program, students at each participating campus have their own “space,” a classroom, computer lab, and lounge dedicated for their use since they are on campus full-time. To complete the 60 credit hours required for an associate degree, coursework is spread over five eight-week terms and classes are held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
While work goes on around the designated ASAP classroom in the main building in Kokomo, new space is being set aside on the Logansport campus for the 2018-19 cohort and Chaney noted the faculty and staff are looking forward to sharing the ASAP experience there. The move may also be a test of the feasibility of offering ASAP cohorts at both locations in the future.
Chaney said applications for the 2018-19 cohort will be taken through spring and a variety of scholarship support is available to qualifying students. The program is open to high school graduates 21 years old or younger who have a GPA of at least 2.5, a good school attendance record, nominations from two adults (counselors, teachers, ministers, coaches, etc.), and a pledge of room and board from parents or guardians.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for traditional-age, qualified, and motivated students to save a great deal of time and money and get a jump-start on their careers or further education,” Chaney said. “It’s intense; students are encouraged to think of school as a full-time job.”
But, she added, the students benefit from mentoring, guidance and support during the program and from the relationships they build with the other members of their class as they share their successes and overcome challenges together.
“Students leave having not only earned a degree, but with skills that are critical to their future success, like time management and teamwork,” Chaney continued. “Graduates can take their associate degree right into the workforce or transfer their credits to a four-year school. With ASAP, that traditional four-year degree can be completed in three years.”
The ASAP program has a great track record, Chaney noted, with 88 percent of ASAP students in Kokomo earning a degree in one year. ASAP grads from the first two cohorts (classes of 2016 and 2017) are now pursuing bachelor degrees at universities that include Manchester, Ball State, Indiana (in Kokomo and Indianapolis), Purdue Polytechnic, and IPFW (Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne).
For more information on ASAP, students can contact their high school counselor or visit ivytech.edu/ASAP . To learn more about applying, Chaney can be reached at bchaney1@ivytech.edu or 765-252-5525.
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region