Last Updated on January 26, 2019 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — Just four months away from graduation for the current ASAP class in Ivy Tech Community College’s Kokomo Service Area, the College has announced the award-winning accelerated degree program will be offered at both its Kokomo and Logansport campuses for the 2019-2020 school year.
Ivy Tech’s ASAP (Associate Accelerated Program) allows qualified and motivated students recently out of high school to complete a “two-year” associate degree in just 11 months and prepares them to transfer to a four-year college to earn their bachelor’s degree. Statewide, the ASAP initiative was recently honored with the 2018 Stan Jones Student Success Award, presented by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education to recognize programs that are working to increase student success and close the completion gap for all students.
For its fifth year in the Kokomo Service Area, which includes Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, and Tipton counties, ASAP will expand to two cohorts, doubling the number of students who can participate.
“After three years on Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Campus, ASAP was moved to the Logansport Campus for the 2018-19 academic year while Kokomo undergoes a $43 million transformation of its facilities and grounds,” said Beth Chaney, ASAP coordinator for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “We are excited to announce the program has proved so successful that we will be offering it at both locations starting in June.”
Chaney said recruitment for the ASAP Class of 2020 is under way and about 25 students have been accepted so far. “We are planning for two cohorts of about 20 students each,” Chaney said. “With the program available at our two biggest locations, students from throughout the area can choose the campus that’s most convenient for them.”
The current class includes 19 students, graduates of Logansport, Maconaquah, Northwestern, and Peru high schools. Of these, two became the first-ever December graduates of the program. Angelica Garcia and Kayla Edmondson completed requirements for Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degrees just six months after graduating from Logansport High School last June.
“We are very proud of Angelica and Kayla,” Chaney said. “Both came into ASAP with a significant number of college credits, thanks to the dual credit program at Logansport High School, and were able to complete their degrees in just three of ASAP’s five eight-week modules. Not only did they complete this work at an accelerated pace; both earned their degrees with honors and achieved membership in Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society during their time at Ivy Tech.”
Angelica has been accepted at Ball State University and Kayla at Indiana University Kokomo. Both will have the financial support of scholarships earned through their Phi Theta Kappa honor when they resume their studies toward bachelor’s degrees this fall.
Chaney said the majority of the other students in the current cohort completed the Statewide Transfer General Educational Core (STGEC) in December, a program that enables a student who satisfactorily completes an approved program of general education at Ivy Tech to transfer that coursework to any other Indiana state institution as a block of 30 credit hours toward the general education core requirements. They are all on track to complete their associate degrees by May.
Since the program began in the Kokomo region, three cohorts, totaling 42 students, have completed work on their associate degree. Chaney notes, “The overall program completion rate is 88 percent, far exceeding typical freshman and sophomore completion rates.” Of those 42 graduates, 100 percent have been accepted into their first choice of transfer institutions.
Students in the ASAP program benefit from a variety of support services, faculty mentoring, enrichment activities, and the experience of building relationships with their classmates as they share successes and overcome challenges together, Chaney said. 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.
At each participating campus, the ASAP cohort has its own designated space – a classroom, computer lab, and lounge dedicated for their use – because they are on campus full-time. Students work with a dedicated ASAP coordinator to help identify academic goals, mapping out a clear path to success. In addition, faculty teams of four teachers per term offer individual attention. Chaney said graduates leave this rigorous program with the skills they need to succeed in further education and the workforce.
In presenting the Stan Jones award to Ivy Tech, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said, “Through its unique and highly effective model of eight-week course block scheduling, high impact learning communities, and innovative student engagement best practices, Ivy Tech’s ASAP program has made a significant impact in statewide completion efforts.”
Chaney said applications for the 2019-20 cohorts will be taken through May 1, unless the classes fill up sooner, 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.”
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