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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowSue Ellspermann announced on June 6 that she will step from her post as president of Ivy Tech Community College after a decade leading the state’s largest higher ed institution and the largest singly accredited statewide community college system.
Ellspermann, who intends to serve through June 30, 2025, has helped refocus Ivy Tech to better align its programs and its degrees with the needs of the Indiana workforce and the state’s employers. Under her leadership, an increasing amount of Ivy Tech’s education actually takes place before students even leave high school, boosting the chance that they are prepared for jobs or will move on to additional education when they graduate.
And at a time when the state’s college-going rate has been falling, enrollment at Ivy Tech has been growing. More than 195,000 students attended Ivy Tech classes during the 2023-2024 school year, which is the school’s highest enrollment since 2014.
Ivy Tech is special because it provides an incredibly wide range of opportunities. It’s an affordable way for students to get started toward a degree. Students can earn a two-year degree or transfer to a four-year public or private university under an expanding number of partnerships that promise schools will recognize Ivy Tech credits.
But it’s also a place where students can earn a credential to help them get a job or advance in an existing career. And Ivy Tech partners with advanced manufacturers and other employers to create specialized training programs.
In addition, Ivy Tech is an important part of the conversation when companies—particularly those involved in advanced manufacturing and technology—are choosing where to do business. And this is an area where Ellspermann excels. As a former lieutenant governor and state lawmaker, she understands how to navigate the government side of economic development; as a leader who works with companies to develop training programs and certifications, she knows how to talk to CEOs about addressing workforce needs.
She also serves in key positions outside Ivy Tech. She chairs the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership board and serves on the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, Indiana Chamber, Indy Chamber, Applied Research Institute and more. Her corporate board service includes OneAmerica and German American Bancorp.
This is a long way of saying that Sue Ellspermann will be missed and that the Ivy Tech board will have its hands full finding a worthy replacement.
We hope the board will seek an individual who truly values post-secondary education but understands that can mean different paths—from certifications to four-year degrees, with many options in between. Ivy Tech will continue to need a leader who understands business, government and academia—and can speak the distinct languages of all three.
Ivy Tech is a special place with a special mission. It needs a special leader. It has had that for nearly a decade in Sue Ellspermann. We can’t wait to see who comes next.•
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