Mooresville Learning Center

Enhancing a relationship with Morgan County that goes back 30 years, Ivy Tech Community College opened a new dedicated Mooresville Learning Center in January 2013. The new facility is part of the rapidly re-developing Southbridge Shops, where Mooresville Movies (see MCBL June 2013 Cover Story) and A1 Japanese Steakhouse both opened within the past year.

Historically, Ivy Tech offered evening classes at Mooresville High School, but the new facility offers several new advantages, both to current students and those considering Ivy Tech as part of their future schooling. “It’s a huge benefit for students to have a local office, staffed by support associates during and after business hours. Now, anyone can call for an appointment or just walk in off the street, and someone will meet with them and discuss their individual educational goals,” said Treg Hopkins, Mooresville Site Manager since the facility opened. “We’re here to guide them through their questions, whether about financial aid, purchasing textbooks, planning the next year’s schedule, or just to introduce our programs to people who haven’t made up their mind or have questions about returning to school after years in the workforce. Advisors for specific needs can schedule a meeting with students at our campus, such as

transfer advisors to guide students seeking degrees beyond the two-year programs we offer.”

Ivy Tech began offering classes through Mooresville High School in 1983. “Our class offerings were confined to the evenings, and our students had to go to other branches for their needs. By opening ourselves up to daytime classes and being available during the day, we’ve seen a huge increase in local enrollment and overall community interest. Ivy Tech’s offerings through the high school finished end-of term December 2012, with no “gap” in service to students. In 2008, Ivy Tech offered 11 classes with a 123 seat count in Morgan County. Now the college offers 26 classes with a 425 seat count. In addition, the college enrolls nearly 1,200 Morgan County residents and graduates in the county have also increased by nearly 80 percent since 2008.”

Treg says the added daytime classes have made a huge impact. “People work different shifts at warehouses and factories, and employers tend to be supportive of their employees continued education. The flexibility of early morning and afternoon classes gives students flexibility they didn’t have before.”

Because of the new facility, Treg says, “we can now offer business classes, a music appreciation humanities course, history classes, and we’ve added an astronomy course for this spring.”