INDIANAPOLIS–Ivy Tech Community College today celebrated the grand opening of the college’s new Mooresville location at 204 Southbridge Street.

The new location was made possible by an investment of more than $3 million from the town of Mooresville and Morgan County.  Ivy Tech now occupies the former site of Ace Hardware in the Southbridge Crossing Shopping Center which was renovated to allow the College to offer additional classes, student study and break room space, computer labs and more.  The new location replaces Ivy Tech’s former location in Mooresville High School.

“We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Ivy Tech for many years in our community and are pleased to be able to offer a more visible presence for the college.  The new location provides even greater opportunities for our citizens to further their education or sharpen existing skills.  There’s no doubt that a successful Ivy Tech positively impacts the town of Mooresville and surrounding communities,” said George Watkins, Mooresville Town Council President.

Harold Gutzwiller, President of the Mooresville Redevelopment Commission, added, “This new facility will provide an affordable option for additional Mooresville and area residents to align their skills with those needed in today’s economy by obtaining additional education or honing their existing skills.”

The new facility has a dominant location in the community with easy accessibility from Indiana State Road 67.  The new site will offer just under 10,000 square feet consisting of four state-of-the-art classrooms, two computer labs, a faculty work room and student break room.

Thanks to the Morgan County Commissioners and the Morgan County Council, a new scholarship is also available for Morgan county residents with a total $100,000 in scholarship awards available through 2017.  Students interested in applying or learning more about the scholarship can visit http://www.ivytech.edu/scholarships.  Specific eligibility information is available under the “Central Indiana” drop down.

“Our county recognizes that investing in the education of our citizens is the best value we can find in today’s ever-changing labor market,” said Morgan County Councilman Jeff Quyle added.  “This opportunity to utilize our Economic Development Income Tax revenue to help encourage and assist any resident of the county, fresh out of school or returning to enhance skills, is a wonderful collaborative chance to work with Ivy Tech and Mooresville, and we are happy to be a part of this on-going partnership.  We all will receive dividends from this for years to come.”

Ivy Tech’s enrollment of students living in Morgan County has increased from 543 students in the Fall of 2011 to 1,198 students this Spring semester.

 “We have a strong student base in Morgan County, so it was important for us to provide our students with a state-of-the-art facility and the flexibility to offer both day and evening classes,” said Dr. Kathleen Lee, Chancellor of Ivy Tech’s Central Indiana region. “We are extremely grateful for the support of the Mooresville and Morgan County community to ensure students have greater access to educational opportunities.”

Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder, added, “We applaud the community for their investment in Ivy Tech and more importantly in the investment of education and training for the area residents.  During these difficult financial times there are limited resources to allow for the expansion of the community college. Moving forward partnerships with local communities, including investments from those communities, will be a must in order to locate the community college in additional locations.”

There are still several class options available at the new Mooresville site, with classes beginning in March and May.  To learn more about the steps to enroll at Ivy Tech, visit http://www.ivytech.edu/applynow.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually.  Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.