Community Update: Developments in higher ed bode well for community

Higher education in Vigo County had some major developments this past year that bode well for the future of the schools and the community.

A $30.5 million Lilly Endowment grant for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. New presidents at Indiana State University and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

A promising outlook for a major, and much needed, new building/renovation project at Ivy Tech Terre Haute.

Those are just a few of the highlights.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

A $30.5 million Lilly Endowment grant to Rose-Hulman could be transformational for Terre Haute and the Wabash Valley from an economic development standpoint, according to Robert Coons, institute president.

The grant will launch the Trails to Innovation project, a community innovation hub on the college's south campus across U.S. 40 (former Hulman property).

This project includes the development of Innovation Grove, a new entrepreneurial district designed to foster innovation, collaboration and economic growth in the Wabash Valley and beyond, according to the college.

The project also involves development of a solar farm and a trail that connects the main campus and Innovation Grove with the National Road Heritage Trail and Dobbs Trail.

The Lilly grant and its components will provide many opportunities for Rose-Hulman students and the local community. "I think it could be a real game changer for Terre Haute," Coons said in late August.

Located at Indiana 42 and Indiana 46 near Terre Haute Regional Airport, Innovation Grove will include a new facility for Rose-Hulman Ventures and a new surgical center for hip and knee replacement, a partnership with Union Health and the Indiana Joint Replacement Institute.

Rose Hulman Ventures is a major element, "but the grant also creates some nice opportunities to do some other things," Coons has said. The grant will partially support construction of the new Ventures building.

The total investment is estimated to be $102.3 million. Rose-Hulman and community partners are committing $71.8 million in match funding.

Groundbreaking is anticipated Oct. 3 for both the new Ventures facility and the new surgical center.

As the innovation district grows, it is expected to continue to attract new industries and innovators, creating the opportunity for an innovation corridor along Indiana 42, Coons said.

Rose-Hulman is excited about the opportunities Innovation Grove will create for students and faculty as well as the overall community, Coons said.

In one example, Coons said he hopes that the surgical center next to Ventures "is the first of what we hope could be additional types of medical industry activities that are associated with the innovation district."

It would create opportunities for Rose-Hulman undergraduate biomedical engineering students.

Longer term, part of the vision looks to an innovation corridor along Indiana 641 that connects Rose-Hulman, Ivy Tech and the Vigo County Industrial Park.

Rose Hulman has had preliminary conversations with Entek, which is "very interested in recruiting Rose-Hulman engineers" and in the college's faculty expertise, Coons has said.

Entek is building a $1.7 billion lithium battery separator plant in the industrial park.

The college, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, also reported a record total enrollment of 2,325 students.

Capital projects include completion of renovations to the Root Quad in the center of campus, providing greater accessibility, more green spaces and more artwork.

Other projects include ongoing construction of a new residence hall that will be ready to welcome first-year students in fall 2025; also, the Sports and Recreation Center, constructed in 1997, is undergoing a $5 million expansion.

With the many positive developments on campus, "It's an opportune time for Rose-Hulman to move forward in a significant way," Coons said.

Indiana State University

Indiana State welcomed Michael Godard as its 13th president on May 1. Among his priorities are increasing enrollment and ensuring those students graduate; deepening ties with Terre Haute and surrounding communities and cultivating business/industry partnerships.

While enrollment has been on the decline, he is optimistic about ISU's future.

Increasing enrollment "is my top priority," he said. "It's a major task, but I think we have opportunities. I'm optimistic about those opportunities."

Changes are already underway. "Do I feel good about the changes we're making right now to positively impact our enrollment moving into fall of 2025? Yes — 100%. I feel good about where we are heading."

Among the changes already in place: elimination of the $25 application fee for domestic undergraduate students, and automatic preferred admission to ISU for undergraduate students with a 3.0 GPA or above.

The university will have to take a multi-faceted approach that looks at growth in a number of ways, and not just new freshmen, he said.

The university hopes to expand high-quality programs, strategic program growth to meet workforce needs, increased international enrollment and more online and flexible learning opportunities.

Among the programs where the university sees potential for growth: criminology and the High Tech Crime Unit; education at all levels; engineering; supply chain and operations; and insurance and risk management.

The university also hopes to improve processes related to transfer students, and it hopes to make more headway in providing credit for prior learning that can be used toward a bachelor's degree, Godard said.

ISU and Terre Haute have a strong bond, he said.

Students, faculty, and staff contribute significantly to the local economy and engage in community service, Godard said. "The relationship between Indiana State and Terre Haute is mutually beneficial — when one thrives, so does the other."

Among the developments at ISU this past year:

• Work has begun on a $66 million expansion/renovation of the Bailey College of Engineering and Technology. The project is state funded and will add 25,000 square feet to existing facilities.

The project calls for renovating and expanding the Technology Annex, built in 1980, to modernize space for a Center for Technology, Engineering and Design.

It will be about a two-year project.

• Another project underway is a $9.8 million renovation of the Chestnut Building, former nursing building, to house the Early Childhood Education Center.

The project would provide an updated facility as well as added capacity for high-quality child care benefiting both ISU and the community. Once completed, the ECEC would move from its current location at Farrington and Third streets.

• ISU raised more than $20 million in fiscal year 2024, allowing the university to surpass the $100 million goal for the Be So Bold campaign.

The initial goal was to raise $100 million by June 2025; as of June 30 of this year, the campaign has raised $112,139,981.

Ivy Tech Community College

Ivy Tech Terre Haute has taken a big step forward in its effort to obtain state funding for a new campus renovation and building project.

The Ivy Tech state board of trustees has made it the top capital priority heading into the 2025 General Assembly, a budget-writing year.

The $67 million project would involve a new, two-story building that would house student services and many in-demand educational programs. It would be about 78,000 square feet.

The existing two-story building on the north side of the main campus would undergo an extensive renovation to house health sciences and nursing programs.

If the project is approved, the original 1967 structure (Isaacs building) and the 1985 building (New Technology Center) that faces U.S. 41 would be razed.

The project would be a significant investment in west-central Indiana, "allowing for program enhancements aligned with local industry needs and preparing for growing enrollment in programs critical to our region," said Lea Anne Crooks, Ivy Tech Terre Haute chancellor.

Among other highlights, Ivy Tech:

• Celebrated the wrap-up of its Invest IN Ivy Tech campaign, which raised $12.2 million dollars for student scholarships and support, workforce development and campus enhancements.

• Launched a new strategic plan, Higher Education at the Speed of Life.

• It completed the first year of a new cohort-based scholarship program, Recovery Scholars.

• It exceeded enrollment goals. In addition, enrollment numbers in 2023-24 exceeded those from before the pandemic.

"Ivy Tech Terre Haute is the workforce engine for west-central Indiana, ensuring our local employers have a pipeline of skilled workers," Crooks said.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

In August, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College announced Brennan Randolph as its 17th president and he received a five-year contract.

Randolph, who served as interim president for 13 months, began working at SMWC in 2015 as the vice president for enrollment management.

"SMWC has absolutely celebrated growth in our enrollment in recent years with the addition of high quality academic programs, along with new athletic teams," he said when his appointment was announced.

With the growth, the college has invested significantly in much needed infrastructure and deferred maintenance, but there is more work to do.

The college will consider new partnerships and collaborations "that could provide new pathways to fund projects or to add new facilities," he said.

Also, with over 50 years of experience in online or distance education, SMWC is poised to launch this delivery method in new ways that could open doors to new, sustainable revenue streams in the future, Randolph said.

Other developments:

•Campus enrollment for the fall was 624, the second largest in the college's 184-year history, the Woods stated. Those students represented 24 states and 10 foreign countries, with 60% being student-athletes.

As of early September, the October Woods Online was still enrolling and with graduate students, fall enrollment was expected to top 1,200, the college reported.