Ivy Tech’s Explosive Growth with Dr. Rachel Kartz

In this episode of the OneZone Chamber of Commerce podcast, President Jack Russell sits down with Dr. Rachel Kartz, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Hamilton County. Dr. Kartz shares her inspiring personal journey as a first-generation college graduate turned higher education leader and reveals how the Hamilton County campus expanded from serving 1,000 students annually to over 10,000. The conversation dives into the college's dual mission of career readiness and transfer pathways, its focus on critical workforce needs like healthcare and advanced manufacturing, and the intentional design behind creating a vibrant, student-centered campus environment. Dr. Kartz also offers valuable advice for anyone looking to make a career change or take their first steps into higher education.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hi, everybody. Jack Russell, president of OneZone. Welcome to the OneZone podcast. My guest today, Dr. Karts, Chancellor of Ivy Tech Hamilton County. Good morning. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Good morning. I'm good. How are you? I'm good.

SPEAKER_01 0:16

Welcome to the podcast, our studio. We welcome our mayors uh once a month. We've got business leaders, we've had state officials. And so one of our greatest assets in all of our communities is our education and our schools. And I thought, what better way to have you on our podcast to talk about Ivy Tech? Because it is a gem that people need to know about in Hamilton County.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

So thank you for having me. Of course.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

So for our podcast today, I thought first we'd talk about you.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

And then we would dive into Ivy Tech. I think that was kind of my goal today. So when we talk about you, you and I have had this conversation. You've done the state of Ivy Tech for us and different things like that. Um, number one, what I think is amazing about you, first in your family to go to college, which I think is amazing. But let's talk a little about your story and what led you to coming to Hamilton County.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

I would love that. Yeah. Um so it wasn't a straight path. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I definitely didn't know like that a chancellor was a job that you could have when I was a child. And as a chamber person, I completely weren't like, I want to be a chamber president when you're eight years old.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Um, so I really like I really took a winding path. And I think where it all started is when I was in getting my undergraduate, um, I I I have a business degree.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

And I filled up all of my business electives with classes that I liked, which should be telling. Yeah. Right. Like if every class in your major you're not really enjoying, you probably shouldn't be getting that degree. Yeah. Um, so I in all of my classes were in writing in in literature. Um, and it started with a professor who just encouraged me to go on and get a master's in writing. Yeah. And as part of that master's, I um had a teaching assistantship. And that's where I fell. That's awesome. Yeah. So I fell in love with teaching, um teaching writing. And I thought that's what I would do forever. Yeah. Um, and I did it for a little bit. But when we moved here to Indiana, my husband's a Hoosier, which is what brought us here. There you go. Um, I um then became head of the head of the department and then dean and then vice chancellor. None of these were like things that I was necessarily looking to do. Um, and so the pivotal moment for coming to Hamilton County was when the campus became a uh a campus. So it was a site off of Indianapolis, and that's where I was at IB Tech. I was working as a dean. And the opportunity to start programs from the ground up was one that I could not let pass up. And so I came to the campus as a vice chancellor for academic affairs. Um, and then when our inaugural chancellor, Stacey Atkinson, oh yes, um, she was promoted to a as chancellor of the Indianapolis campus. I just was like, well, if it's not me, who, you know, who is it gonna be? And that's kind of how I fell where I am, and I'm I'm really loving it.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

I love that. I love that. Yeah. My my joke with Stacy is that I think she announced that they made the announcement she was chancellor, and I was probably the first phone call to join the board, our board of directors. And then that was probably about the same for you as when I heard you became I was like, hey, by the way, this is one zone, and you're on our board.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

You were my first meeting. Um, it was like probably the next day. We did not go to um your favorite restaurant, but we yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

We did, we did meet here, but I I remember that. And I think for me, what was so important was from a board, chambers are so traditional in the sense that, and I don't mean this in a bad way, but we're really good at like having board members at our banks and hospitals. And I always felt like we needed to challenge ourselves, and what better way than to bring literally a college that is in our in our community to have you at the table to be able to have that vision for businesses. And so that is why I was I am the way I am. Yeah, but but uh but it's been fun, and that's why I've enjoyed having you on the board. But um I think that's powerful because I think what you've been able to, and we'll talk about a little bit more, but what how it's grown and how it's grown so quickly, and I think how the community and how it seems to me like how the students have embraced it truly being a campus, and I think that's that is super powerful. Now, before we go to Ivy Tech, um so I know you love when when I know you love when I bring these things up, but you did win an award, Trailblazer in Higher Education. Um for those that don't know, Trailblazer and Higher Education, what is that? And then what does that mean to you? Because not everybody loves to talk about how they get an award, but you get an award because of the things you do and how people notice the things you do. And it is special. So I'd love for you to talk about that before.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

No, I don't, I don't love the spot. I know you don't love the spotlight. Um I so I was completely blindsided by that um email. When I got the email, I thought it was um, I thought it was spia. And I ignored it until like until somebody followed up with me again. Um and then um I yeah, so it it is um uh an award from uh um an academic publication. Yeah. Um and you are it's nomination based. So somebody nominated me. Um, but what I I think the way that I try to look at the award um is really like my role is to be the face of the campus. And the award really is for the campus. Um so our our campus is doing things that I think are at kind of at the forefront of um what a community college could be doing. And um so I I'm happy to accept the award on behalf of the team. Yeah, but uh I wouldn't be able to do what we do without the team. And a lot of times what we do, the ideas come from the team. Um so it's I I think it's a recognition of the success of our campus.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

I love it. And that's what leads me to my next part, which is, you know, um, since you've joined Ivy Tech Hamilton County, it has grown a lot. Um and I'd love for you to talk a little bit about how I don't think I don't think people realize how much it's grown over those years. And I think that would be important. But um I would also love for you to chat a little bit about what for those that are listening, what would surprise them about the campus? I can think of a couple of things off the top of my head, but like the things that are going on in the building, whether that like secretly me, I don't want to steal your thunder, but like the nursing program and things like that. Like those are awesome. But like number one, how quickly it's grown. And number two, you know, what are some things that for people that see the building and they just see the exterior, there's so many great things that are going on inside of it. What would surprise them?

SPEAKER_00 7:03

Yeah, I love that. And I'm curious to hear what yours are when I'm done. But um, so when we became a full service campus in 2021, we were serving about um a thousand students a year up until that point. Um, so I whenever I talk about the campus, I have to talk about our our origin story. Yeah, 100%. Because it uh we became a low where we are at 300 North 17th, because uh Senator Luke Kinley, the commissioners, um, the city, um, the county council, like so many people wanted to have an Ivy Tuck in that location, um, that that is why we are where we are. So for the first uh several years, we were a site off of the Indianapolis campus, which meant that um Indianapolis at that time, their their kind of area of service was Marion and all of the donut counties. And so during that time, just offering classes, not necessarily offering full degree programs and really looking at that broader central Indiana. What does central Indiana need? Um, we were serving about a thousand students a year. Did this last academic year, 25-26, we served um 10,127. I only know that because I just had a board meeting and I had to report my numbers. Um, so we've I mean, that's unbelievable. We've grown a lot. Um and part of it is it it is because my team. Like I don't want anyone to think this is like a it, if you build it, they will come. Like you have to build something really great and they will come. But what I think those numbers show is how right our um those who really wanted the Ivy and Ivy Tech in Hamilton County were um, that there's so much workforce need. There's so much desire from students in our community. Um, whether it's to take class, some of them just come back and take classes. They're at other four-year schools in the state, but when they come home over the summer, they're taking a class. Um, some of them are getting full degrees. So I I think um I think those numbers really just show how how correct our um the original um people who brought us here were. Um, what would surprise them? I think our programming. Yeah. So, and and I think this is true maybe in a lot of pockets in Indiana. So our we we started as a vocational school and we do that. We have a building construction program, we have a welding program, um, we have our health sciences program, but Ivy Tech is also a strong transfer option. And um, so we offer over 30 programs, and our students either go it directly into the workforce or they transfer on to another institution and get their bachelor's or their masters. Um, and so we we have kind of a dual mission there.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Yeah. Yeah. And my wife is one of them who as you got to meet her. Yes, my wife is one of them who spent uh her first year to, I think it was like a year or two with Ivy Tech and then transferred over to IU. But yes, it's one of her favorite uh things that she ever did. And uh and it also in in one of the things I have to tell you too is you know, most student loans we're paying are my student loans. Right. And and because she took the time to say, hey, what do I want to do? How do I want to invest my time and energy? And she loved her time at Ivy Tech, and she was doing the Indianapolis campus at the time. But she loved doing that. And so I was excited that you got to meet her and she was like, Oh yeah, I went to school there, and this is what I did. So I love that. But and I would tell you, I think for me, uh, we just did our leadership institute at your campus, and I think one of the things even for somebody that's in the know to see being there in the morning and like and seeing students. Like we take that for granted. Like we have this asset in our backyard, and it was so fun to sit there as I'm directing my people to go upstairs. Uh, it's fun to watch students come in, like they got their book bag and they're going to class. And I'm like, oh, like there's there's I know it sounds silly, but like you just look at the building, there's there's so many students walking in that building each and every day. And it was just they're they're in some of them were in groups, and then all of a sudden they're they're down um down in your in the like the little area down um, you know, I'm talking about where you walk down the stairs. The common the common area and and they're studying together and they're working together. I'm like, oh, this is when you say campus, it is, it is a campus. I feel so I guess for me, as I was just sitting there for like 30 minutes in the in your in the lobby area, it was so fun to see education. Like these two are working on a project and they're like prepping and getting ready. And I'm like, yeah, this is this is right here. So uh that's I know it sounds silly, like I know you have great programs, but also that environment of education, you can feel it, and and it was fun to be able to like watch and see how people are just starting their mornings and getting ready for class. And I'm like, wow, this is happening right here. And you 10,000 are happening right here. And I think that's super cool.

SPEAKER_00 12:09

So I love that you bring that up because we've been very intentional over the last five years to try to make be it's been requested by students. They want the campus to feel like a college campus, they want it to be a space that they spend time in. And so we've been over the last five years making spaces where are there they are their spaces to do the studying, to hang out with each other so that they have somewhere to go between classes. And and we're seeing that as well, where more hanging out.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

You were doing it because I saw it all morning. And even when I left, it was even busier because I was there a little early. So it was even busier when I left. And I thought, this is this is it. Like this is what you I mean, I'm sure that's what you guys envisioned as you guys were growing, was and I think you and I know it's not one of my questions, but and you guys do a really I think you guys do a great job of listening to your students. What are your needs? What are your wants? How can we support your education? I saw that at when we did State of Ivy Tech, but also I could feel it when I was there is that these students feel like they have different areas of the building that are theirs. And I think that's intentional, and obviously it is. Yeah. So I just wanted to say kudos to you for that. Thank you. Um so on the business side, obviously being a one-zone podcast, what are you hearing today from employees or employers in Hamilton County? And um you know, how does that relationship with our business community work? And how are we helping with those needs and the and wants? And I think that's um something that you've done a great job. I think there's a lot of partnerships that we're I think people will be shocked how many people are working on this and trying how many times we collaborate and partner together. But from an Ivy Tech standpoint, looking at it, you know, what are you hearing? And then how are you in your campus being able to tackle some of those issues? Because workforces doesn't matter where you are, everyone's talking about it.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

So there's there's definitely a specific a need for specific um skills. So the one right now that we're trying to solve for is medical imaging. Okay. We don't have a we don't have a medical imaging program at our campus. Um it's if you talk to our healthcare partners, they they start with nursing and then the second is medical imaging. There's also a lot of student high school students who are interested in going to imaging. They want to go into healthcare, but they don't necessarily want to go the nurse route. Um, so and and then also in manufacturing, there's a variety of manufacturing skills. But I think the commonality across all industries is um and is planning for now, but then also how quickly everything is changing in all of the industries with technology um is that ability to pivot. And so what's really interesting when I started teaching, now I told you I start I fell in love with higher ed because I started teaching, and that was oh 20 years ago. Um, but the same skills are what are the highlights across all industries today, which is um communication, yeah, um, the ability to pivot, the ability to problem solve, or um the like flexibility. Um and so what we try to do is bring that into the classroom. Um we do a lot of hands-on, even in the tr in trades and healthcare, obviously that's hands-on, but in all of our programs, real world, as much as we can get them like it on real world um projects, they are learning that teamwork, collaboration, all of those skills that you need no matter where you are. Um, that is I was meeting with an industry um uh somebody who just moved to Noblesville. And they they're thinking, what what are their needs right now? They just moved here, but also they know that they're working on this technology to kind of automate. So in five years, what they're hiring for now, they already know they're probably not going to need. And so they're also thinking, like, how do we find people that we can then kind of um move into a different role with our organization? And and so we talk a lot to students about that too. Like we're we're training you for your first job, but we're also setting you up to it if you desire to advance into other jobs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

I think that's that's huge because I and I and I'm sure you've seen it over the course of time how education has changed over the years. I even think about like these high school kids. We had uh Dr. Mundy and Dr. Irwood yesterday at our State of the Towns, and they even talked about how like these eighth graders have to kind of figure out where they're gonna go and what they want to do. And I kind of was laughing because I'm trying to think of myself in eighth grade.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

No, what I was worried.

SPEAKER_01 17:02

I had not and as a by the way, as a general studies degree, I still didn't know what I wanted to do. So I wish I would have had a lot of those resources in high school. Um, and even probably eighth grader probably needed them. But but you look at that, how much it's evolved. And so I uh the things that you guys are teaching are skills that um even if somebody that's a small organization that's hiring people, it is a difficult communication, writing, um stuff that is not always in the book is is those those skill sets of how to communicate with other external people that you're trying to communicate with, how to com communicate internally as a team. Um again, I'm a we're a team of six and we still have, you know, especially young talent that comes in, how do we train them and teach that how to write an email? Like I know that sounds silly, but like there that's just not a that's not a college class, right? Like in the in my like how to write an email 101. Like so when you don't address the person at the beginning and you say, Hey, blah, blah, blah, well, maybe we should address them as hi, such and such, this is blah, blah, blah. Yeah. Like, yeah. And those skills, they just it's not their fault sometimes. It's just that they never had it's either you know 140 characters or or they've they've they've texted it. So I I say that jokingly because but uh it is skills that they need to learn. And I appreciate you guys do that because even for some that's what I hear a lot is they can do if I can find somebody that has X skills, I can teach them the job.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

Um, I hear that a lot. Is if I have if they have these uh skills and and meaning the writing or the communication or um even some of the soft skills of showing up and you know, doing things, I can teach them the other things. And I think um being able to collaborate from a business standpoint, and I think our business community is pretty loud sometimes of this is what they want, but I think you guys do a good job of of doing that. And I think we have to because you guys have the talent, and I think the businesses are uh fighting every day for that talent. Yeah, and uh that's huge. So um so when we talk about um looking ahead in the future, as you as you look ahead, Hamilton County consistently is uh the best place to live, the best place to well, Carmel and Fisher's are the number one and number two, uh but I don't want to brag or anything, but but um we look ahead and uh we're in a growing community, continues to grow. Um I think Westfield just announced after their special census they've grown 39%. I mean that's the they're the sixth fastest growing community, and and they probably higher now, but sixth fastest growing community. How do how does Ivy Tech prepare for that? How are you guys looking ahead as well because of being in Hamilton County but knowing that it the potential is just uh astronomical? It's just always gonna be there. So how do you guys prepare for that?

SPEAKER_00 19:48

So we do we have an academic and workforce plan um where we look at uh workforce data trends and we kind of overlay that with what what we can do right now as a campus and what might we need to do as we um as we as the tr we move into the future. And that goes about five years out, but we update it every year. Um so when we when we started the campus in in 21, we had our plan. And then when we looked at it the next year, we were like, well, yeah, we grew way faster than we thought we were. Right. So we're we're constantly looking at that. Um right now, so I talked about the student spaces in the building. I'm also we're really trying to build out our academic programming, even the programs that we have. I think we talked about that adaptability with the students. And I I want all of our uh learning spaces to have that same adaptability. So we need to build we need to build programs to serve the needs right now, but we also need to be able to switch out the equipment or the types of training that it it is happening in each of our spaces, depending on what the needs are. And so kind of building a flex lab, if you will, for every program is my is my big dream. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 21:09

I love that. Yeah, it like I said, I think a lot of us that serve Hamilton County, that is always top of mind is how do we how do we adapt to the changing world that we live in? Because every year it's just every year we're we get an accolade. And I always joke, Mayor Fink and I talked about this. Being the number one city to live, we just kind of look at that and go, hey, awesome, and we kind of move on. There are people that are literally Googling, where should I live? Where should I go? And they're all finding that they're you know, and and Mayor Fink and I talked about this on her podcast, they're not all gonna live in Carmel. They're gonna live in they may live in Fishers, Noblesville, Westfield, Northern Hamilton County. But as long as we can get them here, and typically even our mayors will say that if if I can get a company here and they see what we have, nine times out of ten, I can sell our communities. And but but you play a pivotal role in that is that now you know the the old model of economic development was we build the building and then we're gonna find the people and we want a thousand jobs and do this. Now the job numbers are less, the the wages are gonna be higher, and then they're asking economic development, okay, well, what's your workforce look like? And what do you have? And so having you in our backyard, that is something we didn't have for a long time. Um, pre-2021, even you know, pre-2021, there was no opportunity to say, hey, we have higher ed and this is what it looks like. And so I think that's helped change the model for economic development, for you guys having you guys right here in Hamilton County, because now we have that data and we can show, like you just talked about here's what we have today and here's what the future looks like. And I think that's a powerful thing. So um, my last question for you uh what is one piece of advice you'd give someone who is considering taking that first step towards college um or a career change? And obviously Ivy Tech, they should go, they you know, talk to you guys. But but what does that look like for you guys and what something like that?

SPEAKER_00 23:00

I re recommend, and honestly, this is something that would have been really hard for me when I was younger. Um, but I I think if if this is uncomfortable, you need to do it anyway. Yeah, yeah um, is to talk to people and to talk to people that are outside of whatever network you're already in. Um so most people are willing to sit down and talk in they want to talk to the next group of people that are interested in coming in. So if you can find um somebody and and if you can't find anybody on your own, we would we're happy to connect um people, but to to learn about the job before you get into the job. Um and so um reaching out to people, asking them if they would do a job shadow with you or an informational interview, um, and finding and just finding people to ask questions. I think a lot of times we imagine what a career looks like. Um, and then yeah, and the classic story is like the student that wants to be a nurse, but then they realize they don't like they're not fond of blood. Yeah, yeah. Um, but you know, so kind of trying to explore those before you step into a training program or you come to Ivy Tech or you go somewhere else would be my advice.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Well, Dr. Karts, thank you so much for being on our podcast. We truly appreciate it. And thank you for all you do. Um, because I I I am a I'm just such a strong advocate for the work that you guys do each and every day. Um, because it's I and that's why I was excited to have you on the podcast because uh I want people to know that we have this gym that is doing amazing things right here in our own backyard.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Thank you. I appreciate you.