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Dr. Sue Ellspermann, the ninth president of Ivy Tech Community College, will retire in June 2025 at the end of her current contract. She joined the College in 2016 after serving as Indiana’s fiftieth Lieutenant Governor.
The Ivy Tech State Board of Trustees will begin a nationwide search for Ivy Tech’s tenth president this fall. Please check back for more information about the search process and timeline as it becomes available.
About Ivy Tech
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's workforce engine and its largest postsecondary institution. Founded in 1963, Ivy Tech is the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system, with 45 locations – including 19 campuses – throughout Indiana. In academic year 2023-2024, more than 195,000 Ivy Tech students pursued associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of their communities. The College is the state’s and nation’s leading provider of college credit to high school students and provides seamless transfer to other colleges and universities
Q&A
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Dr. Ellspermann’s contract with Ivy Tech ends in June 2025. She elected not to renew her contract after nearly a decade of dedicated service and leadership to the College. She looks forward to a well-deserved retirement after more than 40 years in the workforce.
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No. Dr. Ellspermann will continue to serve as president of Ivy Tech Community College through the end of her contract in June 2025. The State Board anticipates the new president will begin on or before July 1, 2025.
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Dr. Ellspermann will step down as of June 30, 2025, when her contract expires.
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Ivy Tech has launched a national search for the College’s 10th president. The Ivy Tech State Board of Trustees has hired national executive search firm Isaacson, Miller to recruit highly qualified candidates who demonstrate the leadership, experience, and vision needed to advance the mission of Ivy Tech. The College will seek input from stakeholders during listening sessions in October to ensure the process reflects the needs and aspirations of the College. TPMA will facilitate these discussions. Please see below for the search timeline (subject to change).
Search Timeline (Subject to Change)
- June - August 2024: Form Search Committee
- October 2024: Hire Search Firm
- October 2024: Conduct Listening Sessions
- November – January 2025: Post/ Publicize Position
- January – March 2025: Interviews
- Spring 2025: Announce New President
- On or Before July 1, 2025 – New President Starts
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The Presidential Search Committee is responsible for the initial vetting of candidates through the review of applications and initial interviews. The Presidential Search Committee will recommend candidates for the State Board of Trustee’s consideration. The State Board of Trustees is responsible for selecting and appointing the next President.
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In October 2024, Ivy Tech announced the formation of a Presidential Search Committee composed of representatives from the State Board of Trustees and a faculty member. The individuals serving on the search committee include:
- Andrew Wilson, State Trustee, Chair and Co-Chair of the Search Committee, Evansville
- Kim Emmert-O’Dell, State Trustee, Vice Chair and Co-Chair of the Search Committee, Terre Haute; Emmert-O’Dell also serves as a member of the Ivy Tech Foundation Board.
- Marianne Glick, State Trustee, At-Large
- Kerry Stemler, State Trustee, Sellersburg
- Michael Dora, State Trustee Secretary, Richmond
- Autumn McNichols, Faculty Member, Hamilton County
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Dr. Ellspermann will continue to serve the College as president through the remainder of her contract (June 2025), and a new president will take over on or before July 1, 2025. We expect operations and key initiatives to be seamless and maintain current momentum.
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Under Dr. Ellspermann’s leadership, Ivy Tech aligned its more than 70 academic programs and skills training credentials to state, regional and workforce needs. She led the restructure of the College to include 19 campuses and 26 locations across the state. Dr. Ellspermann championed the vision for Higher Education at the Speed of Life, the College’s 2023-2025 strategic plan that calls on Ivy Tech to increase enrollment to 190,000 students annually, increase annual completions to 50,000, increase student retention by 5% and ensure that 60% of all Ivy Tech graduates are earning above Indiana’s median wage by 2025.
Other notable achievements include:
- Gained NACEP accreditation and now the largest in the nation with over 90,000 high school students earning college credit and credentials while in high school.
- Grew the associate degree in Nursing program by more than 600 seats to the largest in the nation with a plan to exceed 2000 graduates per year by 2028.
- Scaled Ivy Online, one of the nation’s largest online programs, ensuring Ivy Tech students have access to world class online learning to augment in-person, virtual, hybrid, and Learn Anywhere modalities.
- Launched Ivy+ Tuition and Textbooks, an inclusive, first day model, which saves students money and improves course success rates.
- Scaled Ivy+ Career Link, transformational career services scaled on all campuses to include career coaching, work-and-learn opportunities, placement, and employer supports.
- Launched the nation’s first Industry 4.0 associate degree aligned to Indiana’s largest industry and most manufacturing intensive in the nation.
- Received S&P and Fitch bond rating upgrades to their highest in history and demonstrating Ivy Tech’s fiscal health.
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Dr. Ellspermann serves on a number of corporate and nonprofit boards and will continue to support their governance in her retirement. She also looks forward to spending more time with friends and family, including husband Jim Mehling and her four daughters, three sons-in-law and nine grandchildren.