Indiana’s largest public postsecondary institution is getting a statutory overhaul thanks to a new law signed this month updating the mission and governance structure of Ivy Tech Community College.
Lawmakers and Ivy Tech leadership said the changes are meant to ensure the statewide community college system continues preparing Hoosiers with the skills needed for in-demand careers — while keeping the institution closely aligned with Indiana’s broader education and workforce priorities.
The updates also come as state officials continue to scrutinize college degree offerings and push for learners to earn high-value credentials, as early as high school.
The legislation, Senate Enrolled Act 254, passed both chambers of the General Assembly unanimously during the 2026 session and was signed into law March 5 by Gov. Mike Braun. The measure takes effect July 1.
Authored by Sen. Greg Goode, a Republican from Terre Haute, the law rewrites portions of the Indiana Code governing Ivy Tech’s mission, governance structure and campus oversight while formally cementing the college’s role as the state’s “workforce engine.”
“This legislation is the intersection where we can craft public policy in a bipartisan way,” Goode said. “As an organization evolves, we want to make sure that our state statute that supports (Ivy Tech’s) mission continues to evolve, as well.”
State leaders have increasingly pushed schools and colleges to demonstrate how programs lead to real job opportunities for graduates. In recent years, Hoosier education officials have ramped up efforts to better connect high school coursework, college credentials and workforce training with the needs of employers across the state.
“Higher education has taken a lot of hits over the last several years,” Mary Jane Michalak, senior vice president of legal and public affairs for Ivy Tech, told lawmakers earlier this year. “Ivy Tech wants you to know that we are listening to you and that we are being responsive to the needs of the state of Indiana — both employers, as well as our students.”
Changes to Ivy Tech’s mission, governance
Senate Enrolled Act 254 updates Ivy Tech’s statutory mission to explicitly center workforce alignment and employer demand.
Under the new law, the college is directed to serve as “the workforce engine for the state of Indiana by aligning postsecondary academic curriculum with employer needs and ensuring that all academic degree offerings provide a pathway to direct entry into the workforce.”
The statute also formally recognizes Ivy Tech as an open-access institution serving high school students, adult learners and graduates, and adds dual credit and dual enrollment programs to the college’s mission.
Goode said the changes reflect a broader shift in how the state views postsecondary education.
“We’re tweaking some language that calls out general liberal arts and occupational and technical education and training and replacing it with language that emphasizes alignment with workforce and employer demand — no matter what an individual is studying,” he said during a January committee hearing.
Even so, the law preserves the college’s role in preparing students to transfer to four-year universities by ensuring programs maintain “four-year college transferability,” Goode added.
The measure also modernizes the structure of Ivy Tech’s governing boards. Under state law, the college is overseen by a statewide board of trustees with members representing regions across Indiana.
The new legislation expands the expertise lawmakers want represented on that board — specifically calling for members with knowledge or experience in logistics, information technology and life sciences, in addition to existing areas like manufacturing, agriculture, commerce and labor.
At the campus level, the law also updates requirements for local advisory boards. Those boards must include representatives with experience in the same industry sectors and can now include individuals who work for employers operating within the campus service area, even if they do not live there.
The legislation further requires campus boards to conduct detailed analyses of regional workforce needs and recommend academic programs and training pathways designed to meet employer demand. Those boards must also review campus budgets and offer recommendations to campus chancellors about operational efficiencies and program alignment with local economic needs.
Campus boards will additionally have a role in nominating candidates when board vacancies arise. Nominations are made in collaboration with campus chancellors and submitted to the statewide board of trustees, which ultimately fills the position.
Supporters, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, maintain those provisions are intended to strengthen connections between Ivy Tech campuses and the employers they serve.
Michalak noted that Ivy Tech’s statute “hasn’t been touched” since 2016. Before that, the last update was in 2007.
“Ivy Tech has been in existence for over 60 years, and we just want to make sure that our statutory responsibilities are streamlined,” Michalak said. “This is emphasizing the importance of workforce alignment and employer alignment in the state of Indiana.”
“Ivy Tech remains one of the most affordable options for Hoosiers seeking higher education,” she continued. “This is one case where low-cost also equals high-quality.”
Part of a broader education-to-workforce push
State officials and business groups have applauded Ivy Tech for playing a central role in the state’s workforce pipeline.
Ivy Tech is Indiana’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Last year alone, Goode noted, the college served more than 204,000 Hoosiers across every county.
“Half of all the post-secondary credentials in Indiana spanning certificates to associate degrees … are because our community college,” the senator said, adding, too, that 87% of graduates complete programs with no debt. “That is profound.”
Michalak said the demand for the types of credentials the college offers is only expected to grow.
Ivy Tech remains one of the most affordable options for Hoosiers seeking higher education. This is one case where low-cost also equals high-quality.Mary Jane Michalak, senior vice president of legal and public affairs for Ivy Tech
“To meet future needs, Indiana must up-skill or re-skill more than 82,000 Hoosiers each year through credentials and training aligned with employer demand — work that Ivy Tech is poised to do and help deliver statewide,” she said.
Michalak pointed to a 2025 workforce report co-authored by Ivy Tech and partners that found that 69% of job openings in key industry sectors — including health care, advanced manufacturing, logistics and technology — will require education or training beyond high school.
“Senate Bill 254 aims to strengthen Indiana’s education and workforce system and allows our state to continue to invest in institutions that serve a broad cross-section of learners,” Michalak said. “We play a central role in this ecosystem.”
The law further directs the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, IEDC, to develop an “education to employment” research program by Dec. 1. The program will create a framework for analyzing and sharing workforce and education data to inform economic development strategy and labor market planning.
Aligning education with workforce demand
The Ivy Tech changes are part of a broader effort by Indiana leaders to more tightly connect education policy with workforce outcomes.
That included Senate Enrolled Act 199 — signed by Braun earlier this month — which requires state higher education officials to scrutinize and potentially eliminate college degree programs whose graduates consistently earn low wages after graduation.
The measure builds on ongoing program reviews already conducted by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and could ultimately lead to the elimination of degrees that fail to produce strong economic outcomes for students.
At the K-12 level, Indiana education officials separately approved sweeping changes to the state’s high school diploma requirements. The Indiana State Board of Education voted in late 2024 to adopt new graduation pathways designed to place greater emphasis on career readiness, hands-on learning and industry credentials alongside traditional academic coursework.
Schools could opt in and start offering the new diplomas as early as the current 2025-26 academic year. The new diplomas will take effect for all Hoosier students beginning with the Class of 2029.
A new school accountability framework approved by the board earlier this month will help track how K-12 schools are following through.
Ivy Tech leaders said the community college system is already deeply involved in those efforts, particularly through its dual credit partnerships with more than 400 high schools statewide.
“This is all so important because Indiana is undergirding America’s national and economic security, and we are engaged in a global competition,” Goode said. “I love to say this everywhere I go: The free world needs the United States of America, and the United States of America needs the state of Indiana because we are leading in strategic and very important aspects where this competition is occurring.”
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com.
