Pollio settles in at Ivy Tech, wants school to be state workforce engine
Ivy Tech Community College President Marty Pollio envisions the state’s largest postsecondary system to become the centerpiece of workforce development in Indiana . . . and he wants to ensure state leaders recognize that.
Dr. Pollio, who began his tenure in July after retiring as superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, is settling in, learning everything about Ivy Tech and the higher education world, and he recognizes there is a bit of a learning curve, coming from a career in secondary education, moving to postsecondary. There is a lot of overlap, though, and he believes Ivy Tech’s mission aligns with his career-long focus on supporting students who are first-generation, low-income, or in need of wraparound support.
“I want Ivy Tech to be the centerpiece of workforce development in the state of Indiana,” Dr. Pollio tells your favorite education newsletter. “When people think – whether that is students, parents, citizens, legislators – when we say those two words, ‘workforce development,’ I want everyone … to think Ivy Tech first and foremost.”
He details that early conversations with lawmakers, business leaders, and state government leaders make clear that there is momentum around Ivy Tech’s role. “They clearly see Ivy Tech as that workforce engine,” Dr. Pollio asserts, adding that with campuses across the state, the system is uniquely positioned to connect education directly to Indiana’s economic needs.
He doesn’t have many specifics on what he plans to achieve yet – and potentially change – at Ivy Tech, as that will come later after he completes his first 100 days in office. Dr. Pollio has spent much of his first couple of months on the road, visiting the school’s 19 campuses and holding listening sessions with faculty, staff, students, business leaders, and lawmakers.
He describes his leadership style as rooted in presence, passion, and empowering others. “First, it’s without a doubt, being out and about,” Dr. Pollio explains. “Secondly, I lead with passion. I mean, you know, I can say this, they might find someone smarter than me for the job, they might not always agree with my decisions, but there was no one that they’ll find that is more passionate for the mission of this work than I am.”
Some of Dr. Pollio’s early priorities he expressed to use include expanding career pathways and addressing bottlenecks, such as almost 2,000 nursing students on waiting lists, a profession in strong demand by employers.
“As I look into that and other areas, you know, how do we get those students, more of those students into Ivy Tech who have a dream of being a nurse or something in the health care sciences that we just don’t have seats for right now?” Dr. Pollio details. “We have open and vacant positions across the state.”
Coming from the K-12 space, where he focused a lot of work into building career pathways for JCPS students, Dr. Pollio has enthusiasm for doing the same in Indiana, as the state tries to focus more on helping high school students transition into their desired career pathways.
“I believe that Ivy Tech can be the vehicle that provides those dual credit hours and those certifications for kids, and then we want to be the next step in the journey for our students,” Dr. Pollio asserts. “We want to be a first choice here at Ivy Tech, where students get dual credit here and they stay here for two years.” He adds that he believes degrees are part of the workforce development umbrella, not two separate priorities.
Last year, former president Sue Ellspermann presented arguments to state lawmakers during budget presentations that Ivy Tech needs more state resources for upkeep on the buildings across its 19 campuses – some of which are in good shape and some that are in need of millions of dollars’ worth of improvement.
Dr. Pollio agrees that facilities need to match the quality of instruction, and he brings experience from his time at JCPS, dealing with crumbling infrastructure there.
“First and foremost is the symbolism for students and their pride that they take in the college when they have beautiful facilities. But second of all, I think research is clear when they look at learning, whether it’s K-12 or post-secondary, natural light is an important part of the learning experience, the right type of lighting, the right type of HVAC,” Dr. Pollio asserts.
He points to new investments such as the nursing simulation lab at Ivy Tech’s Marion campus as examples of how modern spaces support student success. “If I were wanting to be a nursing student, and I walked into that beautiful simulation lab … I would say this is where I want to go,” he explains.
There’s also the question of how important facilities are to colleges when so many students are also earning degrees online today – a point that was brought up by some majority lawmakers during university budget presentations this year.
While Ivy Tech has embraced online learning, Dr. Pollio stresses that in-person instruction and hands-on workforce training remain essential. “There’s only so much nursing that you can teach online. You have to be in that simulation lab to do these things,” he explains, as an example.
Dr. Pollio also acknowledges the pressures facing higher education, noting state budget cuts and general increased scrutiny. Ivy Tech, like the rest of the state’s public colleges and universities, faced cuts from the General Assembly in the latest budget. Each institution will see a total of 15% trimmed back from their state appropriations over the biennium – between a five percent cut in FY2026 and a provision requiring the withholding of an additional five percent each year. On top of that, Governor Mike Braun (R) asked all institutions to freeze tuition and mandatory fees over the next two years as well.
Ivy Tech’s board passed a balanced budget this year, but not without some tough cuts, all of which were completed by Dr. Ellspermann in her final months in office. Dr. Pollio expressed gratitude to her for making those decisions, despite being on her way out. “It could have easily been, ‘I’ll leave these decisions on next year’s budget to the new guy.’ She did not. She made those tough budget decisions.”
The college is laying off 202 employees statewide to address a $54 million shortfall over two years. Dr. Ellspermann, herself a former state lawmaker who served on the House Committee on Ways and Means, pointed to the state cuts and tuition freeze pressure as a reason driving the layoffs. Ivy Tech employs no tenured faculty, allowing it to adjust staffing levels more flexibly as enrollment and industry needs change. The college has also previously eliminated certain student fees, costing it more than $9 million annually in lost revenue.
Still, Dr. Pollio believes Ivy Tech’s reach – with 94% of students from Indiana and three percent of the state’s total population taking courses last year – makes it critical for lawmakers to support. “These are Hoosiers who are in workforce development, who are trying to better their lives,” he notes.
Going forward, Dr. Pollio tells us he intends to fight for Ivy Tech in the next state budgeting process, hoping to see funding increases in the future.
“I will make passionate pleas with legislators that, yes, I understand their need for a balanced budget during tough budget times, tough decisions have to be made, but Ivy Tech is going to be the engine of workforce in this state this year, next year, probably five and 10 years from now,” Dr. Pollio asserts. “I would really encourage our legislators to invest in that so that we can continue to grow and get better as an institution.”
Come from living in Kentucky for the last nearly two decades, where the state community college systems are not as highly regarded by residents, Dr. Pollio praises Ivy Tech’s strong statewide brand and the pride of its faculty, staff, and students. Part of his job, he says, will be to “amplify” Ivy Tech’s role as not only a workforce driver, but also a first choice for Indiana high school graduates seeking affordability and student support.
“I’ve been blown away by the amount of supports our campuses give to students that just aren’t there at four-year schools,” Dr. Pollio asserts. “I think families need to start seeing Ivy Tech more as that first choice.”
Once Dr. Pollio reaches his first 100 days, he plans to issue a report detailing what he’s learned and his plans for Ivy Tech, strategically, going forward. This will lead into the launch of the college’s new strategic plan next summer.