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Bill to expand Indiana college credit and degree options heads to governor's desk • Indiana Capital Chronicle

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Bill to expand Indiana college credit and degree options heads to governor's desk • Indiana Capital Chronicle


On its way to the Indiana governor is a broad higher education bill that seeks to make college credits and degrees easier for students to earn. 

Senate Bill 8, authored by Sen. Jean Leising, R-Oldenburg, will require Indiana College Core courses to be more accessible to high schoolers across the state. 

It also compels Hoosier colleges and universities, except Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University, to offer three-year degree programs by July 2025.

The final version of the bill advanced unanimously from both the House and Senate chambers on Thursday.

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Not included in the legislation, however, is a since-deleted provision to allow Indiana’s attorney general to sue state higher education institutions that fail to report any contracts of value with or gifts from foreign “sources” located in foreign adversaries, like China, Iran, North Korea or Russia. That language was moved to another bill. 

Another requirement for the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) to offer all College Core courses online by 2027 was also removed in backdoor negotiations. Instead, the final draft of the bill softened the ask, allowing the state education department to partner with at least one higher education institution to provide online access to those courses by 2025.

The Indiana College Core, a block of 30 general education credits that can be transferred to and accepted at colleges across the state, is one way for students to seamlessly transfer. Through dual credit, roughly 1,800 high schoolers currently earn the Indiana College Core annually.

All Indiana high schools — public and private — are expected to offer the College Core by the 2024-2025 academic year, or submit a report to the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) by Oct. 1 of this year detailing a plan to do so by the 2026-2027 school year.

Any schools that do not plan to offer the College Core will be required to submit a feasibility report to the commission, though it’s not yet clear what details CHE will request in that report.

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Among other provisions in the bill is also the establishment of a statewide reverse transfer policy for Ivy Tech and Vincennes to award associate degrees to eligible current and former students.

Reverse transfer is a relatively recent but increasingly popular policy that gives students a second chance to earn their first college degree. 

The process sees associate degrees awarded to students who transfer from a two-year to a four-year institution prior to completing their associate degree requirements at the two-year institution. Students are able to combine the credits they earn at their four-year school with those they’d previously earned at community college or through dual credit and retroactively be awarded a degree by the two-year college.

Republican lawmakers previously pointed to thousands of community college students who transfer each year to four-year colleges before finishing their associate degree. But many of those students ultimately drop out of college — degree-less and with debt.

To help more Hoosier students earn credentials — and inch the state closer to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s goal of having at least 60% of adult Hoosiers with a quality degree or credential beyond high school by 2025 — Senate Bill 8 mandates reverse transfer.

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Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order

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Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order


The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.

This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.

From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.

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The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.

Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:

  • The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
  • The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
  • The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
  • The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
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The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.



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Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois

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Indiana Baseball Series Preview Against Illinois


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It’s been a rough season for the Indiana baseball team, but the Hoosiers have one more shot to finish the season on a high note against Illinois this week.

Indiana (21-30, 7-20) has lost five straight contests and failed to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament after finishing outside the top 12 in the Big Ten, meaning Saturday’s game against the Illini will be the Hoosiers’ last.

And that may very well be the biggest surprise in all of the Big Ten, considering IU won 33+ games each of the last two years and finished above .500 in Big Ten play each of the last three seasons.

About Indiana

Indiana’s disappointing season is almost over after getting swept by in-state rival Purdue over the weekend. IU has lost four straight Big Ten series and hasn’t won a series in nearly a month.

Regardless of who is playing well and who’s not, don’t be surprised if the majority of the seniors get to play this weekend.

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That probably wouldn’t be the case if Indiana were still able to qualify for the Big Ten Tourney, but with that out of the equation, expect to see the guys who might not ever play another competitive game of baseball get to see the field one last time.

The Hoosiers’ best pitcher is southpaw Tony Neubeck, who leads the team in wins, starts, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Neubeck has recorded back-to-back quality starts and could very well hear his name called in this June’s MLB Draft.

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Offensively, the Hoosiers have proven they can score some runs, and despite getting swept last week, scored 21 runs against Purdue. IU’s top hitter is Jake Hanley, who leads Indiana’s offense in at-bats, hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and walks.

About Illinois

Unlike Indiana, no matter what happens this week for Illinois, the Illini are automatically a lock for the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois might rest some of its everyday players who have played a lot and have some of its top arms on pitch counts, but outside of that, expect the Illini to play this series like it’s their last.

Illinois still has a chance to move up a spot in the Big Ten, and there’s no denying the fact that seeding matters.

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Illinois (27-23, 13-14) has won five in a row but has struggled on the road this season, especially in Big Ten play.

Still, though, Illinois has a couple of solid relievers — Sam Mommer and Sam Reed — and has an ace in Aidan Flinn.

Offensively, the Illini are inconsistent but did manage to score 26 runs in three games against Northwestern and have a couple of power hitters in AJ Putty and Collin Jennings.

Series Schedule

Thursday, May 14th (6 p.m. ET)
Friday, May 15h (6 p.m. ET)
Saturday, May 16th (2 p.m. ET)

All three games are available to watch via the Big Ten Network Plus (BIG+).

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A ‘verbal bouquet’ to Indiana’s health department | OPINION

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A ‘verbal bouquet’ to Indiana’s health department | OPINION


A colleague at lunch recently proclaimed that my columns are negative, critical, lacking in affirming values. He didn’t use all those words, but I cut him short.

OK, this week, I’m offering a verbal bouquet to the Indiana State Department of Health. I’m presuming that was the agency identified in a text to me from my IU Health Care Team containing a “Full Screening Form” from SDOH.

Of course, I don’t recognize any IU Health Care Team. I do have a physician who practices at one of the ever-expanding IU Health facilities. From time-to-time he sends me on excursions through the labyrinth of departments, labs, or orifices of that serpentine organization. But I know no team.

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The “Full Screening Form” from SDOH came in two sections. First I was asked, “In the past year, have you or any family members you live with been unable to get any of the following when it was really needed?” There were five classes of items indicated: Food, Health care or medication, Housing, Transportation for health care or medication, and Utilities.

I presumed I could check any or all of these. But I selected, “No.” An added option was, “I choose not to answer this question.” 

In the second section I was asked, “In the past year, have you been afraid or felt unsafe due to the following?”  Choices: Partner or ex-partner, Family member or caregiver, Where you live. Once again I answered, “No” and was glad to see, “Choose not to answer.”

I was not able to identify my insecurity driving the bombed-pocked streets of my city.

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Here we find our state government expressing concern about our welfare. These are important indicators of well-being and security. Collecting such information, matching with my characteristics which are already on file, and merging those responses into a well-structured, but confidential data base, could provide useful inputs for policy development.

Where did this come from? Is there leftover money from a Biden initiative? Did the Braun administration or the Indiana General Assembly come up with this independently? Is this a state-wide program or just a test exercise to look (excuse the word) progressive?

Whatever the genesis, this is important and noteworthy. Most of us, faced with any of the conditions enumerated, would be hesitant to admit such concerns. But efforts to overcome that reluctance can be beneficial and prevent tragedy. If the data can be used and if useful, are used.

However, if the at-risk population fails to respond, we’re no better off. If the SDOH has no funding to follow-up itself or if local resources are insufficient to do the job, then we’ll know the need and have failed to provide help.

I look forward to the SDOH reporting on the success of this program. If they only notify my doctor of my well-being… I won’t say it. That would be negative.

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Mr. Marcus is a research economist formerly with the Kelley School of Business at IU. Contact him at mortonjmarcus@gmail.com. Listen to Morton with John Guy on the podcast Who Gets What? at mortonjohn.libsyn.com



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