It is really rewarding to begin helping a student start in the enrollment process, resolve an issue with financial aid, choose classes, or realize they don’t have to hate math anymore and then see the same student at graduation.
It may be that you haven’t seen Tim Ross since before you were a student, but chances are pretty good that he helped you enroll at Ivy Tech–especially if you used the Express Enrollment Center. Tim is the assistant director of Express Enrollment and Community Outreach, and he can help students nearly each step of the way to get them enrolled at Ivy Tech.
Meet Tim!
Where have students likely seen you around campus?
I spend the majority of my time in the Express Enrollment Center; however, I also work in our Huntington County Community Learning Center office two days each week, I travel to local high schools for mobile enrollment events, and I meet with students on the Coliseum Campus. Additionally, I have met with students to assist them at multiple coffee shops, Krogers, malls, gyms, and a variety of other locations in Fort Wayne.
How would you describe your job?
The words that spring to mind are “chaotic,” “variety,” and “rewarding.” I am involved in multiple processes the directly involve student interaction from initial enrollment through graduation. I can process an application, give someone the Accuplacer, advise students, teach math (although it’s been a while), tutor, help with all facets of financial aid, and process the audit that says a student has met all requirements for graduation. I see my role as one of support, and I am committed to helping students succeed.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
The favorite part of my job is working one-on-one with students! I truly enjoy working with students so much that I often adopt them. I began that in my previous role as the director of TRIO. The best part of being an employee at Ivy Tech is investing time into the success of the students I get to interact with. It is really rewarding to begin helping a student start in the enrollment process, resolve an issue with financial aid, choose classes, or realize they don’t have to hate math anymore and then see the same student at graduation. While many of the tasks I have performed at Ivy Tech are the same, the students are different. Those students are why I keep coming back.
What’s the best book you had to read in college?
My math book. I taught three semesters of math at a point where I had some extra time. I wanted to do well and I actually read the textbook prior to teaching each week. In doing so, I realized that, in all my years of taking classes, K to 12 and beyond, I had never actually read a math book. I always just looked for an example problem that looked like the one I was trying to solve. I found so many exciting things that were helpful by reading the best book I had never read. My advice: Read the whole book!
What’s an Ivy Tech class you’d love to take right now?
Photography. I love taking pictures and have run my own business for many years. Each time I touch a camera or talk with another photographer, I learn something new. I want to continue that growth of knowledge, and I hear we offer an excellent course in photography.
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