About Community Colleges

Iowa's community colleges are governed by locally elected boards of directors that consist of from five to nine members who are elected for terms of three years. Each community college offers a comprehensive educational program. All Iowans of postsecondary school age are eligible to attend any of the community colleges. Community colleges also offer special programs for students who attend local secondary schools.

• On this page...

• Iowa Community Colleges
• Detailed Map of Iowa Community Colleges
• Areas of Instruction
• Educational Programs & Opportunities

All community colleges comply with approval standards adopted by the State Board of Education. Additional information on individual community colleges may be obtained by communicating directly with the appropriate office in the college.

Iowa Community Colleges

The Directory of Iowa Community Colleges is published annually to provide a convenient source of contact information for administrative staff at Iowa's 15 community colleges.

2008 Directory of Iowa Community Colleges - revised 2-29-08

Community College	President/Chancellor
Northeast Iowa Community College	Dr. Penelope H. Wills, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
North Iowa Area Community College	Dr. Debra Derr, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Iowa Lakes Community College	Ms. Valerie Newhouse, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Northwest Iowa Community College	Dr. William G. Giddings, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Iowa Central Community College	Dr. Dan Kinney This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Iowa Valley Community College District	Dr. Christopher Duree, Acting Chancellor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Hawkeye Community College	Dr. Greg R. Schmitz, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Eastern Iowa Community College District	Dr. Patricia Keir, Chancellor This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Kirkwood Community College	Dr. Mick Starcevich, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Des Moines Area Community College	Dr. Robert J. Denson, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Western Iowa Tech Community College	Dr. Robert E. Dunker, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Iowa Western Community College	Dr. Dan Kinney, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Southwestern Community College	Dr. Barbara J. Crittenden, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Indian Hills Community College	Dr. Jim Lindenmayer, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Southeastern Community College	Dr. Beverly Simone, President This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Areas of Instruction

Iowa's community colleges offer programs in three major areas of instruction - adult education, career programs of vocational and technical education and college parallel.

Through adult education, the community colleges provide part-time programs for adult students. These programs include: adult basic education programs for adults who have less than an eighth grade education; high school completion programs leading to adult high school diplomas and high school equivalency diploma; supplementary career programs of vocational and technical education for upgrading the skills of employed Iowans; and continuing education programs for adults who desire instruction to meet pre-occupational training needs, avocational and recreational interests, or other needs.

The preparatory career programs of vocational and technical education provide preparation for immediate employment in a wide variety of careers. Those training programs ordinarily require full-time instruction of four weeks to two years. Many of these programs are cooperative programs which provide classroom instruction in conjunction with paid employment experience related to the career preparation, and many are available on a part-time basis.

The college parallel program provides arts and sciences courses that may be transferred to other colleges and universities as the equivalent of the first two years of a four-year baccalaureate program. Included in college parallel are some programs that also provide preparation for entry level employment through career option programs.

Educational Programs and Opportunities

Many unique educational programs and opportunities are also offered by the community colleges. These include programs available in two-year institutions in adjacent states through tuition reciprocity agreements; programs for incarcerated individuals in correctional facilities; evaluation and assessment centers; developmental education programs and services for underprepared students; special programs for the disabled, including sheltered workshops; customized training programs for business and industry; incubation centers to assist the development of small businesses; and the administration of service delivery areas for the Federal Job Training Partnership Act ( JTPA ).

2006 Community Colleges of Iowa Poster
The Community Colleges of Iowa Program Brochure lists all of the arts and sciences, career option, and career/technical programs offered by the 15 community colleges. The colleges are indicated by number on the brochure. The number code for each college is given on the bottom of page 1 of the brochure. This information has also been broken down by career clusters and by community colleges here. For detailed program information, contact the indicated community college.