The Iowa Valley Community College District will join the national Community College Month celebration, a month-long education campaign coordinated by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). The primary goals of #CCmonth are to improve awareness of the economic, academic, and equity advantages of attending community colleges, and to challenge longtime stigmas associated with public two-year colleges.
“The past year has proved beyond any doubt that our college is absolutely vital to our community and the state of Iowa,” Dr. Kristie Fisher, Chancellor of the District said. “Community College Month is an opportunity to demonstrate that our community colleges are first-class institutions that are vital to our local and state economies. We hope they are the first choice for students pursuing their next steps academically.”
Public community colleges are a uniquely American educational model that was designed to guarantee access to affordable, high-quality higher education for all people. They play a critical role in providing workforce training and are the primary educators of life-saving nurses and other healthcare professionals among many others. They also serve as an onramp to bachelor’s, master’s, and higher-level degrees for many students, particularly for the most demographically and socioeconomically diverse students. They guarantee fair admissions for all students. They offer support for non-traditional adult students who are balancing college with family or work obligations to support their families. And without community colleges, many American students would not be able to access higher education at all.
“Community colleges are engines of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. “They give opportunities to all students, and they support all students throughout their educations, whether they attend to attain an associate degree or certificate, intend to transfer on for a bachelor’s or higher degree, or they take one or a few courses to learn a new skill or expand their horizons.”
The District will be sharing stories of student and alumni success throughout the month. Follow the social media accounts of each college and look for the #CCMonth hashtag.
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