(Spring 2022 Purple & White Article)
After two years of seeking a partnership, Iowa Wesleyan University entered into the Southeast Iowa Higher Education Alliance (SIHEA) with Southeastern Community College (SCC) in early 2021. Since then, both institutions have been working to serve the region in various ways through the Alliance. Community development, increasing visibility of both institutions, and generating more significant funding for programs and support systems have been undertaken by the Alliance.
Community Development
Since the formation of SIHEA, the two institutions under the Alliance have worked diligently to expand the educational opportunities within Southeast Iowa. In particular, a newly recognized need to support our local communities in new ways has led the Alliance to enhance its efforts in Keokuk, Iowa.
“Much of my focus on the Alliance over the past few months has been on regional economic development,” noted Derek Zander, Vice President for Advancement and Athletics. “With help from Board Member Christie Vilsack, L.H.D. ’99, we were able to line up a community meeting in Keokuk with many of the city’s leaders, including representatives from the school system, YMCA, library, daycare, Chamber of Commerce, labor union, hospital, and others. The overarching message from this group, quite literally, was a request that we engage within the community to help ‘break the cycle of poverty.’” Since these initial meetings, several programs directed toward the youth in Keokuk have been lined up, many of which focus on athletics through the YMCA. Athletes from IW have begun engaging with Keokuk students ranging from kindergarten through high school through various athletic programs, inviting them to start thinking about college as early as possible.
Through the Alliance, additional community meetings are being planned in other cities across the Southeast Iowa region, including Washington, Fairfield, Fort Madison, and Muscatine. Zander stated, “While each city will have different needs and interests, we see this kind of engagement as an important part of the economic and workforce development mission of our new SIHEA partnership. In addition, this depth of engagement in regional communities will ultimately serve to grow enrollment at both SCC and IW.”
In addition to athletic engagement, SIHEA has established a new program for the Keokuk Community School District, extending to all schools in its district, to award “SIHEA Student of the Month” throughout the school year. This program recognizes students who illustrate good attendance, compassion, responsibility, and an overall good attitude toward others. Recognized students will receive a certificate as well as SCC and IW merchandise. In the spring of each year, all recognized students and their immediate families will be invited to “Keokuk Student of the Month Day,” providing an opportunity to take campus tours, meet with professors and current college students, and learn about potential scholarship opportunities.
An Increase in Visibility
With the realization that many families in the region are not considering college as an option, the Alliance has increased marketing and visibility efforts to invite families and potential students to recognize the benefits of a college education. This visibility has been achieved on a local level through increased community engagement, connections with schools in the region, and the creation of a SIHEA website, which can be found at scc.iw.edu.
On a broader scale, IW President Christine Plunkett has spoken on the popular higher ed-focused podcast, Higher Ed Advisor, about the benefits of connecting athletics with academics.
President Plunkett also emphasized the importance of both institutions being student-ready and supporting students who may not have initially planned to attend college due to their family’s financial and educational background.
President Plunkett also presented at the 2022 Council of Independent Colleges Conference in a panel titled “Alternatives to Merger: New Models for Sustainability and Growth,” citing how IW and SCC created a partnership as opposed to merging, which has allowed both institutions to support one another. Through this presentation, President Plunkett proposed an alliance as a solution for institutional sustainability and economic development in several rural regions across the country.
Funding Programs and Support Systems through Congressional Partners
To continue to fund programs and support systems at Iowa Wesleyan through the Alliance, SCC has connected IW with a successful grant writing company, Congressional Partners. The partnership focuses on identifying federal funding that both institutions could apply for and potentially receive.
“Iowa Wesleyan and Congressional Partners have been hard at work identifying grants that would assist in supporting our student population,” noted Zander. “Thanks to Congressional Partners, we have already been awarded funds to help upgrade campus technology while delivering educational courses to a select group of institutions in our region.”
Kendra Gauge 