(Fall 2021 Purple & White Article)
In early 2021, Iowa Wesleyan University announced an alliance with Southeastern Community College (SCC), creating an affordable way for local students and community members to work toward their Bachelor’s degree. With the Fall 2021 semester, IW has already welcomed fifteen transfer students through the Alliance, including Andrew Huhuyana, an international student from Zimbabwe.
Near the end of Huhuyana’s time at SCC, he learned about the Alliance with IW and realized that the affordable tuition, scholarship opportunities, and proximity to his friends in Burlington were precisely what he was looking for to finish his four-year degree. “I wanted to transfer to a school that was close,” stated Huhuyana. “I read that it was a smooth transition… I thought I should give it a try.” At IW, Huhuyana is an active member of the Men’s Soccer, Cross Country, and Track & Field teams.
Mary Hofmann ’16, the SCC/ IW Alliance Advisor, notes that the Alliance “has brought students into my office who may never have thought about IW and staying in the region to complete their education.” Hofmann maintains an open-door policy, allowing students to meet her in her office anytime they have a question. “Having an extra person to connect with and be able to ask questions on their educational journey is a key element that I aspire for students to see in my role as their Alliance advisor,” emphasized Hofmann. “It is truly a seamless transition. I am able to offer a warm handoff [from SCC’s Student Advocates] to our Success Coaches.”
A Combined Effort
In addition to Hofmann’s work as an Alliance Advisor, IW and SCC have worked together to create consistency for transferring students. One example of this is IW’s upgrade of the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS), the same LMS used at SCC. Hofmann stated, “I have had several of my students say how nice it has been; they did not have to take time to learn a new system of checking on classes.”
Through the Alliance, IW and SCC are creating additional combined positions which will not only save both institutions money, but will also provide additional support and connections between the two colleges for students. One existing combined position belongs to Tina Young, the Director of Title IX & Chief Diversity Officer for IW and SCC. Young stepped into this combined role in early 2021 with the retirement of IW’s previous Title IX coordinator. Regarding the development of Young’s position, she stated, “I started looking at both of the schools and said that we could do this differently. We could have this be one position that only did Title IX equity for both schools; it actually got carved out of positions in both schools and created as one for two schools.” Young hopes to make students, faculty, and staff across both institutions understand their rights under Title IX while also creating a “culture of safety.”
Young is also focusing significant efforts on diversity. She noted that “one of the first things President Plunkett said when I met her was “diversity is essential to us.’” Young is currently working closely with the IW Chadwick Library to develop a diversity-issue-related book club. Additionally, Young is working to develop and schedule new unconscious bias training. Young notes that this training is intended “to show people their unconscious biases and what to do with them.”
The Benefits of Accessibility
The Alliance between SCC and IW makes earning a four year degree more accessible to Southeast Iowa residents. Iowans who may not have been able to afford a traditional four-year education can now complete their first two years with SCC at community college rates before smoothly transferring to IW with an Alliance scholarship. This scholarship helps to provide a four-year degree to Iowa students at a price that is competitive with Iowa’s large public institutions.
This accessibility to education not only provides new opportunities for low income Iowa residents, but also encourages students to stay local as they complete their education. Boosting engagement in local education is expected to encourage growth in the regional workforce and support local business development.
Kendra Gauge 