About Iowa Central

Mission Statement

Iowa Central Community College promotes intellectual discovery, physical development, social and ethical awareness, and economic opportunities for all through an education that transforms lives, strengthens community, and inspires progress.

Vision Statement

Iowa Central Community College is the learning College of choice, meeting the needs of all we serve in a changing regional and global environment. Iowa Central Community College will continue to provide programs that foster economic vitality to all members of our region. In cooperation with our partners, our College will lead by example to improve the quality of life for the people we serve by:

Promoting instructional excellence in all program areas
Serving the lifelong learning needs of all citizens
Expanding and enhancing programs to meet the evolving needs of our workforce
Strengthening partnerships to advance the mission of the College
Enhancing customer service to all who come our way
Increasing the retention and success of our students
Increasing community awareness of the College
Infusing appropriate technologies for problem solving and enhanced program delivery
Developing responsive and effective education programs
Enriching cultural and social awareness.

Innovation, excellence, and continuous improvement define our College where the focus is on the learner and on the appreciation of diversity.

Philosophy

It is the philosophy of Iowa Central Community College, as a comprehensive community college, to aid in developing our citizens 'capabilities to the maximum. Iowa Central provides a flexible program to satisfy the needs of the individual and the needs of the community. An educational environment is planned to provide experiences for those who desire pre-professional courses, improvement of educational or technical skills, or developmental programs for self-enrichment. This environment can be on campus or on-site. In concert with this mission, Iowa Central offers.

college transfer courses
career and technical training
general education
recreation and personal enrichment programs
economic development, community service activities for people with diverse interests, needs, backgrounds and skills
adult basic education

History

Iowa Central Community College was organized in 1966 with a broad mandate to offer a vast array of educational opportunities to the residents of its nine-county area. Iowa Central was built on the firm foundation of three area junior colleges which had been operating since the 1920s by the local public school systems.

They were Fort Dodge, organized in 1921; Webster City, 1926; and Eagle Grove, 1928. Iowa Central came into being as a result of the Area School Act passed by Iowa's 61st General Assembly. The legislation authorized two or more county school systems to merge to form an area community college. Nine counties combined to create Iowa Central: Buena Vista, Calhoun, Greene, Hamilton, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Sac, Webster and Wright. The resulting Merged Area V has some 28,000 students in 31 public school districts. In 1971, a fourth center was added with the completion of a new building in Storm Lake. The Storm Lake Center originally was established to serve 12 public and private school systems in Buena Vista County as a secondary career education center. In the ensuing years, the Storm Lake Center has been expanded so that now it offers the full range of community college programs.

In 1975, Iowa Central joined with Buena Vista College in Storm Lake in a cooperative venture whereby students can earn a bachelor's degree attending evening classes. The students' first two years are completed at Iowa Central and the final two years at Buena Vista at the Fort Dodge Center.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.

August 1967 College granted Federal Fund Eligibility
August 1969 College granted Correspondent Status
March 1971 College granted Recognized Candidate for Accreditation Status
July 1973 College became Candidate for Accreditation under the new policy
March 1974 College granted Accredited Status
July 1979 Accreditation reaffirmed
June 1984 Accreditation reaffirmed
June 2001 Accreditation reaffirmed
November 2010 Accreditation reaffirmed

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