After warning faculty and staff last month of likely changes to its 32-year-old Iowa City campus, Kirkwood Community College confirmed Thursday it’s moving most of its operations from that facility to its regional center in Coralville, and then selling the branch campus.
“The Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa meets our needs as it has plenty of space,” Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg said in a message to faculty and staff at the Cedar Rapids-based college about the changes coming later this year.
“Our research also indicates the site is a more accessible location for the community overall,” she said.
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Following a campus study and community survey, Kirkwood has decided to move both credit and noncredit courses to the regional center by fall, according to Sundberg, who said Kirkwood also is exploring possibly expanding its partnership with the Iowa City Community School District at the district’s newly-acquired ACT campus facility.
That, she said, “also makes good sense as it allows us to maintain a presence in Iowa City in a more cost effective manner with current enrollment levels.”
“The new locations, as well as the cost savings, will allow us to focus more resources to give our students the support they need to succeed," she said.
A recent Kirkwood assessment of its assets found if nothing changed over the next 24 years, the institution would spend nearly $40 million maintaining the 97,094-square-foot Iowa City campus — which has a current classroom-use rate under 40 percent and saw a 75 percent enrollment slide from 2016 to 2021.
Given those drops, Sundberg said Kirkwood also will cut the number of sections offered “to best meet the needs of current enrollment levels in Johnson County.”
In a news release, Kirkwood officials said research has shown student needs are “much different today than they have been in the past.”
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“In order to ensure higher student retention and completion rates, a shift toward a personalized student support approach has become a necessity for higher ed institutions,” officials said. “College officials expect this to be an ongoing need as students continue to arrive on campus with life challenges that make pursing an academic journey difficult.”
In her message, Sundberg acknowledged resource allocation is a balancing act.
"We face a challenge in figuring out how best to support today's students both inside and outside of the classroom, while also balancing our expenses and revenues," Sundberg said. "This consolidation allows our institution to focus more of our resources on student support.”
Kirkwood expects to save about $400,000 annually by selling the Iowa City campus.
“From the start, we pledged to provide a transparent and timely process and I’ve tried to keep everyone informed as we look at every possible angle that allows us to better serve our students and our district in a cost-effective manner,” Sundberg wrote. “I encourage everyone to work collaboratively as we embark on this move and also ask each of you to consider ways that you personally can help to make it a success.”
www.thegazette.com
“The Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa meets our needs as it has plenty of space,” Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg said in a message to faculty and staff at the Cedar Rapids-based college about the changes coming later this year.
“Our research also indicates the site is a more accessible location for the community overall,” she said.
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Following a campus study and community survey, Kirkwood has decided to move both credit and noncredit courses to the regional center by fall, according to Sundberg, who said Kirkwood also is exploring possibly expanding its partnership with the Iowa City Community School District at the district’s newly-acquired ACT campus facility.
That, she said, “also makes good sense as it allows us to maintain a presence in Iowa City in a more cost effective manner with current enrollment levels.”
“The new locations, as well as the cost savings, will allow us to focus more resources to give our students the support they need to succeed," she said.
A recent Kirkwood assessment of its assets found if nothing changed over the next 24 years, the institution would spend nearly $40 million maintaining the 97,094-square-foot Iowa City campus — which has a current classroom-use rate under 40 percent and saw a 75 percent enrollment slide from 2016 to 2021.
Given those drops, Sundberg said Kirkwood also will cut the number of sections offered “to best meet the needs of current enrollment levels in Johnson County.”
In a news release, Kirkwood officials said research has shown student needs are “much different today than they have been in the past.”
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“In order to ensure higher student retention and completion rates, a shift toward a personalized student support approach has become a necessity for higher ed institutions,” officials said. “College officials expect this to be an ongoing need as students continue to arrive on campus with life challenges that make pursing an academic journey difficult.”
In her message, Sundberg acknowledged resource allocation is a balancing act.
"We face a challenge in figuring out how best to support today's students both inside and outside of the classroom, while also balancing our expenses and revenues," Sundberg said. "This consolidation allows our institution to focus more of our resources on student support.”
Kirkwood expects to save about $400,000 annually by selling the Iowa City campus.
“From the start, we pledged to provide a transparent and timely process and I’ve tried to keep everyone informed as we look at every possible angle that allows us to better serve our students and our district in a cost-effective manner,” Sundberg wrote. “I encourage everyone to work collaboratively as we embark on this move and also ask each of you to consider ways that you personally can help to make it a success.”
Kirkwood to relocate and cut Iowa City services, sell branch
The Cedar-Rapids based community college confirmed Thursday it’s moving most of its operations from that facility to its regional center in Coralville.
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