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| Posted on Friday, January 09 @ 00:01:14 PST |
Kirkwood Community College focuses on local needs amid bachelors degree discussion
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A state report examining whether Iowa’s community colleges should be allowed to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees has renewed discussion about the role of these institutions in higher education.
While some colleges may explore expanding their programs, Kirkwood Community College says its focus remains on meeting local workforce and student needs.
The report, requested by Iowa lawmakers last year, explored potential approaches that would give community colleges more control to decide whether four-year programs make sense in their regions.
Across the country, about half of all states already allow some community colleges to offer baccalaureate degrees, often to address workforce gaps in areas such as nursing and education.
At Kirkwood, leaders say offering bachelor’s degrees is not currently part of their strategic plans.
“We’re not actively thinking about it,” said Dr. Kristie Fisher, president of Kirkwood Community College. “We were part of the study, but we decided we have enough going on and we’re going to focus on our current work.”
The report also highlighted potential challenges for community colleges that expand into four-year degrees, including accreditation, faculty requirements, and course scheduling.
Kirkwood leaders emphasized that protecting the college’s core mission is a top priority. “We always have to keep our primary mission front and center, and that’s what we do now with associate degrees and short-term training and adult basic education,” Fisher said.
Kirkwood already partners with multiple four-year institutions in Eastern Iowa to support students seeking bachelor’s degrees, a system Fisher says works well for the region.
She added that statewide, the impact of expanding community colleges into four-year programs could vary, especially in rural areas with fewer nearby four-year institutions.
“It may change the landscape more on a statewide level because not all of my colleagues around the state are lucky enough to have four-year partners right there in their backyard,” she said.
Even if legislation changes, Kirkwood says any move to offer bachelor’s degrees would come after conversations with the community and workforce leaders.
“Even if there was a gap, we’d have to make sure it made sense for us,” Fisher said.
For now, Kirkwood says it will continue focusing on programs that directly meet the needs of students and the local workforce, maintaining its mission to provide accessible, high-quality education for the community.
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