Kirkwood Community College
Kirkwood Community College is a community college serving seven counties in Iowa. It has the lowest tuition in the state at $111 per credit hour starting in Fall of 2009. That makes Kirkwood a logical choice for many students to start a degree there and transfer to a four-year institution. Kirkwood's main campus is in Cedar Rapids, with additional buildings in Marion, Iowa City, Belle Plaine, Monticello, Tipton, Vinton, Washington and Williamsburg.
The college is named for Samuel J. Kirkwood, an Iowa governor and U.S. Senator in the late 19th century.
The Campus
Kirkwood's main campus is located east of Kirkwood Boulevard, one mile (1.6 km) south of US 30 and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of I 380. The 680-acre (2.8 km2) campus includes a 400-acre (1.6 km2) working farm, 27 buildings with 1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m2) of interior learning space and a 15-acre (61,000 m2) athletic complex. The campus is in the center of the Kirkwood paha, a mile-long loess ridge.[1] The main buildings on campus are aligned with this ridge, with parking, sports facilities and secondary buildings to the north and south.[2]
Highlights
The Hotel at Kirkwood Center[3] will be an upscale 71-room hotel, complete with an elegant gourmet restaurant, operated almost entirely by Hospitality and Culinary Arts students. Once complete in the summer of 2010, this will be the nation's only such facility at a two-year school, and Kirkwood's students will earn valuable real world experience right on campus, while catering to regular hotel guests and convention-goers alike.
The Kirkwood Healthcare Simulation Lab[4] allows health care students to receive hands-on experience in crisis situations in the brand new $3.6 million emergency medicine lab. It will also be used by local hospitals and clinics as a practice facility for training sessions.
Kirkwood will open its Jones County Regional Education Center in the fall of 2009. The 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) center will house state-of-the-art classrooms and vocational labs for academic programs and administrative offices. Eight local school districts, the city of Monticello, the Welter family and Kirkwood Community College partnered to support rural students and sustain a viable, educated workforce.
The $14 million Cedar Hall Addition opened in Spring of 2009. It added 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of classrooms and offices for English, Social Sciences, KCELT, Institutional Effectiveness and Learning Services.
The Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education[5], blends technology with "green" architecture to create a premier learning environment. The beautifully-appointed and creatively-designed interior complements its state-of-the-art instructional design, creating the flexibility desired for conferences, retreats, seminars, meetings or other special events.
The 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) Horticulture/Floriculture[6], building features state-of-the-art energy efficiency, including geothermal heating and cooling, fully automated controls, plus a roof system that catches rainwater for use in the greenhouses and landscaping areas. A large student commons area, a small engine lab and an indoor natural soil floor used to teach patio buildings and other outdoor skills in all weather conditions are just a few of the amenities students will find at the complex.
The Iowa Equestrian Center[7] is located on Kirkwood's campus. The Midwest's premier equestrian facility serves a dual purpose: During the week the stables, stalls and arena serve as Kirkwood's Horse Science classrooms and working laboratory. 50 weekends a year the center hosts prominent regional and national horse shows, as well as dog and other animal shows. The facility has more than 200 horse stalls. Each of them has a 3/4 inch foam pad that is covered with sawdust to make it as comfortable as possible for the horses.
Government Partnerships - Kirkwood Community College has many partnerships[8] with government agencies. It is known as being the home of the National Mass Fatalities Institute, which provides instruction and research into planning for all levels of a mass fatality event response, as well as home to Linn County Emergency Management Agency which played a vital role in coordinating efforts of local communities during the floods of 2008.
Programs
Kirkwood currently offers 120+ programs[9] and sends students to study abroad in 13 different countries. The most popular programs at Kirkwood are Liberal Arts, Nursing, Pre-Business Transfer, Accounting, Early Childhood Development, Human Services, Law Enforcement, Pre-Engineering and Culinary Arts. Students can now earn a Kirkwood degree completely online.
There are more than 60 student clubs and organizations.
The Numbers
In 2009-2010, Kirkwood will awarded more than $1.7 million in scholarships. Each student is eligible to receive financial aid. Based on Fall 2009 tuition, it costs students $6,660 for a college degree. That's the lowest tuition at any college in Iowa.
In 2008, more than 20,000 students enrolled in credit classes. 55% of students are female/44% are male. 625 international students from 90+ countries take classes at Kirkwood. Almost 40 states send students to Kirkwood. Students come from all 99 Iowa counties. The average class size is 23.1 students.
Athletics[10]
Women's Basketball - Five National Championships (Three Consecutive 2007, 2008, 2009), Eight consecutive Regional Championships and Final Four appearances
Men's Basketball - One National Championship, eight National Tournament appearances, eight Region XI Championships
Softball - Four National Tournament appearances, 10 All-Americans (seven Academic, three Athletic), 73 All-Region selections
Baseball - Two World Series appearances, two Region XI Championships, four former players in professional baseball
Golf - Ten National Tournament appearances, five Region XI Championships, one Individual National Champion
Volleyball - One National Championship, seven National Tournament appearances, seven Region XI Championships
Notable Alumni
- Virginia Wilts-Branch Manager of Guaranty Bank
- Andy Peterson-Morning Host of WMT 600 AM
- Al Schmidt-Owner - Metro Studios
- M. Anthony Marlowe-Entrepreneur and Founder of TMone
- Dennis Jordan-VP of Economic Development - Priority One
- Traci Weber-Owner -First Avenue Wine House
- Kim Petersen-Owner - Architectural Building & Design, Inc.
- Michael Gould-Owner-Gould and Lamb, LLC
References
- ^ Anderson, R.A., and Fields, C.L., Geologic features in southeastern Linn County, Iowa, Geologic Society of Iowa, 2008, 42 p. See page 1.
- ^ Main Campus Map,
- ^ The Hotel at Kirkwood Center,
- ^ Kirkwood Health Science Department,
- ^ Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education
- ^ Kirkwood Horticulture/Floral Careers Building
- ^ Iowa Equestrian Center
- ^ Kirkwood Partnerships
- ^ Kirkwood Programs of Study
- ^ Kirkwood Athletics
- ^ "Kirkwood Community College Alumni Achievements"