Kirkwood Community College:

• Offers more than 100 career and college transfer programs, plus over 4,000 non-credit courses from personal interest to workforce training.
• Is a member of the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College, a consortium of 20 of the nation's finest two-year colleges and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
• Was chosen by the League for Innovation as one of twelve "Vanguard Colleges" in North America. This group of two-year colleges will research and model new learning methods and initiatives for the 21st Century.
• Was recognized as "Community College of the Year" for 2000-01 by the National Alliance of Business.
• Was fully accredited and certified by the Learning Resources Network (LERN), one of the first community colleges in the USA to earn that distinction.
• Ranks in the top 5 percent of two-year colleges in America based on the number of two-year degrees awarded.
• Earned accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs for 12 business education programs - the only community college in the state to receive the honor.
• Employs a full-time workforce of 690 people. In addition over 500 adjunct faculty and 200 part-time staff members provide teaching and support service to the college.
• Finances only 39% of the college budget through state revenues and local property taxes. With a local property tax rate of 66 cents per assessed $1,000 valuation, the owner of a $100,000 home pays about $32 per year to support the college.
• Is governed by a publicly elected nine-member Board of Trustees.
• Awarded $820,000 in scholarships o over 600 students through the Kirkwood Foundation in 2004-05. The Kirkwood Foundation is a non-profit corporation that raises funds to support student needs.
• Partners with the Facilities Foundation which seeks and manages property and income-producing assets that serve the college.
• Extends education and information services throughout the service area via KCCK-FM, a listener-supported jazz, news and information station; KTS Cable V network; and a growing number of distance learning and Internet offerings.

Enrollment

• Is the third largest institution of higher education in Iowa.
• Registered over 15,400 students registered for college credit classes in fall semester 2004.
• Dual enrolled over 600 students with the University of Iowa in fall 2004.
• Had over 80,000 enrollments in Continuing Education programs last year.
• Has an average credit class size of 24 students.
• Will enroll over 1,100 area high school students in college credit courses this year.
• Transfers over 50 percent of graduates to a four-year college within three years.
• Conferred diplomas or certificates to over 2,000 students last year.
• Awards the second-highest number of two-year Ag Science degrees in the nation.
• Educated nearly 4,800 students in Secondary Programs last year, including adult basic education, adult literacy, English literacy (ESL), GED preparation, Adult High School and other programs.
• Provides accessible education at a variety of locations; approximately 36% of students took at least one class at an off-campus center during the fall semester 2004.
• Provides convenient distance learning opportunities via Anytime/Anywhere Learning courses. A growing number of courses make learning even more accessible. During fall 2004, 3,319 students registered for 5,202 online and correspondence courses.

Our Student Body

• 58% of all credit students are age 21 or younger, 8% are age 40 or older. In fall 2004, Kirkwood credit students ranged from age 14 to 84.
• 32% of credit students come directly from high school.
• 55% of students are women.
• 540 international students from 97 different countries as well as students from 29 states and 97 Iowa counties attended in fall semester 2004.
• About 51% of students receive some form of financial aid through the college each year.
• In fall semester 2004, 55% of credit students were enrolled full-time, with an average of 14 credit hours per student.

Strategic Partnerships

Many of Kirkwood's greatest accomplishments have come from working with a host of private and public entities for the good of our entire area. The college has been able to identify community needs and bring many business, industry and governmental entities together in classic "win/win" efforts. A few examples include:

• AEGON USA supported the new Business and Fine Arts Center, Nielsen Hall, and the previous Information Technology Center on the main campus. Another key partnership effort with AEGON USA is the Kirkwood Training and Outreach Services (KTOS) Center. This modern facility in Marion's Armar Plaza provides meeting and training spaces as well as training and other services to area business and industry. The building also serves as a business resumption center for AEGON USA.
• Diamond V Mills, Inc. houses combined research and laboratory facilities in shared space with Veterinary Technician, Small Animal Services and Pet Grooming programs in the Animal Health Technology Center.
• ACT, Inc. opened the first-in-the nation ACT Center for on-line training at Kirkwood.
• RuffaloCODY relocated its headquarters to the Kirkwood main campus, providing employment opportunities for many Kirkwood students living nearby. The company also provides Kirkwood a fully equipped customer call center training facility for workforce training.
• The Community Training and Response Center located on main campus is a partnership between Kirkwood, Linn County Emergency Management Agency, PMX Industries, City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, and the Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute to provide a shared emergency Operations Center for Linn County.
• Kirkwood Training Services administers the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program (260E), and Iowa Jobs Training Program (260F), helping area businesses and industries expand and train new employees. Since 1983, the 260 programs have supported the creation of more than 20,000 new jobs in our service area.
• Valuable partnerships with a number of real estate developers provide privately-owned housing adjacent to campus for 3,000 students.

Facilities

• The main campus covers 620 acres located on the southwest edge of Cedar Rapids, and serves the counties of Linn, Johnson, Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones and Washington.
• Kirkwood was established in 1966 and moved to its present location in 1968.
• Additional college centers throughout the service area provide college credit, continuing education and high school completion courses.
• Classes are taught on-site and delivered via interactive television over the Kirkwood Telecommunications System and the Iowa Communications Network