The Bureau of Community Colleges is excited to recognize Hawkeye Community College’s goal of improving adjunct faculty engagement and development as out outlined in its Quality Faculty Plan.

Hawkeye Community College has instituted an adjunct faculty onboarding and orientation process to ensure staff are well-prepared for their roles. HCC also utilizes the Canvas online learning management system to organize and track adjunct faculty training and professional development activities. 

HCC offers adjunct faculty in-service sessions in the spring that are optional but well-attended, and the staff has an adjunct faculty academy that delivers focused professional development that documents that training. 

To further support adjunct faculty development, HCC created a new position, the adjunct faculty liaison. This position helps organize and streamline the adjunct faculty's engagement and professional development.

With many colleges relying heavily on adjunct faculty to teach courses, HCC’s initiative and the implementation of an adjunct faculty liaison position is a promising practice to ensure high-quality instruction.

For more information, contact Bureau of Community Colleges Administrative Consultant Robin Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov or 515-418-8273.

On Feb. 11, hundreds of students from across Iowa championed the importance of career and technical education at the annual CTE Day at the Capitol in Des Moines.

Students involved in CTE programs, such as agriculture, business, family and consumer science, health science, information technology and industrial technology, joined the day's events to meet with state officials, network with other programs and further develop professional skills.

The CTE Day at the Capitol began in the House of Representatives chamber with Representative Mike Vondran (R - Davenport) introducing House Resolution No. 6, recognizing February as CTE Month in Iowa.

In addition to CTE Day at the Capitol, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation on Feb. 18 officially designating February as Career and Technical Education Month in Iowa.

Gov. Reynolds was joined by Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow and the Department CTE team, student leaders and members of Iowa ACTE.

The proclamation recognized the opportunities CTE programs provide for students to engage in work-based learning and earn industry-recognized credentials in high-demand job fields. Through CTE, students can tap into their full potential, preparing for college and career pathways and ensuring future success in the workforce.

Department staff joined Community Colleges for Iowa and Iowa’s 15 community colleges and business leaders as part of Community College Day on the Hill on Feb. 19.

As part of Leadership in Action Week, the day allowed students, community college staff and business partners to host conversations about how their community college serves their local workforce needs.

Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer officially declared Feb. 19 as Community College Day on the Hill with the reading of a proclamation in the rotunda of the Capitol.

Community Colleges for Iowa has also posted additional photos and resources featuring Iowa's community colleges.

The spring application period for the 2024-25 Career Academy Incentive Fund is now open. Grant applications will be accepted through April 18.

The Career Academy Incentive Fund supports increased access to career academy programs through regional centers and highlights partnerships between school districts, community colleges, business and industry and other partners. Successful proposals promote equitable access to high-quality career and technical education programs and include at least one school district and one community college. Priority consideration will be given to applicants , who will focus on programming delivered to multiple school districts. For the spring application period, the Department will consider tier 2 proposals that improve or expand existing career academies delivered through a regional center.

For more information on this application period, contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov or 515-326-5378.

The upcoming Iowa Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference, scheduled for June 18 at Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, is actively seeking postsecondary representatives to present on career and technical education programs to its attendees. 

The annual conference includes CTE educators, administrators, retired professionals, and students from secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and career and technical student organizations (CTSO). This year's conference is themed 'Transforming Opportunities in CTE' and also features sessions with ACTE national president Robert Torres, Jeff Frost, the executive director of professional technical education for Waterloo schools, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow and Trevor Snow, the curriculum and outreach coordinator for Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship. 

Individuals and organizations interested in hosting a 30-minute workshop as part of the conference are encouraged to complete the IACTE breakout session proposal.