The Department has published a toolkit to assist community college faculty and staff in evaluating its career and technical education (CTE) programs. 

Iowa Code chapter 258.4(7), Iowa Administrative Code chapter 46.6(4), and Iowa Administrative Code chapter 21.62(4) require community colleges to review at least 20 percent of their CTE programs annually. 

Designed with input from community college chief academic officers and administrators, the toolkit includes new CTE program review standards as well as updated and modernized standards. Examples of evidence are provided for each program review standard, enabling colleges to determine what to include in their evidence file during community college accreditation.

The toolkit also includes sample question prompts that community colleges can incorporate into their CTE program review templates, which are used during their program review process.

The toolkit is also available via the community college accreditation webpage.

For more information, please contact contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.

The Bureau of Community Colleges is preparing and distributing an outcomes data package to each community college to support the new community college accreditation standard 6, institutional effectiveness and outcomes-based planning (281 IAC 21.62(8)). College presidents can expect their college's data package in early August.  

Colleges participating in the accreditation cycle will submit desk review evidence and on-site assurance interviews related to the role this data and other institutional data plays in strategic planning and institutional effectiveness efforts. All colleges will receive annual outcomes data packages and are encouraged to integrate these resources into their annual review and planning processes.  Future outcomes data packages will be distributed annually in the spring. 

Questions can be referred to Bureau of Community Colleges Bureau Chief Amy Gieseke at amy.gieseke@iowa.gov or Administrative Consultant Robin Shaffer Lilienthal at robin.lilienthal@iowa.gov.

The Iowa Department of Education has opened the new application period for the 2025-26 Career Academy Incentive Fund. Grant applications will be accepted through Nov. 14 for the fall grant cycle. 

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 focus on programming delivered to at least four school districts. The Department will also consider tier 2 proposals that improve or expand existing career academies delivered through a regional center.

Through the 2019 Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) initiative, the Career Academy Incentive Fund annually awards up to $5 million in grants for projects that support career academy partnerships between community colleges, school districts, business and industry and other education and community stakeholders. Opportunities supported by the Career Academy Incentive Fund increase student access to higher education, industry-recognized credentials, valuable connections with employers and the discovery of potential career pathways.

For more information, please contact contact Bureau of CTE and Postsecondary Readiness Administrative Consultant Heather Meissen at heather.meissen@iowa.gov.

The first scheduled Bureau of Community College technical assistance session is set for Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. The session will provide an overview of the foundational elements of Iowa Transfer Majors, with a focus on the required Discipline Frameworks that guide their development.

Participants will also receive instruction on the processes and requirements for adopting or modifying transfer majors within the State of Iowa Curriculum System (STICS). The session is intended for academic leaders, curriculum coordinators, and faculty engaged in transfer pathway development and program alignment.

Register to join the technical assistance session or contact Bureau of Community Colleges Education Program Consultant Derreck Calkins at derreck.calkins@iowa.gov.

We're excited to welcome two new staff members to the Division of Higher Education.

Katrina Holck recently joined the staff as an Attorney II and was previously a policy and government relations specialist with Community Colleges for Iowa.

Jodie Smith will join the Division Aug. 15 as an education program consultant for work-based learning. Smith has spent the last two years at Central College as the director of career development and civic engagement. She was previously the TRIO/SSS program director at Iowa Western Community College.