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Bill would allow four year degree programs at five Iowa community colleges
Five of Iowa’s community colleges would be able to offer a limited number of four-year degrees if a bill that cleared the Iowa House last night becomes law.
Representative Taylor Collins, a Republican from Mediapolis, said it’s a pilot project that would address workforce gaps. “Many of these high-demand careers lack adequate, affordable bachelor’s level pathways in every part of the state, especially in rural Iowa,” Collins said. “…This bill moves the needle for household income and helps Iowans reaching for new opportunities.”
Southeast Iowa Community College in Burlington, Southwest Iowa Community College in Creston, Iowa Western in Council Bluffs, Iowa Central in Fort Dodge, and Iowa Lakes in Estherville are the five institutions that would be part of the experiment. Each could offer no more than three bachelor’s level programs, and those programs would have to be based at the community college’s main campus.
The bill passed on a 56-36 vote, but that tally was not along party lines. Sixteen of those who voted no were Republicans. Eight Democrats voted for it. The leaders of Iowa’s private colleges and universities warn that increased competition for a dwindling number of high school graduates could force some private institutions to close.
