Training the Workforce: Apprenticeship Style MCC Celebrates 90 Years Nahant + Community Surviving the Flood
WHY NOT? LIFE BECOMES SIMPLE QUESTION
FALL 2019
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C O N T E N T S
FALL 2019 M AGA Z I N E
4 ON THE JOB AND IN THE CLASSROOM
11 WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME
6 BIG APPLE AND BEYOND
12 NAHANT MARSH 2019
EICC partners with local companies to train apprentices
Faculty summer learning adventures
8 WHY NOT? LIFE BECOMES SIMPLE QUESTION Student with disability overcomes the odds
10 MCC 1929-2019
The Maquoketa Center a decade later
Recovering from record flooding
14 HONORING DISTINCTION
Retirees honored with Emeritus award
15 NURSING LABS MAKE DEBUT Open houses showcase renovated labs
MCC celebrates 90 years
EDITOR'S NOTES Our students are the best. So many overcome personal, family, financial and a multitude of other challenges to achieve their dream of a better life. We could fill volumes with their many wonderful and inspiring stories. In this issue of TCC Magazine we focus on one. Born with cerebral palsy and believing she would spend her life confined to a nursing home, Deana Dawson instead made a different choice, entering college and, ultimately, walking onto the stage to receive her college degree. Of course, that’s just one of the great stories in this issue that includes a look back at how Nahant Marsh survived the flooding of 2019, anniversary celebrations at Muscatine Community College and Clinton Community College’s Maquoketa Center, our most recent Emeritus inductees and a spotlight on the exciting ways faculty spent their summers.
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If you have an idea for a great EICC-related story let us know. Just drop us an email to acampbell@eicc.edu
It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact Debora J. Sullivan, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563-336-3487, djsullivan@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, Illinois 60661-7204, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.
KYLE LONG
“I thought school was out of the question.”
KELLY BAKER
“We are very blessed to have a program like this.”
and ON THE JOB in th JOB-DRIVEN TRAINING: PREPARING APPRENTICES FOR THE FUTURE Here at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC), helping students achieve their dreams is what we do. As you’ve read this magazine before, you’ve seen countless stories about students realizing their potential or landing their ideal job. What may come as a surprise are the many ways in which we help students reach those goals. For some it’s through our transferrable Associate’s Degrees, others find success in our hands-on career and technical programs, and then, there is another group of students - those preparing for the future through Registered Apprenticeship Programs provided by local employers.
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This third group, more than 100 students to be exact, is the direct result of partnerships with dozens of companies who ask EICC to provide additional coursework and training for their apprenticeship programs. The companies take care of the on-the-job training while EICC develops courses based on each employer’s needs. It’s important work we’re proud to be a part of and a relationship that benefits both apprentices and their employer. Take Kyle Long for example, after dropping out of high school, getting his GED and securing a full-time job, he thought his chance at postsecondary education had passed. However, when he started working as a machinist at SMS in Muscatine he was surprised to learn there was another way forward, apprenticeship. “Honestly, once I got a full-time job I thought school was out of the question,” Long said. “With my job and two kids I just assumed I’d be
working in a shop for the rest of my life and not be able or have the chance to go back to further my education.” Thanks to his company’s Registered Apprenticeship Program, Long was able to complete a four-year apprenticeship and move up the ranks to Team Leader, filling his company’s need for skilled workers. “It’s taxing on the employer to try and educate employees on the job constantly like that,” Long said. “So it was nice to leave work and go to Scott Community College’s Blong Technology Center which is tailored for training and education. “I still run a machine, but I’m also in charge of scheduling, making sure people stay on task, and dealing with any issues within the machine shop or fabrication area,” he said. “It’s given me a lot more responsibility and that’s what I like about it.”
HOW DO I BECOME AN APPRENTICE? Typically, in order to participate in an apprenticeship, you must be hired or sponsored by a company that participates in a Registered Apprenticeship. Apprentices can be new hires, or businesses can select current employees to join the apprenticeship program. However, students who enroll in EICC’s Culinary Arts Program are offered an apprenticeship through local employers as part of their coursework.
NOAH HOUSE
“I saw it as an opportunity to better myself.”
In order to participate in the apprenticeships listed through area companies, you will need to apply for employment with the companies you are interested in. If you do not have the basic skills the employers will require, consider earning a shortterm certificate at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. If you complete coursework that is later required for your apprenticeship, you can apply it toward your program!
d CLASSROOM he An added benefit for apprentices is the ability to earn up to 46 hours of college credit toward an Associate’s Degree in Technical Studies, which is something Long decided to do. After completing his apprenticeship program, he finished the remaining coursework for his degree through EICC’s online classes. “It was exciting,” he said. “It was special for me because I didn’t graduate from high school, so it was the first time I was able to walk across the stage and my daughter cried. She was so proud of me.” Now, he can look forward to a future filled with possibilities. This promise of a brighter future is exactly why Noah House and Kelly Baker recently applied to M.A. Ford’s Apprenticeship Program. The high-performance cutting tool manufacturer is located less than a mile from the Blong Technology Center and offers both two-year and four-year apprenticeships. Both House and Baker agree the partnership with EICC provides the perfect balance between on-the-job training and related classwork.
“With the apprenticeship you get all of the hands-on training along with the actual school work. It’s not do the school work and then you get to learn this, it’s all happening at the same time,” Baker said. “I like it,” House said. “The Blong is a really nice facility and they have a fully operational shop out there. The instructors are great, the material is good and I am definitely learning a lot already. “I saw it as an opportunity to better myself. The program promotes leadership and I’ve always seen myself as a leader. I see it as a way to advance and improve myself within the company.” Gale Kraft, who works as the Human Resource Manager for M.A. Ford, said that’s exactly why these types of apprenticeship programs are an important resource for area companies.
To find out more about companies offering apprenticeship training through Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, contact Paula Arends at parends@eicc.edu or visit eicc.edu/apprenticeships
WATCH & LEARN! Go behind the scenes at M.A. Ford and hear more from House and Baker about their apprenticeship experience at eicc.edu/apprenticeprogram
“We are very blessed to have a program like this and partnership with EICC that’s helping us to look forward to the future of our business,” she said. “There’s a shortage of workers; we need to increase the pipeline.” Community's College | MAGAZINE THETHE Community's College | MAGAZINE 5
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SUMMER LEARNING TAKES FACULTY FAR AND WIDE Summer vacations are those precious weeks during the year where you can kick back, relax and…test soil samples for new antibiotics, hone your acting skills with Broadway stars, or dig into the nuances of the latest mechanical trainer… Not the “vacation” you were picturing? Maybe a sandy beach and a few fruity beverages is what you had in mind, but for the faculty at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges this type of R & R is exactly what they look forward to during time off. This summer faculty attended conferences and trainings across the country, from the Big Apple to America’s Dairyland to the Hoosier State and beyond. A few shared highlights of their experiences and what new ideas they’re bringing back to the classroom. 6 6eicc.edu/tccmagazine eicc.edu/tccmagazine
FACTORY FLOOR – Instructors get training
straight from manufacturer of new equipment
“It’s just an opportunity to immerse yourself and try something new or something that’s going to really help you out in the classroom,” said Clinton Community College Engineering Technology Instructor Dave Wallace, describing his recent trip to educational equipment company Amatrol’s headquarters. The week long training in Jefferson, Indiana included a deep dive into the college’s brand new Amatrol mechanical trainer. The equipment was recently purchased thanks to a grant from the Timken Foundation, a charitable and educational fund. “It has gears, chain drives and belt drives,” Wallace said. “We had one over 20 years old and it was showing its age a bit.” Wallace said while the basic mechanics of the new trainer are the same, the teaching material is all new and getting first-hand experience is important for instructors.
BRINGING BACK BROADWAY – MCC Theatre Instructor gets a lesson from the stars
For Muscatine Community College Theatre Instructor Alyssa Oltmanns, there’s nothing better than Broadway. From the costumes to the choreography, the thrill of “The Great White Way” just can’t be beat. Well, maybe there is one thing that can top it - learning from the very stars who bring theatre’s most memorable shows and characters to life! This is exactly what Oltmanns experienced during her summer trip to the Broadway Teacher’s Workshop in New York City. “I got to see ‘Tootsie,’ ‘Ain’t Too Proud - The Story of the Temptations,’ ‘King Kong,’ and ‘The Prom,’” Oltmanns gushed. The three-day workshop included these spectacular shows paired with cast and crew Q and A’s, and daily workshops led by Broadway pros. Oltmanns learned about everything from body movement to coaching student actors to the unique paths to Broadway. “One of my favorite sessions was a meet and greet with Tony award winner Santino Fontana who plays the lead role in ‘Tootsie,’” Oltmanns said. “He talked so much about his background, including how growing up in the arts and the mentorship from his teachers helped get him to where he is today. He broke down in tears talking about his teachers and it was so phenomenal to see that.” The experience left her feeling more excited than ever to apply what she learned in the classroom and inspire her students to reach for the stars. “I recorded clips of various Q and A sessions and workshops, and I have a whole notebook of notes,” she said. “I’m excited to have these interactive experiences and share these media clips. It takes everything to the next level. I think it makes everything that much more grounded and real for the students.” Check out the MCC Theatre Department’s very own season line up at eicc.edu/MCCtheatre
“The trainers they hire to train the teachers are generally teachers themselves who have been using the equipment in their classroom. They really understand the whole teaching process which is very helpful. It’s very good, desirable training.”
SAMPLING SOIL – Tiny Earth Project
turns to students to discover new antibiotics
“Never ask a nerd what they’re interested in,” laughed Scott Community College Biology Instructor Angie Ghrist. When asked about her adventures over break, Ghrist excitedly shared details of the Tiny Earth Project Conference she attended in Madison, Wisconsin. The Tiny Earth Project is a network of instructors and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil samples and is an initiative Ghrist has been involved with for several years. She’s worked with students doing independent study projects and even taught an honors course centered around the initiative. “Bacteria fight over limited resources within the soil, so one of the ways they’ve learned to get rid of their competitors is by making antibiotics that kill their neighbors,” she said. “However, by 2050 more people will die from antibiotic resistant infections than cancer and diabetes combined.” One of the most famous antibiotics, penicillin, was discovered in soil. But once drug companies realized antibiotic discovery wasn’t profitable, research waned. With the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, there has been a renewed effort to discover new antibiotics. “There are probably lots of antibiotics out there,” she said. “We just haven’t found them yet. What this does is get a bunch of students out there grabbing soil to see what we can find.” The conference highlighted exciting changes to the curriculum that will make it even easier for student discoveries to enter the drug development pipeline. “It’s really a cool thing for students!” she said. Visit eicc.edu/tinyearth to learn more about this exciting initiative. Community's College | MAGAZINE THETHE Community's College | MAGAZINE 7
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It was a snowball effect. If she could take classes and do well, maybe she could get stronger too. With a new found determination, she started physical therapy and was even able to get a motorized wheelchair that allows her to stand. The increased mobility not only strengthened her legs, but it also made it easier to navigate campus and participate in activities. By the time graduation rolled around it was no surprise Dawson was selected to give the student address. “My limitations or perceived limitations are different than yours, but each of us have challenges,” she said to the crowd. “You can choose to look through the lens of possibility and what can be, and strive for what could be instead of what is.”
Life gives us limitations, whether they are physical or situational.
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ut there are limitations we put upon ourselves, you know the ones…our own feelings of self-doubt or insecurity. In those instances, changing your mindset from self-doubt to self-belief can be a long, hard road. As recent Muscatine Community College (MCC) graduate Deana Dawson can attest, it’s a journey well worth the effort. This spring, Dawson overcame one obstacle after another - all using the power of her own mind combined with support from the MCC campus community, her church family, and friends. She said the start of her personal transformation began with one simple question: “What did I want to choose to do? I could makes choices. I could do more than I have ever done in 48, 49 years…so why not do it?” Why not? That’s the question Dawson had begun to ask herself. For the woman whose cerebral palsy had perhaps held her back in the past, a new mindset was beginning to take shape. Dawson was born in the early 60’s, before the therapies and medical advances available to cerebral palsy patients today. By the time of her divorce more than six years ago, she was unable to care for herself. Lacking strength, she could not transfer herself in and out of her wheelchair, let alone stand up or walk short distances. As a result she went to live in a nursing home, first in Illinois and eventually in Muscatine. “I was told I’d never get out, I’d never succeed,” she said. So, when a friend at the nursing home suggested she enroll in classes at Muscatine Community College, she was more than skeptical. “The first class I took I thought, ‘I can never do this, I’m crazy.’ I wanted to drop, but everyone on campus and my advisors told me not to.” One class turned into two, two classes turned into three, and before she knew it she was well on her way to earning an Associate’s Degree. Little did she know at the time, this would be the first of many accomplishments. “I got into Phi Theta Kappa (the college honors society) and began to understand there was more to life than what I realized if I just looked outside of the nursing home walls,” Dawson said.
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She got a standing ovation. Her inspiring speech had the whole room on their feet. But it was only the beginning. She didn’t want to just give the speech, she wanted to live it. What happened shortly after her address is a moment no one was prepared for and one Dawson will cherish forever. As her name was called, she proudly stood up and put one foot in front of the other, walking to receive her diploma. “Walking to get my diploma had been a goal of mine since high school in 90. I didn’t make it then, I wasn’t strong enough,” she said. “The entire experience was awesome. It took me about a day and a half to two days to fully process the enormity of the night of graduation and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Since graduation, Dawson has continued to exceed her own expectations. With her new found strength, she was able to move out of the nursing home into her own apartment and recently walked more than 200 feet with a new set of braces – the
“JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE LIMITED IN SOME WAYS
W
DOESN’T YOU’RE LI IN LIFE
farthest she’s ever walked. This summer, she enjoyed the thrill of adaptive water skiing and will be hitting the trails on horseback in the near future. Life is full of color. “Just because you’re limited in some ways doesn’t mean you’re limited in life,” she said. It’s a lesson she hopes to pass along. In addition to all of her other activities, she’s started a second degree program at MCC and plans to get a job in social work helping others realize their own potential. “The thing is, I’ve been through so much…I was in a nursing home for six years. Now I’m on my own in my own apartment. If I can do it, then why can’t everybody else? Every person has a potential they can reach and I just want to be an example that it can be done.”
LIFE B
WHY NOT?
MEAN IMITED E.”
BECOMES SIMPLE QUESTION
Hear her story and watch her walk across the stage @ eicc.edu/deana
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magine what your life would have been like 90 years ago, in 1929. World War I ended just 11 years prior and you’d spent an entire decade celebrating with the music and dancing of the Roaring Twenties. Sadly, though, that music came to a crashing and abrupt halt October of ‘29 with the collapse of the stock market and ushering in of the Great Depression. In the midst of all that, Muscatine Community College (MCC) was born, the result of the work of mostly a half dozen people, five of them women. Women, by the way, had just won the right to vote in 1920. That first class of 51 students, 26 women and 25 men, has since grown to more than 1,400 this current fall semester. “Miss Willetta Strahan served as the first dean and registrar,” said current MCC President Naomi DeWinter. “Her foresight was just incredible. She would go to family farms and talk to parents about sending their sons and daughters to college. “At that time, the thought of higher education wasn’t what it is today. It was not a common thing to send your children to college. That shows how education was valued even 90 years ago in Muscatine. “It’s unimaginable, the trust they had in the beginning years. From 1929 to the mid-sixties they were taking classes in basements of buildings. But the community was already showing its pride in what was then Muscatine Junior College.” One of the factors really helping the college during its first few decades was local business leaders understanding the
value of having employees with advanced education. No better illustration of their support came in 1962 when the HJ Heinz Company donated the land on which the college is currently located. One of the first buildings to be built there, Strahan Hall, was named after the college’s visionary first dean. As the current torch bearer leading the college, DeWinter has looked back to the college’s previous leaders and the vision they had for the college’s future. “You really try to imagine what they were thinking and dreaming when they were in a leadership position,” she said. “Being here for this anniversary, it feels like you’re tied to something larger. In talking to alumni and others who have some touch with the college, I think we’ve honored those first leaders’ original vision.” As for the college’s next 90 years, DeWinter refers to MCC’s role as the community’s college. “I see it as being indispensable for every aspect of the community, as well as leading the way in statewide initiatives like Future Ready Iowa, and getting more high school students choosing to go to college after high school,” she said. “MCC provides a balance in college transfer, career training and signature programs like fine arts, it’s not an either/or. That’s the beauty of community colleges, we can really foster the creative sides of our students. I don’t see that waning as we go on.”
MCC has a number of activities planned learn more @ eicc.edu/mcc90 10
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I came here thinking I would change the world one student at a time, instead, they have changed me one student at a time.
Maquoketa Center
WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME “Where everybody knows your name.” That slogan from a certain popular television show from the 80s and early 90s, is even more appropriate and fitting for Clinton Community College’s Maquoketa Center. “There are just so many ways we support the students,” said Continuing Education Specialist Penny Plautz, who is in charge of all things connected with the center. “The staff has been here for 10 years. The students and everyone else who comes through those doors feels like they know us, and we know them.” Clinton Community College has had a presence in Maquoketa for more than 30 years, starting at a facility located across from the high school football field and next to a community swimming pool that was long ago filled in and no longer in existence. The college left that building in the early 2000s and after a few years
of moving around to borrowed locations, constructed a new 11,000-square-foot building at 501 W. Washington St., next to the high school. That center is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Plautz started working for the college a couple of years prior to the opening of the building and has been there ever since. With a slight smile she remembers thinking she would only be there for a few years before moving on. “The staff even joked that they would be here long after I left, but I became attached,” she said. “People feel like they can talk to us. You really feel the ‘community’ in community college here.” The college delivers a wide range of services for the community. Three of the classrooms are used daily to provide college classes for Maquoketa High School students, allowing them to earn college credits while still in high school.
Utilizing a combination of classroom and online classes, anyone can earn their Associate in Arts Degree at the center. A career program in Administrative Office Support is available and, in 2013, the addition of a half-million-dollar Advanced Manufacturing Center now allows it to provide training in welding, machining and related manufacturing technology areas. Certified Nurse Aide training was also added to the growing list of offerings just this year. It doesn’t end there, students can take advantage of HiSET classes to earn their high school equivalency degree, and the public can enroll in a number of fun Continuing Education classes and attend regular Visiting Artist performances and senior-related classes. “A few years ago we formed a community board and one of the big things we talked about was a college for kids,” said Plautz. “We started that in partnership with Jackson
County Extension and it’s a big hit every year.” She said partnerships with local business and other entities have played a key role in the center’s success, pointing to work they have done, among many others, with the local banks, the YMCA, and especially the Maquoketa Community School District. “We provide students and the public an opportunity they may not have had,” said Plautz. “I came here thinking I would change the world one student at a time, instead, they have changed me one student at a time.”
Find more @ eicc.edu/maq10 or 563-652-5000
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© blueskyimagery
sk most people for one word to describe the Quad Cities this past year and “flood” will probably be at the top of the list. The QC experienced the longest lasting flood ever in 2019. But maybe there are some better words to describe the year like “volunteer,” “cooperation,” “support” and “community.”
Brian Ritter, Executive Director at Nahant Marsh, located on the southwest edge of Davenport knows all those words and the experiences that come with them. “The volume of water we took on was incredible,” Ritter said. “It was estimated we had almost a trillion gallons of water in the marsh, equivalent to 1.5 million Olympic size swimming pools. The marsh is normally only two feet deep. During the flood it was 13 feet deep.” At slightly over 300 acres in size, Nahant Marsh is one of the largest urban wetlands on the Upper Mississippi River. Comprised of marshy areas, wet and sand prairie, and bottomland forest, you might look at it as Mother Nature’s way of controlling flooding naturally.
“It was a long stretch and we definitely lost out on visitors. We probably lost $60,000 from that and the additional overtime cost.” Nahant is free to visitors. It generates income by conducting educational classes and workshops, primarily for kindergarten through high school students. Some of those classes were moved to other locations such as EICC’s downtown Urban Campus. Others, those in which students explore the actual marsh, were unable to be held. Even in the face of all that, Ritter and his staff have prevailed with some truly unbelievable news. “We’re still on tap to see a record attendance,” he said. “We are on pace to serve 20,000 people this year, compared to 18,000 last year. That’s a testament to the staff and volunteers.” As for the marsh, Ritter was genuinely concerned it would never be the same again, that it would never fully revive from so many weeks of flooding.
“That’s the beauty of this place, it takes on excess water and helps protect the community,” Ritter said. “And in normal times it helps filter the water. As water floats in, it filters out pollution.”
But Mother Nature has a way of taking care of things. Visitors before the flooding will notice little difference in the way the marsh looks today.
Over the years though, more and more levies and dikes have been constructed along the Mississippi River. Coupled with increasing amounts of snow and rainfall, it has forced more water down the river, placing increasing pressure on the marsh.
Ritter and the Nahant board are now looking to the future. It recently purchased a new 40-acre parcel of land and will be restoring it back to prairie and wetland, as well as adding trails and shelters. Long-term, they hope to be able to double the marsh’s size.
“This decade we have had 323 days above flood stage,” said Ritter. “The 1990s were the next wettest decade and there were 131 days. Prior to the 1970s it was about 40 days per decade.” Nahant is a cooperative venture of the City of Davenport, the nonprofit Nahant Marsh Board and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). Two buildings near the middle of the marsh provide classroom and exhibit space, offices and a maintenance shop. Those buildings are the heart of the operation. It was a 24hour, seven-day a week effort to sandbag and monitor pumps to save them. Three separate times the river crested and began to drop, only to rise again. Ritter and his volunteers, both physically and mentally drained, wondered if it was ever going to end. “We lost access to the buildings for almost 40 days at the heart of our busy season,” Ritter said. “The fact we were able to keep water out of them was incredible. The volunteers saved us. We brought them in, in trucks tall enough to be above the water.
Ritter gives credit for Nahant’s success to its active board of directors, the cooperative effort of the City of Davenport and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, the donations of corporations and individuals, and “a lot of great community support in general.”
To view an Iowa Public Television story about the marsh and its history go to eicc.edu/flood
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Brad Scott
ou’ve probably heard the saying “it takes a village.” While the phrase is often used in reference to raising children, the same can be said here at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). Our “village” of dedicated, caring and selfless faculty and staff make meeting the needs of our students and community possible. Seven faculty and staff were recently recognized for their contributions with EICC’s Emeritus Award. The award is presented to retired and retiring individuals who exemplify service to students and the community during their years with the college.
Cindy LaFrentz
served more than 40 years in the EICC Business Office, retiring as the Purchasing Specialist for the district. Her dedication, enthusiasm and positive disposition combined with her high level of professionalism ensured the district’s financial success.
Laurie Adolph
served more than 30 years, supporting student success from all directions. During her time with EICC she built an impressive resume, working at Clinton Community College as an adjunct instructor, full-time faculty member and Department Coordinator. At the district level she worked as the Institutional Effectiveness Director and Dean of Curriculum.
Mark Aronson
served as the Program Director for Scott Community College’s Culinary Arts Program, building it into what it is today – a nationally recognized program that produces highly trained chefs every year. One of his most celebrated accomplishments has been the success of SCC’s Culinary Arts Apprenticeship Program. It has served as a model for other institutions across the country and received numerous awards and accolades for its innovative and effective teaching approach.
EICC HONORS THOSE WHO SERVED WITH
Distinction Ron Serpliss
Laurie Cindy Paul Brad
served 20 plus years with EICC in a variety of roles, including Dean of Students and Dean at Clinton Community College. A forward thinker, innovator and creator, Serpliss has also been the guiding hand in many campus improvement projects and helped facilitate discussions and agreements for concurrent offerings.
Paul Wilts
served 38 years as an Instructor for Muscatine Community College, exemplifying EICC’s commitment to a culture of high aspirations and expectations. Wilts has instructed welding, maintenance technician and engineering tech students, as well as worked in Continuing Education training dozens of companies including Raymond, HNI, Musco and Carver Pump.
Russ Dunn
Russ (Armond) Dunn served more than 30 years as a Biology Instructor at Scott Community College with his passion for science motivating students to learn and achieve beyond their own expectations. In 2008, he created an Honors Seminar titled “The Biology of Cancer,” which has been taught repeatedly due to its popularity, especially among pre-health majors.
served as an Environmental Science Instructor at Scott Community College for more than three decades, using his expertise to ignite a passion in students for stewardship of the outdoors. In addition to his devoted work in the classroom, Aronson worked as the Environmental Club Advisor, assisted ATEEC on numerous grants and helped develop a new online education program for environmental science called “Navigate.”
Russ Dunn
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Ron Serpliss
Mark Aronson
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loors were ripped out, fresh paint applied, and life-like simulators installed over the summer at Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Community College’s nursing labs – the extensive work all culminating in a grand debut this fall. Each campus threw open its doors, inviting the community to get a handson look at the updates which included a fresh, modern look and simulation bays that mirror a real hospital room. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to get that patient care feel in a simulated hospital setting,” said Nursing Program Director Lori Haugen. “It will help build confidence.” As prospective students made their way through the labs the excitement was undeniable. From adult male simulators, to a new pediatric patient simulator, to a female simulator that gives birth to a tiny sim baby, those attending the open houses were able to get a real feel for what being a nurse may be like! Watch a news story about Muscatine’s new lab or view photos of Clinton and Scott’s at eicc.edu/labdebut
NURSING LABS MAKE DEBUT
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges offer programs in the list to the right of career and technical education subject areas. Due to accreditation, licensing, or other determining factors, additional admissions requirements are required for the programs indicated with an asterisk.
Accounting Management Administrative and Office Support Agribusiness Management American Sign Language English Interpreting* Auto Collision Repair Technology Automotive Technology Business Management Cancer Information Management* Certified Nurse Aide* CNC Machining Culinary Arts Dental Assisting* Dental Hygiene*** Diesel Technology Early Childhood Education Electroneurodiagnostic Technology**
Emergency Medical Services* Engineering Technology Environmental, Health and Safety Farm Management Graphic Arts Technology Health Information Technology Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Hospitality Management Information Technology * Mechanical Design Technology Medical Assistant* Nursing* Mortuary Science*** Radiologic Technology* Renewable Energy System Specialist Respiratory Care**** Sonography *
Clinton Community College faculty prepare the simulated mother and baby for students.
Supply Chain and Logistics Surgical Technology* Technical Studies Truck Driving* Turf and Landscape Veterinary Technician* Welding * Awards within these areas of study have additional admissions requirements. The specific awards and links to these additional requirements can be found at eicc.edu/programs ** This program is no longer accepting new students ***This is a shared program with Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg, IL. Students attend courses in Galesburg ****This is a shared program with Northeast Iowa Community College (NIACC)
Annual Notice of Non-Discrimination Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact Debora J. Sullivan, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, 563-336-3487, HYPERLINK “mailto:djsullivan@eicc.edu” djsullivan@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, Illinois 60661-7204, phone number 312-7301560, fax 312-730-1576, HYPERLINK “mailto:OCR.Chicago@ ed.gov” OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.
Community's College | MAGAZINE THETHE Community's College | MAGAZINE 15 15
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f you like what you see here, there’s even more online! In partnership with our THE Community’s College Magazine in print form, we also have an online edition with expanded content and video features.
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A S F A F e h t t u o Fill IT’S FREE...IT’S EASY...IT’S FAST You may qualify for loans, grants, scholarships or work study! Filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the BEST way to get money for college. Get started now at eicc.edu/fafsainfo
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