2026 Marks 60 Years of Impact for Iowa’s Statewide Community College System
Community colleges have been working for Iowa since 1966. With 2026 marking the 60th Anniversary of Iowa’s Statewide Community College System, we celebrate the millions of students served with accessible, affordable higher education. Decades of important decisions by state legislators have led to every Iowan being able to live in their homes, work in their communities, and grow in their careers. Throughout the year, we will be reflecting on our impact to date while looking toward the future of the community college system and our state as a whole. Thank you for the role you have in reaching this milestone!
Register for CCforIowa + Coursedog’s “Thought Leadership” Webinar, to be held February 12
From Patchwork to Platform: Reimagining Academic Operations for Iowa’s Community Colleges
Iowa’s community colleges are being asked to move faster— responding to workforce needs, supporting transfer pathways, and serving an increasingly diverse student population. Yet many institutions still rely on legacy systems and manual workarounds to manage curriculum, catalogs, and scheduling.
In partnership with the Community Colleges for Iowa, Brian Davenport (Director of Partnerships) will share how Iowa community colleges are modernizing academic operations to increase agility, improve collaboration, and reduce administrative burden. This session will explore the limitations of legacy technology, what modernization looks like in practice, and how a unified academic operations platform can better support today’s academic and workforce priorities.
A multitude of roles are encouraged to attend, from registrar to operations to leadership. All involved in aligning functions across your college's higher ed ecosystem can expect to get new ideas for your persistent challenges. Register for the webinar here.
Register for the Day on the Hill Webinar, to be held February 20
Community College Supporters Celebrating 60 Years of Impact at the Capitol
Get ready for our annual “Community Colleges Day on the Hill” with this free webinar, led by our advocacy team. The webinar will overview the current make-up of the legislature, where we are in the legislative process, and what community college issues we're focusing on. We will also be sharing best practices for effectively talking with legislators, so all community college supporters can feel confident in the Capitol. Finally, the webinar will close with a brief overview of the event itself and day-of logistics. Register for the webinar here.
Register for the Data in Action Series’ Spring Sessions + Topics
Building a Data-Driven Community College Culture in Iowa: Empowering Campuses Through Insight, Strategy, and Collaboration
As the first state in the nation to participate in the National Community College Benchmark Project and to partner with the Richmond Federal Reserve on its Survey of Community College Outcomes, Iowa’s community colleges have access to two complementary, high-impact data resources.
The National Community College Benchmark Project provides national comparisons of student progress, completion, and equity across peer institutions, allowing colleges to understand their performance in context and identify opportunities for improvement. The Richmond Federal Reserve’s Survey of Community College Outcomes captures information that is not available through traditional administrative data, including graduates’ employment experiences, earnings, further education, and perceptions of how well their education prepared them for the workforce.
The goal of this series is to empower Iowa’s community colleges with the knowledge, tools, and collaborative strategies necessary to foster a culture of data-informed decision-making that improves student success and institutional effectiveness. This series will help campuses integrate insights from both initiatives, translate data into action, and collaborate across institutions to align strategy with evidence, strengthen accountability, and use data intentionally to expand opportunity and change lives across Iowa.
Each session has a topic that may be helpful to several departments or positions on each campus. All who are interested are encouraged to attend as we embrace data at every level.
Registration is open now for the following sessions/topics:
Tuesday, February 17 – 10-11:30 am - Using Data to Improve Student Success
Wednesday, March 25 – 12-1:30 pm - Program Review & Curriculum Improvement
Monday, April 20 – 3-4:30 pm - Workforce Alignment & Employer Engagement
Thursday, May 14 – 9-10:30 am - Enrollment Management & Strategic Planning
Monday, June 8 – 12-1:30 pm - Operational Efficiency & Resource Allocation