Tools: Advocating for Iowa Community Colleges
There are a number of tools that we will use the entirety of the legislative session. Keep these at your fingertips as our policies and priorities progress!
- Bill Tracker: The most current information on all bills that have any impact on community colleges.
- Legislative Priorities: The basis of all bills, policies, and changes being considered.
- Quorum: The way to connect to your legislator with prepared messages on the most important issues.
Training: Register for the Iowa Community College AI in Teaching Workshops to be held February 27 and March 27, virtually (free)
Iowa community college faculty are invited to participate in a half-day professional learning session focused on the role of artificial intelligence in community college instruction. This workshop will bring together faculty from across disciplines to explore how AI is shaping teaching, learning, and assessment.
The session will begin at noon with opening remarks from faculty leaders at NICC and DMACC. Topics will include current trends in artificial intelligence, instructional design considerations, ethical and responsible use of AI, and the implications of AI for academic integrity.
Participants will then move into discipline-based breakout sessions facilitated by faculty colleagues. These discussions will provide an opportunity to share perspectives, ask questions, and consider practical applications of AI within specific fields. The day will conclude with a group share-out and closing remarks, with the session ending at 4:30 pm.
This session is designed for faculty at all levels of experience with AI, from those just beginning to explore these tools to those already integrating them into their teaching.
Trustee Tip: Lead With Iowa’s “Why” - Access + Workforce Results
As you engage with your community and legislators this session, one of the most effective things you can do is connect today’s policy conversations to Iowa’s long-standing community college mission: providing open access education while delivering workforce-ready results.
A quick way to ground that message is to reference Iowa’s long-standing workforce and economic development tools, programs that have been building opportunity for Iowans for decades, including:
- 260E (Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program, established 1983) — helping businesses create and train for new jobs
- 260F (Iowa Jobs Training Program, established 1983) — supporting upskilling for existing employees
- 260G (Accelerated Career Education Program, established 1983) — expanding high-demand CTE programs aligned with employers
- WTED (Workforce Training and Economic Development Fund, established 2003) — strengthening and enhancing career and technical education programs, with a strong focus on Iowa’s targeted industry clusters
When funding or accountability questions arise, lead with a reminder that Iowa’s community colleges aren’t new to workforce solutions - we’ve been delivering them through proven state programs for decades. Learn more in the Trustee Handbook here.