The week following the First Funnel is always a bit quieter, and this week was no exception. On Tuesday and Wednesday, our Executive Director MJ Dolan spent the afternoons at the Capitol with ACCT’s Senior Vice President Jee Hang Lee and Grant Program Manager Rachel Rush-Marlowe visiting with Legislators about the challenges facing and solutions to those challenges for rural communities and rural Community Colleges under a Bill & Melinda Gates Grant. NICC President Wee spoke on behalf of the Community Colleges on enrollment trends in higher education before the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Naturally, our Community College contingent at the Committee meeting is biased, but we saw this presentation as a splendid representation of our whole system. Wee fielded a few questions but time was quite limited since the Committee also had College Student Aid Commission, private colleges and Board of Regents on the docket. Iowa Central and Northeast Iowa had their day at the Capitol this week. President Dan Kinney Jr and Liaison Jim Kersten met with their legislators and Wee did the same. Since we have Community College Day on the Hill next Tuesday, we do not have our usual two colleges assigned to come to Des Moines and the schedule will resume the following week. IACCT Legislative Consultant Dave Palmer : (515) 240-9155 or dlpalmer@iacct.com
Community Colleges for Iowa