Clark Lawler of Eldora was sworn in as the newest member of the Iowa Valley Community College District (IVCCD) Board of Directors this month; he replaces Deborah Crosser, who served on the Board since 2011 and did not seek re-election.

The Board held a reception for Director Crosser and presented her with a plaque in thanks for her years of service to the District and its students and communities.

Also taking the oath of office this month were re-elected Board Directors Larry Johnson of Iowa Falls, Paul Pohlson of Grinnell and Chris Brodin of Marshalltown.

Board members re-elected Johnson as Board President and Pohlson as Board Vice President. They also made several routine appointments and committee assignments for the coming year.

Academic Assessment

A 15-minute presentation on IVCCD’s assessment and student learning journey was provided by Honoria Balogh, ECC English Faculty; Dr. Amanda Estey, ECC Dean of Academic Affairs; and Mark Monroe, MCC Math Faculty.

The three discussed the District’s past and current work on academic assessment and the progress that continues to be made in that important area. The emphasis of the presentation was on the cultural shift from “teaching” (focused on what faculty do in the classroom) to “student learning” (focused on what students learn and how they learn it).

During the action items, the Board approved:

a resolution naming depositories

student activity fee budgets for ECC, MCC and Iowa Valley Grinnell

an amendment to the Iowa Workforce Development budget providing funding for Oct. 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

Gifts Received

the board received numerous gifts, including a 2010 Chevy Equinox valued at $1,200 donated by Wes Finch Auto Plaza to the Iowa Valley Grinnell Automotive Technology program; $54 donated by Scenic City Area Retired Teachers to IVCE for high school equivalency diploma and ESL scholarships, books and testing fees; 94 books valued at $560 donated by Denise Barr to the MCC Humanities/Art Department.

And, $250 donated by Pinnacle Bank to the MCC Diversity Committee; $500 donated by Humphrey Company Ltd. and $100 donated by Margaret Welsh for the MCC Baseball Home Run Derby Fundraiser; and foods/beverages donated to the MCC LULAC Student Council dance by Plaza Mexico, Abarrotes La Salud, Abarrotes Villachuato, Zamora Fresh Market, Lara’s Bakery, El Portal Mexican Restaurant, Mi Ranenito Mexican Grill & Seafood, and Grocery & Tortilleria La Vecindad. JBS also donated food for an MCC Latinx Leadership Initiative event.

The 2018-2019 IVCCD Audit Report by Schnurr & Company was moved to the January Board meeting agenda.

During her report to the Board, Chancellor Kristie Fisher said the District is reviewing its vision, mission and core value statements in preparation for rolling out an updated strategic agenda. She also discussed the timetable for hiring architects and a construction manager to oversee upcoming bond issue projects. A news release about the bond issue projects and timelines was posted on the IVCCD website and sent to districtwide media on Dec. 9.

The next regular meeting of the IVCCD Board will be Wednesday, Jan. 8, at 4 pm in the District Administration Building at 3702 S. Center St. in Marshalltown..

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