Advocacy and Policy

State Policy

Last Wednesday, January 28, the House Higher Education Committee met to discuss a number of bills. One of which was HSB 533, pertaining to community college baccalaureate degrees. During the Committee the bill was amended to change the original proposal to a pilot program. The pilot would allow a community college to offer a baccalaureate degree if it:

Is located at least 50 miles from the main campus of a regent or private university that is offering the proposed degree program already
Addresses a high-demand, sustained, and unmet workforce need within the community college region
Falls within the following fields: education, nursing, information technology, public safety, Business, health care management, agriculture, and dental hygiene.
Provides no more than three baccalaureate degrees

The amended bill was passed with bipartisan support. It next goes to the House floor. We’ll continue to have discussions about the importance of this opportunity and the necessary funding for colleges to accomplish this. If you are interested in reaching out to legislators on this bill, we have opened a quorum campaign for you to reach out about the impact this opportunity would have for your college and community.

Make sure you’re signed up for Quorum to receive weekly legislative updates about important bill movement, proposed changes, and issues that we need you to take action on!

Federal Update

On January 31, the Federal Government went into a partial shutdown due to certain agencies, including Departments of Education, Labor, and others, not getting included in the six funding bills that were previously signed into law. This resulted in the Department of Education having to temporarily furlough staff and pause their grant-making and civil rights investigations. They continued to disburse Pell grants and the origination of student loans, provide access to FAFSA, collect student loans, and grant drawdowns. This paused activity and partial shutdown was short-lived, with a continuing resolution getting passed yesterday, Tuesday, February 3, and the Departments resuming full operations. Importantly, there were no cuts or elimination of student aid and other critical programs included in the Resolution.

CCforIowa will be in Washington, D.C. for 2026 Community College National Legislative Summit

This coming week, the CCforIowa team will join some of our community colleges in Washington, D.C. for the 2026 Community College National Legislative Summit! This event is an opportunity for CCforIowa to shine a spotlight on the importance of our nation’s community colleges to Congress and the Administration while also learning about the current climate in D.C. around issues impacting the community colleges. While there, we will meet with our congressional offices to advocate for their support of our students and communities. Keep an eye on our social media for real time photos and updates.

CCforIowa Bulletin

60th Anniversary Promoting Iowa Community College’s Impact

We hope you feel like you’ve been seeing a lot of us… and a lot of yourselves. In recent years during the legislative session, CCforIowa has run a paid marketing campaign to share with legislators and the public the value of community colleges. We’ve featured student success, business-education partnerships, and with this being a very special year, we are now sharing about our 60th anniversary and the impact we’ve made. You’ll see all 15 institutions represented as we celebrate “Community Colleges Working For Iowa Since 1966!”

CCforIowa staff, Monique and Ryan, take a quick selfie in the Rotunda as they make the plan to have community college supporters at the Capitol during Leadership in Action Week!

Leadership In Action Week is One Month Away: March 2-6

We’re gearing up for the many great opportunities to gain awareness for Iowa community colleges with Leadership In Action Week! Each institution will have students, faculty, administrators, and trustees joining us for the following events:

Student Legislative Seminar: Monday, March 2, 11:30 am – 4:00 pm
Phi Theta Kappa Awards: Monday, March 2, 5:00-8:00 pm
Community College Day on the Hill: Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 am – 12:00 pm

For those who are back on campus, we need you too! All supporters are encouraged to share why community colleges matter. We are marking 60 years of impact and want to tell as many of our stories as possible as we celebrate this milestone and look toward the future! Please repost or tag CCforIowa on social media, send messages to your legislators, and speak with your network on your perspective and the successes you’ve seen created by the Iowa Community College System.

Community College Leadership Development Consortium’s LINC and ICCLI Programs Completed Des Moines Session

Last week marked an important time in the year-round professional development programs led by Community College Leadership Development Consortium. Community college administrators from across the state gathered for the Des Moines session of Leadership Institute for a New Century (LINC) – aimed for early career professionals – and Iowa Community College Leadership Institute (ICCLI) – created for rising to senior-level professionals. Together, they got to explore community colleges’ governmental relations.

CCforIowa got to be on both sides of the programming! Executive Director Emily Shields and Director of Government Relations Ryan Roberts led a session about community college advocacy. Lobbyists Matt Eide and Kate Walton spoke on the legislative outlook of community colleges. And our Director of Strategic Initiatives Monique Ellefson is in this year’s ICCLI class!

We’re grateful for our partnership with Iowa State University, Iowa Department of Education, and Iowa Association of Community College Presidents, united in our commitment to bolstering community college leadership. And a big thank you to Zoë M. Thornton, PhD for leading these efforts!

Photo 1: Community Colleges for Iowa Executive Director Emily Shields and Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich presenting to the House Committee on Higher Education to discuss their Interim report on the feasibility of offering bachelor’s degrees in January. Photo 2: Community Colleges for Iowa Executive Director Emily Shields and Lobbyist Matt Eide in the statehouse speaking to legislators, pictured here with Rep. Megan Jones (R-Sioux Rapids).

Community Colleges at the Capitol

Iowa community colleges have a constant presence at the Iowa Capitol Building. Our team consists of CCforIowa staff, namely Executive Director Emily Shields and Director of Governmental Relations Ryan Robers. CCforIowa utilizes contract lobbyists as a part of our advocacy strategy, which is being fulfilled by consultants Matt Eide and Kate Walton. Each institution has grassroots legislative liaisons, and some institutions also utilize their own contract lobbyists. These are the folks you can see working hard on behalf of community colleges to ensure our priorities and issues receive careful consideration, and legislators are informed on the impact they have. If you have an interest in visiting beyond Leadership In Action Week events, email CCforIowa staff to help arrange your visit and set up meetings.

News

Iowa Capital Dispatch: “Four-year community college degrees can address unmet needs for students, employers”

In an op-ed written by Central Iowa Community College President Jesse Ulrich, he states: “”The bottom line is simple. There are students in our region who want a bachelor’s degree and do not currently have an option that works for them. There are employers who need those graduates to stay and work here. At Iowa Central Community College, we believe higher education policy should put students first, strengthen the workforce, and reflect the realities of today’s learners and communities.” We’re grateful to Jesse for contributing to the conversation on bachelor’s degrees at community colleges. Read the full article from Iowa Capital Dispatch here.

The Daily Iowan: “How the Looming Enrollment Cliff May Impact Iowa’s Workforce”

With national high school graduation rates expected to decrease by 13% by 2041, Iowa’s community college system anticipates smaller class sizes, fewer graduates, and higher competition for student enrollment. Community colleges are already looking ahead to manage the enrollment cliff’s impact, which will potentially affect all areas of community college education, from funding to adjunct faculty positions to the availability of skilled labor for the state’s workforce. Read more from the Daily Iowan here.

WHO-13: Iowa community colleges struggle to fill need for trade teachers

With more students leaning toward learning a trade, Iowa’s community colleges are facing challenges filling teaching roles that require experienced tradespeople. Many schools, including DMACC, have job postings that are open to part-time and full-time teaching from skilled professionals who would like to make a difference in their community. Read more from WHO-13 here.

KWQC: “Riverbend FAME debuts at EICC as Iowa’s first advanced manufacturing training chapter”

A new workforce pipeline creates a paid, earn‑and‑learn route into high‑demand industrial maintenance careers as EICC, Grow Quad Cities, the Manufacturing Institute and regional employers launch Riverbend FAME, Iowa’s first Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education chapter. Students who participate in Riverbend FAME will work directly with sponsoring manufacturers while completing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Industrial Maintenance Technology through Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Read the full story from KWQC here.

Resources

Don’t miss it: 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 Community College Day on the Hill Webinar, to be held February 20

Community College Supporters Showcasing 60 Years of Impact at the Capitol

Get ready for our annual “Community Colleges Day on the Hill” with this 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

Our network is committed to Building a Data-Driven Community College Culture in Iowa. By providing this Data in Action Series, we are Empowering Campuses Through Insight, Strategy, and Collaboration.

We were 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. These sessions will help us decide what comes next!

Registration is open now for these webinars:

These topics 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! Read each session’s description here.

CCforIowa honors trustees each year with an awards dinner and ceremony. Pictured are trustees from across the state who hit milestone years of service – in their 15th and 25th year in these roles for their community – in 2025.

Trustee Tip: Invite Your Legislators Now

As we approach Leadership In Action Week, a little advance outreach can go a long way. Trustees are encouraged to reach out to their legislators now to let them know you’ll be participating and to invite them to connect with you during Day on the Hill on March 3. A brief note or email ahead of time helps put community colleges on their radar, reinforces your role as a local leader, and can make in-person conversations more meaningful when you’re at the Capitol together. We appreciate the trustees who helped us establish this best practice, and those who will help us continue our legacy of warm relations with legislators.