Title III President’s Grant Update Provided to Iowa Lakes Board

(Estherville, Iowa) Iowa Lakes Community College Trustees met Tuesday afternoon at the SERT Facility on the Estherville Campus. During Tuesday’s meeting, the Board received an update on the Title III President’s Grant.

Tom Brotherton, Executive Dean of the Emmetsburg Campus, presented.

Brotherton is also the Project Director for the Title III President’s Grant. During his presentation, Brotherton introduced the team that facilitates the Title III Grant at Iowa Lakes Community College. The group includes Abby Burns, Project Co-Coordinator, Susan Pietz, Project Co-Coordinator, and Jennifer Petersen, Educational Technologist.

The Title III President’s Grant was awarded to Iowa Lakes Community College in 2016 and is now in fiscal-year four of the five-year grant. Iowa Lakes will continue to focus on additional activities and data analysis throughout the grant term.

“The fourth year of the Title III Grant will have the largest impact on Iowa Lakes, in terms of funded upgrades for instructional technology and the implementation of additional faculty training,” said Brotherton.

Iowa Lakes was awarded $1.7 million, through the Title III President’s Grant, allowing Iowa Lakes to continue to infuse active learning technologies into classrooms, while exploring advanced teaching methods with faculty, and piloting dynamic learning simulation.

“We have been able to upgrade more classrooms than originally planned while providing additional faculty training opportunities. Some of these opportunities include supporting new methods for online course instruction and virtual delivery.  The Title III Grant funding was critical to the successful adaptations and continuation of coursework in the spring semester, through the early months of COVID-19,” said Brotherton.

Delaine Hiney, Executive Director of Facilities Management, shared new COVID-19 mitigation efforts implemented at Iowa Lakes.

“Iowa Lakes has fogged all standard classrooms with an antimicrobial surface protectant to sanitize students’ workspaces. This protectant lasts for 90 days and is proven to be highly effective,” said Hiney.

Other mitigation efforts discussed include the adjustment of the HVAC system on the campuses of Iowa Lakes, by strategically timing air exchanges with a higher fresh air percentage and increasing the overall fresh air brought into the facilities throughout the day.

Robert Leifeld, Vice President of Administration, presented the Spring and Summer 2020 graduates’ list, which was approved.

Valerie Newhouse, President, provided an update to the Board on the fall 2020 schedule.

Newhouse shared, “This weekend, Iowa Lakes’ students will begin to move onto campus, with added precautions. We are eager to begin another academic year, and while we have made some changes, the feeling of excitement is still strong on our campuses.”

The Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees will hold their next meeting on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, at the SERT Facility on the Estherville Campus. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm.

For More Information:

Iowa Lakes Marketing office at 712-362-7947