NICC AND Southwest Tech sign joint education agreement

Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) and Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore, Wis., signed a joint education agreement on June 18 that will offer additional educational opportunities for students. The reciprocity agreement creates more career and technical program options for students who reside in each of the colleges' districts in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin.

With the new agreement, 11 Southwest Tech programs are available to community members in the NICC district area. Several of the programs now available include Auto Collision Repair & Refinish Technician, Bricklaying/Masonry, Engineering Technologist and Golf Course Management. Students in the Southwest Tech district area will also have the option to enroll in 16 NICC programs, including Diesel Mechanics, Large Animal Veterinary Technician, Radiologic Technology, Wind Turbine Repair Technician and others. The agreement will streamline the application and registration process, and make available the same financial aid and scholarship opportunities to all students, regardless of state residency.

Members of the Southwest Tech Board of Trustees and administrative staff came to the NICC Town Clock Center for Professional Development in Dubuque to witness the signing of the agreement by Dr. Liang Chee Wee, NICC president, and Dr. Duane Ford, Southwest Tech president. "The one goal that both of us share is that the dreams of our students come true, and we are very pleased to renew our education agreement," said Dr. Wee. "The signing of this agreement will be of great benefit to the students of both NICC and Southwest Tech."

President Ford noted that the agreement between the two colleges is a crucial step toward maintaining the region's economic well-being. "Jobs know no state borders," said Dr. Ford. "The economic activity that occurs across the Dubuque and Prairie du Chien bridges is important to people living in southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. NICC and Southwest Tech signed this updated reciprocity agreement that will increase access for career and technical education for students, as well as increase the number of skilled workers to fill jobs on both sides of the river," said Ford.

Southwest Tech has over 1,600 full-time equivalent students and serves approximately 12,000 southwest Wisconsin residents each year through degree and certificate programs, basic education, high school equivalency preparation, professional development, customized labor training and emergency responder training. The college offers general education coursework, apprenticeships for students in technical fields and degree programs in agriculture, allied health/service, business, industrial occupations, information technology, nursing, public safety and the service industry.

Over 5000 full- and part-time credit students are enrolled at NICC, and through the college's non-credit Continuing Education and Economic Development divisions, NICC serves an additional 27,500 northeast Iowa residents annually in professional development and workforce training programs. NICC students attend the college's main campuses in Calmar and Peosta, or at NICC centers in Cresco, Dubuque, Manchester, Oelwein and Waukon. NICC offers over 70 academic programs and confers associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science, diploma and certificates upon completion. Twenty-eight programs are available completely online. In fall 2011, the Aspen Institute Community College Excellence Program named NICC to the top ten of community colleges in the nation for the college's graduation rates, academic excellence and successful graduate outcomes.

*****
 Pictured at the signing ceremony are, left to right: Melissa J. Fitzsimons, Southwest Tech board secretary; James D. Kohlenberg, board chair; Dr. Duane Ford, Southwest Tech president; Dr. Liang Chee Wee, NICC president; Dr. Kenneth Reimer, NICC board of trustees president; and Janet Bullerman, NICC board secretary.