Iowa Western Community College

The Board of Trustees invites nominations and applications for the position of President of Iowa Western Community College. The selected candidate will be the fourth president in the history of the institution.

Since its foundation in 1967, the College has continued to provide outstanding opportunities in education and training for over 4,000 students each semester. Iowa Western has 84 career & technical and arts & sciences programs, including innovative Robotics/Automated Systems Technology, Industrial Technology, and Allied Health. With a thriving student life including on-campus housing, nationally-recognized athletic programs, and a premier arts facility, Iowa Western is a cornerstone of the region’s economic stability and prosperity.

Iowa Western Community College serves a 7-county region, with community-driven classes and services offered at rural centers in Atlantic, Clarinda, Harlan, and Shenandoah. The sprawling main campus is over 180-acres in Council Bluffs, on the east bank of the Missouri River, across from Omaha, Nebraska.

Some of the region’s outdoor activities include hiking, canoeing, and biking. Along with outstanding museums, galleries, and historic landmarks, the Omaha Metropolitan Area is home to the College World Series, Eppley Airfield, and the Henry Doorly Zoo. 

The President of IWCC will be a strong communicator and collaborator, serve as a visible spokesperson throughout the region, make a long-term commitment to the College, and address the following opportunities and challenges:

• Increase enrollment and retention by modernizing processes, promoting and showcasing Iowa Western’s strengths, and offering innovative programs and support services to attract students from both inside and outside of Iowa Western’s service area.
• Continue to build relationships throughout the state and region and increase external funding to strengthen and expand career & technical programs, facilitate transfer articulation with four-year institutions, improve online learning, and collaborate with over 30 K-12 districts/school systems.
• Further develop strategic partnerships with business and industry in order to best serve and nimbly respond to changing needs.
• Assess spaces and facilities to determine the need for repair, renovation, and/or repurposing in order to meet enrollment and student service needs.
• Provide visionary leadership, cultivate a climate of inclusion and trust, and focus on decisions that are in the best interest of all students.
• Function within financial realities.

Ideal Characteristics:

• A student-focused leader with a commitment to academic excellence and student development.
• A transformational leader who builds an inclusive environment where all students and employees are treated respectfully, differences are heard and expressed through civil discourse, and the College is unified around its mission and values.
• A visible spokesperson and thought leader who will create partnerships with all stakeholders, including K-12 districts and school systems, higher education institutions, businesses and industries, non-profits, government agencies, and state legislatures.
• An inclusive individual with a deep and demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity, and social justice.
• A steward of the College’s fiscal resources with experience providing oversight and accountability for a large and complex budget.
• A manager who will provide strong financial oversight and has experience implementing bond projects and overseeing construction projects and facilities.
• A visionary leader with proven success in developing and executing a strategic plan.
• A skillful leader in crisis management with an ongoing focus on and commitment to campus safety.
• An entrepreneurial leader with a successful track record of fundraising and working with a college foundation.
• An energetic leader who has experience developing new relationships, engaging alumni and community leaders, and developing a culture of philanthropy.
• An academic leader who works in partnership with faculty and staff and supports inter-departmental communication and collaboration.
• An innovator who embraces technology and fosters ongoing modernization for different modalities of learning.
• A compassionate leader who possesses a comprehensive understanding of the needs of all students and a demonstrated cultural competency for meeting the needs of students with diverse abilities and diverse academic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• An exceptional administrator who has experience working at an institution with pre-college experiences, concurrent-enrollment opportunities, athletic programs, and student housing.
• A data-driven educator who has experience spearheading articulation agreements, providing accreditation oversight, and continuing to innovate academic and career & technical programs.
• A genuine communicator who has experience working with and for a governing board.
• An exceptional collaborator and mediator who is committed to empowering, retaining, and working with faculty, staff, and administrators.
• A leader of integrity who is open-minded, transparent, honest, approachable, and enthusiastic.

Qualifications:

• Doctorate from a regionally-accredited institution is highly preferred.
• Significant executive-level experience, preferably at a community college.
• Classroom teaching experience is preferred.