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  • Indian Hills Community College President Dr. Jim Lindenmayer, standing, updates the 16 or so enjoying quiche, sausage, roll, fruit and drinks Tuesday morning as to the college's current situation. Photo by Michael Schaffer

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March 26, 2009

IHCC breakfast table talk

By Michael Schaffer - Managing editor

The talk around the breakfast table Tuesday morning at Indian Hills Community College Centerville campus centered around programs, enrollment numbers and direction in a shrinking market.

The 16 or so enjoying quiche, sausage, roll, fruit and drinks listened as IHCC President Dr. Jim Lindenmayer and other Indian Hills officials described the college's current situation.

"Enrollment is up. We had a record enrollment this spring. We were up a little over 8 percent from spring to spring. And last spring we were up about 8 percent," Lindenmayer said. "We're kind of on a three year or four year ride here where our overall enrollment at the college is up."

Maintaining enrollment has been a challenge for the college, Lindenmayer said. One reason has been a virtual exodus of families and school-age population from the college's core recruitment area.

"We are going to average a loss of 200 school-age children a year for five years," was the information an AEA official told Lindenmayer several years ago.

"And we did that for three straight years. And then the fourth year we lost 600," Lindenmayer said. "Which is not a good trend."

The decision was made to develop initiatives to hopefully grow or maintain enrollment. The college invested in online education.

"In our first year, we had a little over 200 enrollments in online classes at Indian Hills," Lindenmayer said. "Last year we were just over 5,000. And we're over 4,000 for the half year."

A second initiative has been to increase high school partnerships where students are exposed to different career paths.

"Quite frankly, we trailed the pack in our region on that. We weren't sure that was a good path to go down," Lindenmayer said. "We're convinced now that it is. It's good for our area for economic development reasons but it's also good for kids."

The college's third initiative to grow enrollment was new programs. Lindenmayer said the college launched eight to 11 new programs, with sustainable agriculture being launched here in Centerville.

"And I think that has great potential," Lindenmayer said. "It doesn't have the enrollments that we want right now. We're faced with a dilemma. I believe that we need to look at making a bigger investment in that program to grow it."

Despite a growing enrollment, the college is facing a declining budget due to a decline in state funding.

"And we think that's going to cost Indian Hills probably between $1 and $2 million in state funding," Lindenmayer said. "And we cannot make that up through tuition increases. Now is not the right time to just balloon the cost of tuition."

Very soon IHCC plans to open additional "regional academies." One will be at Sigourney High School with the other encompassing Mahaska County schools, including Oskaloosa, North Mahaska and Eddyville High Schools.

"They'll be completely different and they'll completely driven by what their local needs are," Lindenmayer said. "And the idea is to apply training opportunities for young people in the workforce that is needed in their region. So that they can get the training there. They can stay there and get employment. They can raise their families there and begin to re-grow this area economically."

IHCC wants to have six "regional academies" in place and opened within the next three years, Lindenmayer said. The plan is to have one open in Centerville.

"We don't have a timeline on when we will open all six," Lindenmayer said. "A lot of it depends on economics. A lot of it depends on need."

Marlene Sprouse, vice president for academic affairs, gave a list of state and local level approved programs to be offered this fall. Renewable energy technology, electronics engineering technician and medical assisting are three programs students will be able to access.

"So we always have some that are ready to go," she said. "And then we have some that I say they're kind of on the docket."

Included in that list are dental assisting, dental hygiene and occupational therapist.

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This week the Iowegian wants readers to think about the recent decision by the Centerville Municipal Waterworks Board of Directors to increase the fee for late payment of water bills. In a story published in Wednesday's Ad Express, board members announced a 10 percent late fee after two days late, a $50 red tag fee for accounts unpaid after seven days late and a $25 shut off fee, water service terminated after two weeks late. The board said the decision to increase the fees associated with late payment is to encourage customers to pay their bills on time. So, the question this week is, "Are these fees too much to ask for?"

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