2012

Published August 22, 2012 2:41 pm

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, August 21, 2012, at 8:30 a.m., for their regular monthly board meeting.  Due to a light agenda, the meeting was held electronically.

In personnel, the board approved the resignation of nursing instructor Steve Orazem who has accepted a similar position at Des Moines Area Community College.  Orazem came to Southwestern in August 2011 from Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he was employed as manager of the oncology unit.

Published August 14, 2012 9:33 am

Creston, IA—Southwestern Community College recently announced Beth Kulow of Creston as the first STEM hub manager for southwest Iowa. STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.  The state of Iowa has appropriated funding to establish regional STEM hubs across the state.

In May 2012, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, and University of Northern Iowa President Ben Allen announced the selection of six regional network hubs to promote STEM education and economic development across Iowa.  According to the governor’s website, each STEM hub will work with business, education institutions, nonprofit groups and others in their region in a way that best fits local needs, interests, and resources.

Published August 8, 2012 8:40 am

"Where are all the Skilled Workers?," a workshop to help your community shape tomorrow's workforce by solving problems today, will be held August 28, 2012, from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Supertel, 800 Laurel St., in Creston.  The cost is $25 per person and includes lunch.

The workshop features speakers from a variety of backgrounds.  It is being offered as a collaborative effort between Southwestern Community College, Skilled Iowa, IowaWorks Southern Hills, Ready Resource, MATURA, and the Employers' Council of Iowa.

To register, please e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Published August 6, 2012 8:36 am

Southwestern Community College volleyball camps have wrapped up for summer 2012.  A high school team tournament volleyball camp, held on Friday, August 3, 2012, ended a series of volleyball camps held throughout the summer. According to camp director and SWCC Head Volleyball Coach Melissa Blessington, there were 10 high school teams in attendance on Friday. The SWCC admissions department served lunch to the participants.

Other camps held this summer included a high school individual camp with 24 participants and a middle school camp, where the SWCC volleyball coaches and players hosted approximately 45 participants.

Published July 20, 2012 10:44 am

Approximately 70  new Southwestern Community College students were on campus Friday, July 20, 2012, for new student orientation.  Students learned about the SWCC campus, registered for classes, purchased books, and completed necessary requirements for registration.  New students who have not yet attended a new student orientation may register by completing the New Student Orientation Registration.

Classes begin at SWCC on August 29.  "Read More" for more photos.

Published July 12, 2012 5:06 pm

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at 5:30 p.m. for their regular board meeting.

A public hearing was held for the lease of land for a tower on the Creston campus.  During the public hearing, Ken Rech, SWCC board president from Red Oak, asked for any objections or petitions, but none were submitted or heard.  Later in the meeting, the land lease was approved with Electronic Engineering.  At the June board meeting, Tom Lesan, SWCC vice president of economic development, had explained to the board that the lease would need to be extended until September 30, 2012, due to a delay in getting equipment transferred from one tower to another.  Lesan said further details of this arrangement have been worked out and with the new terms, the lease will be extended at a rate of $500 per month through the end of the lease.  Lesan said if the tower is not removed by September 30, the rent will be increased to $1,000 for the month of October and $2,000 for the months of November and December.

Published July 6, 2012 3:58 pm

CRESTON — Southwestern Community College (SWCC) student Sheldon Triggs of Mt. Ayr placed fourth in the nation for collision repair, at the 2012 SkillsUSA Championships held June 23-27, 2012, in Kansas City, MO.

The SkillsUSA Championships showcase the best career and technical students in the nation.  Triggs qualified for the national competition by placing first in the collision repair competition at the Iowa SkillsUSA 2012 competition in Ankeny in April.

Published July 2, 2012 3:35 pm

Thanks to everyone who assisted with and attended the 2012 SWCC Speedway Nights on June 23 at the Adams County Speedway in Corning and June 30 at the Clarke County Speedway in Osceola!  The events were great opportunities to showcase the college and spread the word about everything SWCC has to offer students.  It was a lot of fun for speedway visitors to play games and win prizes.  Photos from the events are now available on SWCC's Facebook page.

Published June 25, 2012 2:08 pm

Special Note:  The SWCC Bookstore will be closed for fiscal year-end inventory on Wednesday, June 27, and Thursday, June 28.  The store will re-open, at 7:30 am, on Friday, June 29. 

Published June 18, 2012 2:43 pm

CRESTON — Following a field trip to an electrical supply distributor in Cedar Rapids, Southwestern Community College’s Electrical Technology Club, also known as “The Crew,” brainstormed an energy savings idea related to the vending machines on SWCC’s campus.