News Release

CRESTON — Representatives from Southwestern Community College (SWCC) were on-hand Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at Osceola Food, a local manufacturing facility owned by Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE:HRL), to sign five Osceola Food employees for SWCC’s industrial technology program and one Osceola Food employee for SWCC’s electrical technology program in Creston.

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, at 5:30 p.m., for their regular board meeting.

In personnel, the board moved to extend the contracts of Lindsay Stoaks, vice president of instruction, and John Franklin, assistant vice president of instruction, through June 30, 2022, with salary increases of 3.25 percent.

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, at 5:30 p.m., in the Agricultural Sciences Center.

Following a report by Tia Samo, SWCC chief financial officer, the board approved a $5 per credit hour tuition increase for the 2021-22 academic year. With this increase, SWCC’s in-state tuition and fees will be $202 per credit hour and out-of-state tuition and fees will be $209 per credit hour. Proposed changes to the course fees for the following classes were approved as well: ADN 561 medical surgical nursing II; PNN 172 fundamentals of nursing; MUA 101 applied voice; and MUA 201 applied voice II.

After a one-year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southwestern Community College athletic department is hosting its 21st Annual 4-Person Best Shot Golf Tournament on Saturday, May 15, at Crestmoor Golf Club, 1801 W. Townline St., in Creston. Tee times will be 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Southwestern Community College’s Beta Eta Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) held its Spring 2021 Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 5:30 p.m., in the Student Center gymnasium.

During the ceremony, 2020-21 officers were honored for their service and 2021-22 officers were inducted into their officer positions. Outgoing chapter officers included Jill Wallace of Greenfield, president; Tessa Powers of Creston, vice president; and alternative officers-VPs Riley Beard of Diagonal, Eric Desbois of Brooklin, Ontario, Canada, and Matt Rinehart of Creston. Incoming officers for the 2021-22 year include Chase Miner of Leon, president; Heylee Shields of Creston, vice president of fellowship; Thomas Esterhuyse of Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa, vice president of leadership; and Liberty Armstrong of Creston, vice president of service.

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met by phone for their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was held electronically due to social distancing requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lindsay Stoaks, SWCC vice president of instruction, presented to the board regarding the addition of an early childhood education certificate. Stoaks said as a part of the early childhood education (ECE) curriculum, students will have opportunities to learn foundational skills in the ECE field while fulfilling many of the requirements associated with obtaining the Child Development Associate (CDA), which is a nationally-recognized credential earned by those working in the early childhood care and education field. The stand-alone certificate program will require completion of 13 credits. All of the coursework will be delivered online. In a memo to the board, Stoaks said SWCC has offered ECE coursework, through its partnership with the Iowa Community College Online Consortium, since 2008. Following Stoaks presentation, the board unanimously approved the addition of the early childhood education certificate program.

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) students Tessa Powers of Creston and Jill Wallace of Greenfield were honored as members of the 2021 All-Iowa Academic Team during a virtual recognition ceremony sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society in March.

The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of trustees held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. The board held the meeting electronically due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first action item on the agenda was consideration of the fiscal year 2022 budget. A public hearing was held and no oral or written objections or petitions were heard or submitted. The board approved the budget as presented.

CRESTON, Iowa—Dr. Barb Crittenden, who has been president at Southwestern Community College since November 1996, announced today she will retire later this year. Crittenden made her announcement during this evening’s regular monthly board meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the college’s Administration Center.

“I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of Southwestern for nearly 40 years, including the past 24 years as president,” said Crittenden. “During that time, faces and names have changed, but the college has consistently had a strong core of faculty, staff, and board members who believe in the mission of community colleges and work hard every day to provide opportunities for the students and communities we serve.”

Feb. 10, 2021, CRESTON, IOWA—The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met electronically on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creston, IA—Southwestern Community College (SWCC) employees were honored in January, at the college’s all-staff in-service, for their years of service to the institution. Two of these employees, Ann Coulter (pictured above left) of Creston and Kysa Gordon (pictured above right) of Lenox, have achieved more than 35 years of service each.

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) has a variety of scholarship opportunities available to new and returning students for the 2021-22 academic year.

For the first time in its history, the Iowa Community College Online Consortium (ICCOC) will add a four-year university to its membership. Iowa Wesleyan University (IW) will become part of the ICCOC as a Tier 4 partner beginning in the summer of 2021. 

Creston—The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of trustees met electronically on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at 5:30 p.m., for their regular monthly board meeting. The meeting was held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of trustees held their regular board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of trustees held their regular board meeting electronically on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting was held electronically due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Southwestern Community College sophomore ag business student Cody Miller of Thayer was recently honored by Kubota Tractor Corp., in partnership with the Farmer Veteran Coalition, as one of five farmer veterans nationwide to receive Kubota equipment as part of the 2020 Geared to Give program.

Southwestern Community College (SWCC) hosted fall 2020 new member virtual inductions for the Beta Eta Nu chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 5:30 p.m. 

Diogenes "Dio" Ayala, Southwestern Community College criminal justice instructor, of Winterset, graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Citizens Academy program on Oct. 14, 2020.

Creston— The Southwestern Community College (SWCC) board of directors met Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, at 5:30 p.m., in the Agricultural Sciences Center on the Creston campus.

Following the approval of consent agenda items, including the tentative agenda, payables, and depository resolution, the board recessed to hold an exempt collective bargaining strategy session.