Des Moines Area Community College

Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC)
Motto Life's Calling
Established March 18, 1966
Type public
President Rob Denson, 2003 - present
Vice-president Kim Linduska, Greg Martin
Undergraduates 22,987 (2013)[1]
Location several locations, Iowa, USA
Colors blue/white
Website www.dmacc.edu

Des Moines Area Community College is a public institution and Iowa's largest two-year college.[2] DMACC offers 153 programs, certificates and transfer degrees, annually serving more than 75,000 credit and non-credit students at campuses and learning centers throughout Central Iowa. DMACC serves a 6,560 square mile area in 22 counties and has a student to faculty ratio of 18:2.[3]


History

Des Moines Area Community College was created March 18, 1966. The first classes were held on the Ankeny Campus in 1968. DMACC has experienced tremendous growth. In the Fall of 2000, 10,803 students were enrolled at DMACC. By the fall of 2011, that number grew to 25,425.

Awards

Notable Alums

Honors Program

The DMACC Honors Program launched in the fall of 2012. It is the first 20-credit honors program at an Iowa community college. The program is designed for degree-seeking students to expand their boundaries and better prepare them to enter the workforce or continue to an honors program at a four-year college or university.

Athletics

DMACC athletics are located on the Boone Campus. The DMACC Bears compete in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference and the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Bears participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's cross country, men's and women's golf, softball, volleyball, and dance team.

Activities

Each campus offers ways for students to get involved in activities outside of the classroom. Several campuses have their own newspapers including the award-winning Ankeny Chronicle, The Boone Banner and The Urban Vibe. The Student Advisory Council, International Club, and intramural sports are just a few of the clubs and activities offered at DMACC.

Accreditation and Board

DMACC is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.[10] The College is also approved by the Iowa State Department of Education.[11] The College is governed by a nine member Board of Directors, each representing one the of the nine districts the College serves.

Transfer Agreements and Articulations

DMACC has transfer agreements and articulations with several colleges and universities:

National Recognition

DMACC has been the site for visits and announcements by officials from Washington D.C. In February of 2015, Vice President Joe Biden visited the DMACC Ankeny campus, advocating for free community college tuition. In October 2012, the Chairman of the Obama Administration's Council of Economic Advisors spoke at DMACC about the "State of the U.S. Economy.[12] " In the same month, Deputy Labor Secretary, Seth Harris announced a $13 million grant to the Iowa-Advanced Manufacturing Consortium of all 15 Community Colleges in Iowa.[13] U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, visited the DMACC Ankeny campus in April 2012 touting President Obama's plan to help needy students earn a degree.[14]

References