With 334 dorm rooms available – 225 apartments and 109 traditional dorm rooms – campus living this fall is almost at capacity.

According to Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich, 1,187 students had committed to campus living as of Thursday, leaving just 76 openings and housing applications coming in each day.

“We anticipate being at or near 100 percent capacity when the school year begins on Monday,” said Ulrich.

Iowa Central students will begin moving into their new housing on Sunday with staff and faculty all pitching in to help students and their families carry items across campus as well as to answer any questions and to connect with any departments or offices they need to visit.

-File photo by Paul DeCoursey
Iowa Central Community College President Dr. Jesse Ulrich greets students on the first day of classes in 2023. The 2024-2025 school year will begin at Iowa Central on Monday.

According to Ulrich, each student is greeted by a staff member at the Greehey Student Success Center to begin the check-in process. As part of their check-in, they’ll also visit the financial aid, advising, business office, and the mail room, which are all located in the new building. Iowa Central also offers express check-in for students who have all of their items with these departments taken care of ahead of time.

“It truly is a fun day where we celebrate students coming to Iowa Central,” said Ulrich. “We appreciate students choosing Iowa Central and strive for move-in day to be a positive experience. Move-in day is more than loading boxes of belongings and books to a student apartment. It’s also about making memories.”

Iowa Central Community College classes begin on Monday in Fort Dodge and at all satellite centers.

According to Stacy Mentzer, vice president of instruction, Iowa Central has more than 750 classes scheduled for the fall semester with 94 full-time faculty members and approximately 300 adjunct instructors in the classroom.

With so many classes scheduled at Iowa Central this fall, Mentzer spent the summer semester ensuring that the master schedule was done and ready as soon as possible, provided training opportunities and professional development opportunities to instructors and professors. She also ensured that resources and technology were available, and that she was also available for any and all questions about classroom instruction. But even with a packed summer of planning and preparing, Mentzer said she’s looking forward to move-in and the first day of classes.

“Having students back on campus is my favorite time of year,” said Mentzer. “They are the reason I am here and the reason I do what I do.”

By The Numbers

334 total dorm rooms

225 apartments

109 traditional dorms

1,187 students confirmed to move in on Sunday

1,263 student capacity for dorm rooms

750 classes scheduled for fall semester

94 full-time faculty members

300 adjunct instructors