“We have had a wonderful first day,” college President Dr. Jesse Ulrich said Monday evening as he headed to the traditional first day cookout held for the students.

He said Monday was all about welcoming the students. It was also the first day for all academic classes, he added.

Ulrich said he noticed a lot of students taking selfie photos on the campus, perhaps to send to their parents and friends.

Those arriving for the first day included returning students who know their way around campus, recent high school graduates just starting their college careers and non-traditional students.

-Photo by Emily Denholm/Iowa Central
Dr. Jesse Ulrich, president of Iowa Central Community College, gives Triton baseball players Wyatt Myers, Dylan Kulper, and Drew Fitzpatrick directions to class Monday as the fall semester gets underway.

The college’s new veterinary technician program is beginning its second year with the start of the fall semester. Ulrich said the program has a full capacity of 34 students, with a waiting list of students who want to get into it.

“That just really represents the need in this area,” Ulrich said.

During its first year, the program had 20 students. Ulrich said that was a surprise because most new programs start with about half of their maximum capacity.

As the students came on campus Monday morning, they were offered pizza and doughnuts by the faculty and staff. The doughnuts came from Community Orchard in Fort Dodge. The morning distribution of goodies is a first day of fall semester tradition now called Pizza with the President. Ulrich said it was well received.

Pizza with the President and the evening cookout were just some of the special events scheduled for this week to welcome the students. Some kind of activity is scheduled for nearly every night this week.

“The better you can engage the students the first two weeks, the better off they are,” Ulrich said.