Greetings! It is an honor to serve as the president of Iowa Central Community College. I was reminded just how special a place this is as I walked across campus again over the past several weeks. While the campus may look vastly different than it did 20 years ago when I attended, the family feel, dedication of our faculty and staff, and commitment to being the premier community college in the state of Iowa remains. On behalf of the Iowa Central Community College Board of Trustees and our faculty and staff, we welcome back the nearly 6,500 students we will serve at Iowa Central this year.

The purpose of Iowa Central is to serve our students and meet the workforce needs of the nine counties within our region. Our goal is very simple. We want our students to complete their degrees and certifications in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of student loan debt possible, so they can have a better life. Our students range from high schoolers beginning their postsecondary journey to adults who are already employed, but looking to upskill their resumes to improve their career mobility potential. We also serve more nontraditional students like single parents who work full time or incarcerated adults who will be reintegrated into our society.

Regardless of where our students are coming from, regardless of their circumstances, and regardless of their socioeconomic status, our mission is to provide them an exceptional experience in and out of the classroom so they can be successful citizens of our communities. Our 1,200 employees across the nine-county region stand ready to serve and are dedicated to helping our students obtain their degrees to have a better life.

To meet this goal, we need to have strong partners like you. Our institution relies on support and positive relationships with local, state, and national leaders in business and industry, as well as our elected officials. This collaboration and support are critical in meeting the workforce needs of our region. When Iowa Central is strong, so is our region.

Never has it been more important for students to have access to an exceptional community college. We take great pride in continuing to serve our students and look forward to our future. Thank you for your support and generosity as we continue to make dreams come true and help our students have a better life.

Go Tritons!

Dr. Jesse Ulrich is the president of Iowa Central Community College.