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Wednesday, January 25, 2006 UNI receives national award for community-college collaboration CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa is receiving national recognition for its partnership with Iowa community colleges. UNI's 2+2 Program is being recognized with the 2006 Best Practice Award for Collaboration with Community Colleges from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).
The award recognizes outstanding collaboration between teacher-education programs at a college or university and a community college. The 2+2 Program increases access to higher education for Iowans who are place-bound by family or employment obligations and cannot move to the UNI campus, or for people looking for a career change. Typically non-traditional, students in the program take two years of community-college courses and two years of UNI courses in their local area to earn their degree. The 11-year-old program offers eight B.A.-degree programs with four community colleges.
"The 2+2 Program not only enhances the self-worth of individuals who would not have gone to college otherwise, but it also increases the economic base in participating communities," said UNI President Robert Koob. "Students can stay close to home, get jobs in their communities and contribute to the state's education system."
UNI's 2+2 Program offers degrees in elementary education, community health education, recreation/tourism, technology education, technology management/general business and criminology. Partners in this program are the Carroll Campus of Des Moines Area Community College; Western Iowa Community College in Sioux City; the Peosta and Calmar campuses of Northeast Iowa Community College; and Eastern Iowa Community College in Davenport. UNI faculty teach courses either at the community college or via the Iowa Communications Network and the Internet. The courses are the same as those offered on campus.
Almost 100 students have graduated from the 2+2 Program and are working in or near their home communities. The program is funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin led the effort to secure funding for the program in the appropriations report.
On Feb. 1, during the ACCTE annual meeting in San Diego, Calif., Roger Kueter, director of UNI Community College Projects, will accept the award on behalf of UNI along with Steve Schulz from DMACC and Art Neu, representing the community of Carroll, the location of the first UNI 2+2 Program.
AACTE, based in Washington, D.C., is a national voluntary association of 800 higher-education institutions and other organizations dedicated to ensuring the highest-quality preparation and continuing professional development for teachers and school leaders.
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