Kirkwood debuts new student center, aimed at connection

Following years of atypical student experiences characterized by separate and dispersed learning environments connected via screens, Kirkwood Community College last week celebrated the completion of its new on-campus $34 million student center aimed at connection and collaboration.

Located within Iowa Hall on its main Cedar Rapids campus, Kirkwood incorporated its new student center into a two-year renovation of all three floors of Iowa Hall and Mansfield Center, plus additions to the north and south of the building.

Kirkwood financed the project with a voter-approved $60 million bond measure that passed in 2017, enabling a handful of projects — including the $34 million renovation. The renovated building — originally dedicated nearly 50 years ago — now encompasses 110,000 square feet and offers “modern amenities and resources for students.”

The list of student center features includes study and leisure areas; a new campus store; state-of-the-art meeting space; multicultural and LGBTQ centers; improved cafe and coffee bar; a veterans lounge; and improved art gallery.

“We wanted to design a space that would improve the student experience by engaging students more fully in college life programs, academic support, and student services,” Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg said. “By doing this, our goal was to increase retention, degree completion, and transfer rates of everyone looking to get an education at Kirkwood.”

Iowa Hall — with its renovation — has become a “dynamic environment” where a person can literally begin and end their Kirkwood experience. Services previously spread across the Cedar Rapids campus now are under that same roof — including admissions, student life, counseling, career services and global learning.

“It’s a major change for our campus and the possibilities are very exciting,” Sundberg said. “This is the beginning of a new era for Kirkwood students and our community.”

Kirkwood, when compared with Iowa’s 14 other community colleges, experienced the biggest drop in enrollment during the pandemic from 14,182 in fall 2019 to 12,280 in fall 2020 — a 13.4 percent decline. That ticked up last fall 2.7 percent to 12,607 and then dipped again to 12,297 this fall.

As Kirkwood continues to enroll students for “late start classes” this month and in October — as well as for the winter session — Kirkwood spokesman Justin Hoehn said the steeper pandemic-propelled declines “have mostly leveled off.”

“We do continue to be concerned about the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on lower income students and are seeing lower Pell Grant recipient enrollment, which is down 18 percent,” he said, noting low unemployment typically means lower community college enrollment.

Thus, according to Hoehn, Kirkwood’s “major focus is on retention and student success, and ensuring all students have strong educational experiences and good outcomes.”

That mission, according to Kirkwood officials, was woven into the fabric of the new Iowa Hall renovations and student center.

The focus continues to be on long-term improvement and the strategic goal of enhancing student success, according to a recent Iowa Hall student center update. The mission will be accomplished through continued focus on Kirkwood’s goals and by keeping the needs of students at the forefront of our thinking.

Vanessa Miller covers higher education for The Gazette.

Comments: (319) 339-3158; vanessa.miller@thegazette.com