Latest news with #UniversityofNorthernIowa
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iowa Lakes Community College introduces new transfer degrees
Iowa Lakes Community College students will now have additional options to transfer to a state university with new transfer degrees. (Photo courtesy of Iowa Lakes Community College) Iowa Lakes Community College is tapping partnerships with Iowa's public universities to offer students more degree options and paths to further their education. The Estherville-based community college announced the launch of seven new 'transfer major degrees' that will be available for student enrollment in the fall 2025 semester. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'These new majors reflect both student demand and workforce trends in Iowa and across the nation,' said college President Scott Stokes in a news release. 'They give our students more targeted opportunities to begin their educational journey locally while ensuring a clear and cost-effective route to a bachelor's degree.' The transfer degrees cover areas of study in agriculture business, agronomy, animal science, communication, English, political science and social work, according to the release. Each of the degrees were formed in agreement with the University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University and will count for the first two years of a bachelor's degree. With the new additions to its academic offerings, the community college now offers more than 20 transfer degrees, the release stated, ranging from math to education, fine arts and more. These degree programs were developed to make the transfer process from community college to university easier, with the assurance that their credits will seamlessly transfer, according to the release. 'Whether students are aiming for a career in agriculture, education, communication, or social services, these Transfer Majors give them a solid foundation,' said Beth Elman, executive director of marketing, in the release. 'This expansion supports our mission of providing accessible, high-quality education that prepares students for lifelong success.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuition increases proposed for all 3 state universities
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa college students are speaking out about a pending decision on proposed tuition increases at all three state universities. The University of Northern Iowa increase is proposed to be 2.7%, while there is a suggested increase of 3% for both Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. New main street project in Cumming aims to preserve small-town charm The increase will add $279 to the cost of tuition at the University of Iowa. Student body President Thomas Knudsen, a junior, says the annual increases are adding up. 'If this trend continues, it's the difference in pursuing a four-year degree or pursuing some sort of alternative option. Now, since I started as a freshman, the cost of attendance has steadily increased. Now, if this proposed increase is approved, it's around a $1,200 increase since my freshman year alone. A rise of close to 12 percent,' said Knudsen. The Iowa Board of Regents will vote on the proposed increase at its next meeting on June 10th. The Iowa State Legislature gave no funding increases to Iowa's state universities in this year's budget. Iowa veteran back on Appalachian Trail, surpasses 900 miles after battling Norovirus Tuition increases proposed for all 3 state universities Clean up underway in Perry after strong storm moves through Monday night New main street project in Cumming aims to preserve small-town charm Wright County landowners hopeful Gov. Reynolds will sign eminent domain legislation Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University of Northern Iowa business college partners with Thailand university
UNI President Mark Nook, left, signed an agreement with Assumption University of Thailand for a 2+2 program. (Photo courtesy of University of Northern Iowa) The University of Northern Iowa's business school has made its first international partnership to bring students from Thailand to Cedar Falls to study, the university has announced. According to a news release, UNI and Assumption University in Bangkok signed an agreement last week to form a 2+2 program for students to complete the first two years of courses at Assumption then finish a business degree at UNI. The partnership has been in the works for almost two years, according to the release, and students participating in the 2+2 program are expected to start heading to UNI in 2026. Founded as the Assumption School of Business in 1969, Assumption University of Thailand is a private, nonprofit university overseen by global Catholic order the Brothers of St. Gabriel. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX UNI Global Opportunities Coordinator Chris Schrage taught graduate marketing management courses at Assumption during the fall 2024 semester, the release stated, and nine countries were represented among the 40 students she taught. 'We really like what they have to offer: the rigor of their classrooms and the fact that they have such a wide range of students asking about international opportunities when they aren't even from Thailand,' Schrage said in the release. According to the release, the two institutions are also working on programs to offer students international study for shorter terms. A release from Assumption University stated this initial agreement could pave the way for more 'shared learning experiences,' including further student and faculty exchanges and joint programming. Wilson College of Business Associate Dean Mary Connerley said in the release the new partnership will help students from both schools broaden their horizons and global knowledge. 'Bringing international students to UNI helps our students be exposed to different ways of thinking, different cultures and different ways of living,' Connerley said in the release. 'We have a lot of students who like to travel on study abroad programs. We want to continue to offer those programs, but not all of our students can do that. So I think it's great when we can bring more students here from different cultures. It can lead to our students developing some really deep friendships.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
University of Northern Iowa cuts ribbon on new applied engineering building
University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook gives remarks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the university's new applied engineering building on March 28, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Mary Braun) Surrounded by students, faculty and staff, University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook told a crowd Friday they weren't gathered merely to celebrate a building, but to honor what it will bring to those who use it. The university's renovated and expanded applied engineering building, which opened Friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony, will offer cutting-edge lab and learning spaces and hands-on learning opportunities, Nook said. He said it will help students be prepared to fill critical roles in the state and country's workforce. 'We didn't build a building to have a pretty building,' Nook said. 'We built a building to be able to help these young people, through the faculty and staff that you see up here, reach their educational goals, start them on their ways to meeting their professional goals, and help them understand how to build lives of purpose in their personal lives.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The building renovation project, which came with a $44.7 million price tag, began just over a decade ago, Nook said, when UNI Facilities Management identified the need to renovate the building, which is now almost 50 years old. State appropriations totaling $40 million helped fund the facility, alongside $3 million in private donations. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a video played during the ceremony the renovations eliminated $10 million in deferred maintenance as well as providing necessary facilities for students to train for high-need jobs under the expertise and programming developed by the university and its industry partners. With a job placement rate of 95% overall and 85% in Iowa, Reynolds said with the opening, UNI will be able to accommodate demand that has increased enrollment by 20%. It also will address changing needs from the engineering and construction industries, she said. Reynolds said the new facility will create a 'significant talent pipeline to these critical sectors,' and she can't wait to see what the next 50 years has in store for UNI's applied engineering programs. 'It goes to show what's possible when the state and our outstanding regents universities work together on the most important issues facing Iowa,' Reynolds said. Students gathered outside of the ceremony to protest Reynolds, holding signs supporting transgender people and calling for an end to attacks on education. Originally 60,000 square feet, the renovations modernized the existing building and added 40,000 more square feet of new lab and collaborative spaces for programs in applied engineering, construction management and more, according to a news release. Jim Kiesey, vice president of Estes Construction as well as a UNI alum and chair of the Construction Management Advisory Board, said during the ceremony the new facility 'cements UNI's legacy in applied engineering and construction management,' but goes beyond just the renovated building's footprint on campus. Through the legacy UNI is forging, Kiesey said the university is providing an education to future, competent leaders, helping them grow and learn how to advocate for themselves in their industry. The new spaces have also brought an energy fit to inspire the people in it. 'Prior to embarking on this rehabilitation, the 50-year old Applied Engineering Building received its AARP card in the mail, and through the efforts by many, this facility now has a youthful personality and energy that matches and serves the students that reside in this facility,' Kiesey said. John Deere vice president and factory manager Fabio Castro said during the ceremony the long partnership between John Deere and UNI has 'yielded a bountiful harvest,' with the corporation employing more than 1,200 UNI alumni and 90 part-time students. Deere also helps UNI through providing guidance on academic programs, Castro said, ensuring the curriculum will adequately prepare students for the field. He said the company and university share many values, like integrity and commitment to excellence, and the pursuit of excellence both organizations push for is evident in the new facility. 'Not only does this physical building monumentalize that ambition, but the individuals whose educations, careers and lives will be impacted here carry on that legacy, that drive, that value of never settling,' Castro said. 'I hope they will be inculcated with the burning passion to fight off complacency and move our world forward through the application of innovative solutions to our most complex problems. It is clear that our future workforce will need these critical skills to navigate the turbulent, unpredictable and somewhat novel challenges of our future.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley introduces bill to reduce food waste
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A new bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin aims to reduce food waste in the U.S. In a press release sent out Wednesday, Grassley's office announced the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act. The bill would create a 'Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification' and direct the USDA to make a list of requirements businesses would have to meet to earn it, along with a verification process to ensure requirements are met and a label certified businesses could display. Remarkable Women: Mary Jayne Mousel spreading joy in the community According to Mark Nook, president of the University of Northern Iowa, 22% of all waste sent to Iowa landfills is food. And on the national level, more than $440 billion is spent each year on producing and then disposing of food that is never consumed or sold, the press release from Grassley's office states. According to the EPA, disposing of that unused food also uses as much water as 50 million homes each year. The Natural Resources Defense Council adds that if just one-third of food waste was saved from disposal, it could feed the 47 million Americans (including 14 million children) who are suffering from food insecurity. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
