Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) is a two-year community college in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Founded in 1967, the school offers over 80 programs for academic, vocational, and technical education. There are over 5,000 program students and more than 42,000 enrollees in continuing education classes every year. The college strives to meet the needs of the local community by awarding associate degrees, certificates, and diplomas in many areas of study.
| Overall Score (about) | 43.0 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $19,166 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 24 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 52% / 30% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 5,962 |
Offering more than 80 programs of study for students who wish to earn certificates, associates degrees for professional purposes, or associates degrees for the purpose of transferring to four-year institutions is the goal of the school. Students who wish to study in a transfer track receive assistance choosing their coursework, evaluating options for four-year schools in the area, and making a successful bridge from community college to university.
There is a very large continuing education division to serve the needs of the local area. The largest division of continuing education is Health Occupations. Education is provided for nurses, dental technicians, funeral directors, paramedics, firefighters, phlebotomists, medical coders, pharmacy technicians, and more. There are also several CPR classes for anyone in the community who wishes to be certified.
Aside from the health services programs, some of the most popular continuing education programs include:
The Entrepreneurial Center offers free, individualized consulting services for students interested in starting their own businesses. Staff of the Center assist with market research, income projections, financial reporting, and other facets of entrepreneurial work.
In keeping with their mission to offer higher education to anyone who wishes to seek it, the school features open admissions to any adult with a high school education or its equivalent. Some allied health programs have further requirements.
In addition to the usual range of financial aid options open to college and university students in the United States, students are eligible for several need- and merit-based scholarships unique to IWCC. Contact the school for more details and to see if you are eligible for any of these scholarships.
The campus has an unusually large international student population for a community college. With over 220 international students speaking more than 25 languages and from more than 45 countries, around 9% of the student body is from outside of the United States.
On-campus housing is offered for full time students, consisting of suites, apartments, and one traditional residence hall. In all of the residences, every room is equipped with a phone jack and an associated number. Computer laboratories in the residences are open 24 hours a day.
The Student Activities Board promotes clubs and activities on campus, while the Clarinda Student Senate is the governmental body of the student population and acts as a liaison between the students and the administration. Student clubs and organizations include the Agriculture Club, Automotive Club, Building Trades, Campus Crusade for Christ, College Democrats, Culinary Arts Club, Dental Assistants Club, Electronic Engineering Group, Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Supporters (GLASS), Horticulture Club, Phi Theta Kappa, Sign Language Club, Student Nursing Club, and Vet Tech Student Association. There is also a well-reviewed choir, band, and theatre program. The radio station, 89.7 The River, serves the Omaha metropolitan area.
The Dining Hall offers food court options, including a pizza station, soup and salad station, burger station, entrée station, beverage station, and dessert station. The college offers sick trays and sack lunches for students on meal plans who cannot eat in the dining hall.
Student Computer Services include the Student Academic Information Link (SAIL) and Student Online Services (SOS). There are computers available for student use in the library. Wireless internet access is available in all academic buildings and residence hall common areas.
The Student Success Center provides short-term counseling and long-term referrals for students struggling with family or roommate conflicts, academic struggles, or mental health issues. TRiO programs, including Student Support Services, support students in their educations through academic advising, career advising, peer mentoring, transfer assistance, financial aid assistance, financial literacy advising, and computer training. TRiO offers more extensive services to minorities.
The Student Health Center is staffed with a triage nurse who can assess flus, fevers, and colds as well as administer pregnancy tests, tests for sexually transmitted diseases, blood pressure tests, and other basic services. Lastly, the Early Childhood Education Center provides child care for the children of students, faculty, and staff.
The athletic department is known as the Reivers. (A reiver is a river pirate—the area around Council Bluffs has a rich history of river pirates along the Missouri river.) The Reivers compete in the NJCAA in the following sports: football, women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, men’s baseball, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, competitive cheerleading, competitive dance, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s track and field, and women’s track and field.
Intramurals include flag football, basketball, volleyball, bowling, and disc golf.
There are over a million people in the greater Omaha area, including Council Bluffs. Omaha is home to the Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Opera Omaha, Blue Bart Theatre, The Rose Theater, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha Children’s Museum, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and Durham Museum. The city also has a rich music culture, especially jazz and rhythm and blues. The College World Series and Olympic swim trials both take place in Omaha. The city also has a splendid zoo, the Henry Doorly Zoo.
Major employers in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area include ConAgra Foods, Mutual of Omaha, Berkshire Hahaway, First National Bank of Omaha, West Corporation, Valmont Industries, Peter Kiewit and Sons, Union Pacific Corporation, Alegent Health System, Nebraska Health System, TD Ameritrade, Werner Enterprises, PayPal, LinkedIn, First Data, Gallup Organization, First Data Corporation, Offutt Air Force Base, and the Omaha Public Schools.
Each student is assigned an academic advisor with whom they can discuss interests, values, and goals as they relate to their college education. Advisors can help with career planning, transfer planning, and scheduling. Students should see their advisor at the beginning of each semester, at midterm, and before registration for the next semester. The Academic Support Center (ASC) offers tutoring in core subjects. Individual tutoring and group tutoring are both available.
The Cyber Library, on the second floor of the Student Center, is a wireless environment where students can bring their own laptops or check out laptops belonging to the school. This virtual library provides access to online books, magazines, journals, newspapers, and films for student research and enjoyment.
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