Message from the President
It’s an exciting time to be a student at Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC), and our faculty and staff look forward to working with you to achieve your goals. What truly sets NICC apart from other two- and four-year colleges is our personal, customized approach to each student. Faculty and staff, including college and career coaches, will get to know you personally; we expend the energy, resources and are personally committed to ensuring your success. We offer more than 98+ programs of study and many academic resources you need to complete your certificate, diploma or degree during your time with us.
I encourage you to take advantage of the many resources available to you at no additional cost; tutoring in the Learning Center or online, Career Services resume and employment assistance, Counseling Services providing safe confidential space to share and many more dedicated staff whose number one goal is to help you succeed. There is more to NICC than your experiences in our classrooms and labs, however. NICC offers student housing just steps from campus, Esports and Sports Shooting teams that compete against colleges across the region, academic organizations such as Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society or the Business Professionals of America, the student leadership organization iMPACT and many others.
I invite you to review this catalog and become familiar with College policies, programs and services. If you have additional questions, please contact one of our faculty or staff members to assist.
I look forward to seeing you on campus!
Dave Dahms
Acting President
Mission Statement
Northeast Iowa Community College provides in-demand education and training focused on improving lives, driving business success and advancing community vitality.
Vision Statement
Northeast Iowa Community College will be the premier source for in-demand education, workforce training and partnerships, through innovative thinking and talent development.
SERVICE: We listen, identify, and respond to the needs and expectations of our internal and external communities.
RESPECT: We show consideration for one another and encourage diverse perspectives to build trust, cooperation, and accountability.
STEWARDSHIP: We use our resources in a responsible, impactful, and sustainable manner.
INNOVATION: We foster the development and advancement of ideas through individual and team creativity.
INTEGRITY: We are ethically accountable to ourselves and others.
RESILIENCY: We learn from our experiences, refocus, and seize the opportunity to improve and persist.
Board of Trustees
Jim Anderson, J.D.
Decorah, Chair
Kathy Gunderson
Postville, Vice Chair
Thom Chesney
Dubuque
John Finley
Elkader
Wendy Knight
Dubuque
Gary McAndrew
Peosta
Sue Runyon
Fayette
Dean Sherman
Manchester
Daniel White
Dubuque
Administrative Cabinet
David Dahms
Acting President
David Dahms
Vice President of Finance and Administration
Anna Berns
Executive Director of Foundation
Amy Gaffney
Vice President of Student Services
Heather Groth
Executive Assistant to the President
Shea Herbst
Director of Marketing
Connie Kuennen
Executive Director of Human Resources
Amy Lasack
Vice President of Business and Community Solutions
Kathleen Nacos-Burds, Ph.D.
Vice President of Teaching and Learning
Dawn Klostermann
College Senate Chairperson
College History
In July 1966, the State Board of Education approved the formation of the Area One Vocational-Technical School with Calmar as its administrative headquarters. The approved district included the public school districts in Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek counties, as well as sections of Bremer, Buchanan and Mitchell.
On Sept. 5, 1967, Area One Vocational-Technical School had 170 students enrolled in 12 programs. The school also broke ground on construction of facilities on the 210-acre Calmar campus, which now includes Darwin L. Schrage Administration building, Max Clark Hall, Wilder Business Center, Student Center, Industrial Technologies and Agricultural Technologies buildings, Beef Science Education Facility, Child Development Center and Iowa’s Dairy Center, which is a $4.1 million dairy education center and applied research laboratory built in 2000.
In 1970, the Area One Vocational-Technical School was expanded to include the public school districts in Dubuque and Delaware counties as well as sections of Jones and Jackson counties. The school began offering career education programs at several locations throughout Dubuque, including the historic Roshek building in 1971.
The Area One Vocational-Technical School changed its name to Northeast Iowa Technical Institute, in April 1979 the same year the Peosta campus was established. The Peosta campus currently includes the main building, the Gas Utilities and Construction building, a Child Development Center, the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and the Industrial Technologies building, which opened in August 2010.
Formal approval of community college status for Northeast Iowa Technical Institute was given in 1988, by the State Board of Education to develop curricula and programs that would lead to awarding Associate of Arts, Associate of Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees. The same year, the school’s name was changed to Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC).
The College has since expanded its footprint to include service locations in Cresco, Dubuque, New Hampton, Manchester, Oelwein and Waukon with the purpose of providing education and training to students in their communities and to serve as a catalyst for regional economic development. In 2008, the Town Clock Business Center in Dubuque was expanded to include a one-stop center with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) and East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA).
In December 2007, district taxpayers passed, by a supermajority, the $35 million bond levy for renovation and construction of new facilities at the College. The funds supported construction and renovation of the Industrial Technologies buildings on each campus, the Student Center on the Calmar campus, renovations to the health and science labs and a new library on the Peosta campus, renovations to the Darwin L. Schrage Administration building, and the Wilder Business Center, which opened in Calmar in January 2013.
In spring 2016, the College re-opened the newly renovated Agriculture Technologies building that houses the John Deere TECH program. The facility, one of the first buildings constructed at the Calmar campus, was completely updated to support the program with new lab areas and technology.
In 2011, the Aspen Institute Community College Excellence Program named NICC to the top ten of community colleges in the nation for the College’s successful graduate outcomes, academic excellence and community impact. In 2016, the College was recognized as one of the best schools in the U.S. for online learning by Affordable Colleges Online, and its Practical Nursing program was ranked the number one L.P.N. program in Iowa by practicalnursing.org in 2023.
In September 2018, taxpayers approved a $39 million bond levy continuation to finance construction and renovation throughout the College’s district.
Under the leadership of acting President David Dahms, Northeast Iowa Community College is committed to transforming the lives of students, their families and the communities in which they live.
Accreditation
Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is a public community college approved by the State Board of Education. Curricula are also approved by the State Board of Education, with additional approval through the Veteran’s Education Unit of the State Department of Education for the Veteran’s Administration.
Northeast Iowa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and participates in the Standard Pathway.
Continuous Notice of Nondiscrimination
It is the policy of Northeast Iowa Community College not to discriminate in its programs, activities or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status.
If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact:
Executive Director of Human Resources, 1625 Highway 150 South, Calmar, IA 52132 or the Executive Director for Risk Management, 8342 NICC Drive, Peosta, IA 52068, 844.642.2388, equity@nicc.edu or the Director of the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, Telephone: 312.730.1560, Facsimile: 312.730.1576, TDD: 800.877.8339, Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.
Freedom of Speech and Expression
The College, as a public institution of higher education, establishes this policy to comply with the laws of the state of Iowa and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and to protect speech and expression. The primary function of an institution of higher education is the discovery, improvement, transmission, and dissemination of knowledge by means of research, teaching, discussion, and debate. To fulfill this function, the College shall strive to ensure the fullest degree of intellectual freedom and free expression allowed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
Campus and Service Locations
The College’s commitment to communities throughout northeast Iowa has produced eight service locations in Cresco, Dubuque, Manchester, New Hampton, Oelwein, Waukon, National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Dubuque. Each service location provides educational opportunities and services to students interested in taking classes close to home. Among the services provided are economic development, workforce development, day and evening credit and continuing education classes, high school equivalency diploma (HSED) preparation, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes and adult literacy and programs designed for adult learners returning to college.
* Not all services are available at the service locations. Contact the service location you are interested in for additional information.
Calmar Campus
1625 Hwy. 150 S.
P.O. Box 400
Calmar, IA 52132
844.642.2338
Peosta Campus
8342 NICC Drive
Peosta, IA 52068
844.642.2338
Online
www.nicc.edu/online
admissions@nicc.edu
Cresco Center
1020 Second Ave. S.E.
Cresco, IA 52136
844.642.2338
Dubuque Center
700 Main St.
Dubuque, IA 52001
844.642.2338, ext. 3700
Manchester Center
1200½ W. Main St.
Manchester, IA 52057
844.642.2338, ext. 7700
National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS)
8342 NICC Dr
Peosta, IA 52068
888.844.6322
New Hampton
Located inside New Hampton High School
701 W. Main St.
New Hampton, IA 50659
844.642.2338, ext. 7104
Regional Academy for Math and Science (Rams) / Regional Tech Center / Oelwein Center
1400 Technology Drive
Oelwein, IA 50662
844.642.2338, ext. 5700
Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Located in the Schmid Innovation Center
900 Jackson St., Ste. 110
Dubuque, IA 52001
563.588.3350
Town Clock Business Center
680 Main St., Ste. 100
Dubuque, IA 52001
844.642.2338, ext. 3700
conted@nicc.edu
Waukon Center
1220 Third Ave. N.W., Ste. 102
Waukon, IA 52172
844.642.2338, ext. 6700
Wilder Business Center
1625 Hwy. 150 S.
Calmar, IA 52132
844.642.2338, ext. 1399
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