Profile of DMACC

History of DMACC

Des Moines Area Community College is a publicly supported two-year institution serving the Des Moines metropolitan area and surrounding counties. The College District includes all or major portions of Audubon, Boone, Carroll, Dallas, Guthrie, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren counties and parts of 11 adjacent counties. It encompasses 6,560 square miles or about 11 percent of the land area of the state. Approximately 20 percent of the state’s population resides within the district.

Des Moines Area Community College was officially created on March 18, 1966, and was designated as Merged Area XI. A nine-member Board of Directors was elected and formally installed that same year.

The College was established after extensive studies had indicated the need for such an institution. Leading figures throughout the District combined their talents and resources to assure proper planning for the College.

In 1968, the Board of Directors adopted Des Moines Area Community College as the official name of the institution. The first classes were held at the new Ankeny Campus location in 1968. Administrative and operational control of Boone Junior College was assumed in 1969; the Carroll Campus was initiated in 1979. The Urban Campus began operation in Des Moines in 1972, then moved into a new facility at Seventh and Laurel in 1980. The first classes in Newton were held in the Fall of 1993 as a result of the cooperative effort of the Maytag Corporation, Iowa State University, the City of Newton and the DMACC Foundation. In October 2001, the state-of-the-art technology facility, West Campus, opened in West Des Moines.

Paul Lowery was the first superintendent/president of the College.

Dr. Joseph A. Borgen served 20 years as the president from 1981 until his retirement in 2001. David England was the president of Des Moines Area Community College from 2001 to 2003. Robert Denson became our president in November 2003.

Mission and Goals

It is the mission of Des Moines Area Community College to offer quality programs and courses to meet the different community interests, student abilities, and personal objectives of citizens of all ages and levels of education, for the purpose of improving the quality of life, the economic conditions, and the public welfare of our state. Therefore, the Board of Directors, faculty and staff are committed to providing a variety of educational options on a nondiscriminatory, open-door basis.

DMACC Exists to:

• Prepare or retrain students for employment and advancement in their chosen occupation through career education.
• Prepare or retrain students for employment and advancement through occupationally oriented associate degree programs.
• Assist students in becoming active, responsible citizens in our democratic society through a program of practical education.
• Provide effective assistance to students in exploring their interests, identifying their aptitudes and selecting the programs of study that best meet their needs and interests.
• Provide counseling and other support services that improve students’ chances for success in their educational endeavors.
• Provide learning experiences and co-curricular activities that promote the personal, social, academic and vocational development of students.
• Prepare students for transfer, typically as juniors, to four-year colleges and universities.
• Provide placement services for all students seeking full-time or part-time employment.
• Provide opportunities for adults to complete their high school education.
• Provide off-campus adult and continuing education programs as needs and interests are expressed.

Non-discrimination Policy

Des Moines Area Community College shall not engage in or allow discrimination covered by law. This includes harassment based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion,   sex (including pregnancy and marital status), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability and genetic information. Veteran status in educational programs, activities, employment practices, or admission procedures is also included to the extent covered by law. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint through the College Discrimination Complaint Procedure. Complaint forms may be obtained from the Campus Provost’s office, the Academic Deans’ office, the Judicial Officer, or the EEO/AA Officer, Human Resources. For requests for information about the ADA, the Section 504/ADA Coordinator can be contacted at 515-964-6857.  For Title IX questions and concerns contact 515-964-6850.

Student Right to Know

Institutions are required to provide students with information regarding campus security, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, reporting of crimes, sexual assaults, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, college policy regarding HIV/AIDS, graduation rates and transfer data, drug-free schools, Gainful Employment information, and campus information. This data can be obtained at the Information Center on the Ankeny Campus and from the Provosts at all other campuses. It is also available on the DMACC website under DMACC Consumer Information. Des Moines Area Community College students are expected to be familiar with policies and procedures affecting their activities. Ignorance of policies and procedures will not excuse violations.

DMACC Catalog

The Des Moines Area Community College Catalog is an annual publication of information regarding fees, curricula, policies and procedures. Statements set forth in the catalog are for informational purposes and should not be construed as the basis for a contract between the institution and the student. Every effort has been made to make the catalog accurate as of the date of publication; however, the catalog is not intended to be a complete statement of all procedures, policies, rules and regulations. The College reserves the right to change-by appropriate action of the faculty, college administration, Board of Directors of Des Moines Area Community College or the State of Iowa, without notice to individual students-any academic or other requirement, course offerings, programs, rules, regulations or fees.

The Campuses

ANKENY CAMPUS is located on a 304-acre site six miles north of Des Moines within the city limits of Ankeny. The campus is easily accessible from both Interstates 35 and 80. A directory of campus facilities is located at each entrance.

BOONE CAMPUS is located on a 37-acre site at the southeast edge of the city of Boone, just north of Hwy 30. Constructed in 1968, the campus was renovated and expanded in 1995 and 2005.

CARROLL CAMPUS is located on a 9-acre site at 906 North Grant Road in the city of Carroll. The Carroll Campus was started in 1979 and finished construction of a new building in 2004.

NEWTON CAMPUS is located at 600 N. 2nd Ave. West in Newton and began operation in the Fall of 1993.

URBAN CAMPUS is located north of I-235 at 7th and Laurel in Des Moines. The campus is comprised of five buildings. The Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families is located next to the campus on University Avenue.

WEST CAMPUS is located west of Interstate 35 at 5959 Grand Avenue in West Des Moines. The campus opened in the Fall of 2001.

Credit classes have been offered on the basis of need in other locations throughout the area and in many area high schools. Community services and continuing education classes are offered in many additional communities within the College District.

Access to Campus Facilities

The DMACC campuses are generally open to students and the public from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, and from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. (Saturday hours may vary on individual campuses.) The campuses are closed during other times and holidays. Visit our website: www.dmacc.edu.

DMACC Centers

In addition to the six campuses that comprise Des Moines Area Community College, the college participates in the Des Moines Higher Education Collaborative at 1200 Grand Ave. in downtown Des Moines and operates four centers:

DMACC Capitol Center

DMACC Capitol Center opened in 2013 and expanded a year later. The center offers career, technical and literacy programs. One of the highlights of the center is its simulation lab that features life-like, automated mannequin patients that can be programmed to talk and display symptoms of various illnesses and conditions. More information is available online at https://www.dmacc.edu/capitolcenter/.

DMACC at Perry VanKirk Career Academy

The Perry Center provides opportunities for students in the Dallas County region with several high schools utilizing the building. The academy offers courses to high school students in various programs including health careers, automotive technology, welding, and liberal arts. College students attend during the day and evening to enroll in liberal arts courses and welding. Non-credit courses are also available which include HiSET (formerly GED) and various levels of English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. More information is available by calling 515-428-8100 or online at https://go.dmacc.edu/perry/Pages/welcome.aspx.

DMACC Career Academy, Hunziker Center

The $5 million DMACC Career Academy, Hunziker Center opened its doors on August 14, 2006. The center is located at the northwest corner of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 30 in Ames. Through a partnership with Story County’s seven school districts, the Academy offers career and technical programs to high school students during the day. Some of the high school educational programs include state-of-the-art labs for building trades, culinary arts, information technology, health careers, automotive technology and manufacturing technology. In the afternoon and at night a wide variety of college-credit liberal arts courses are offered through the Boone Campus. The Hunziker Center telephone number is 515-663-6700. More information is available online at https://www.dmacc.edu/ames/.

DMACC Southridge Center

Open in the Fall of 2013, the DMACC Center for Career and Professional Development at Southridge will provide 65,000 square feet to bring administrative, academic, career training and educational services under one roof. Southridge is located at the crossroads of SE 14th Street and Army Post Road in Des Moines. The DMACC Success Center, which opened in 2002 and was formerly housed on Porter Avenue, will move to the Southridge location. The Southridge Center offers college-credit, liberal arts and sciences classes to students pursuing associate degrees, as well as other educational services including programs for Gateway to College, Youth-at-Risk, Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL) and High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) HiSET which has replaced General Education Development (GED) classes. Three additional educational components, offered at Southridge include: DMACC Business Resources (DBR), which provides customized employee training, consulting and training programs to Central Iowa businesses; DMACC Continuing Education, offering non-credit classes for personal and professional development; and the Warren County Career Academy, which is an extension of DMACC’s Career Advantage Program that provides college credit and vocational training to high school students. More information is available at www.dmacc.edu/southridge.

Accreditation

Des Moines Area Community College is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504. The College is also approved by the Iowa State Department of Education and the Iowa Board of Regents. College transfer curricula meet the requirements of four-year colleges and universities.

Both career option and college transfer curricula carry the approval of the United States Department of Education and are approved for veterans’ benefits. The College also holds membership in the American Association of Community Colleges.

Ankeny Campus

2006 S. Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny, IA 50023-3993
515-964-6200 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-362-2127
FAX: 515-964-6391

Boone Campus

1125 Hancock Dr., Boone, IA 50036-5399
515-432-7203 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-362-2127
FAX: 515-433-5033

Carroll Campus

906 N. Grant Rd., Carroll, IA 51401-2525
712-792-1755 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-622-3334
FAX: 712-792-8500

Newton Campus

600 N. 2nd Ave. W., Newton, IA 50208-3049
641-791-3622 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-362-2127
FAX: 641-791-1728

Urban Campus

1100 7th St., Des Moines, IA 50314-2597
515-244-4226 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-362-2127
FAX: 515-248-7216

West Campus

5959 Grand Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50266-5302
515-633-2407 or toll-free in Iowa: 800-362-2127
FAX: 515-633-2409