Ablum, January 1977 to October 1978

1977

· DMACC board approves 7% salary increase, base salary set to $9795

· Group of students request DMACC board to move Urban Campus to former Dowling building

· Report on possible improprieties in bidding process for DMACC Ankeny signage contract

· DMACC chefs/instructors dispute legislator criticisms of Iowa Capitol cafeteria food

· More than 150+ students protest for new Urban Campus facilities

· DMACC sponsors a visit from heart surgeon Christiaan Barnard

· College plans to mail adult education course listings out to all families in district

· Project increase in tuition by 10% for 1977-78 academic year

· DMACC offers transfer courses starting at Ames High School

· Profile of marketing students at Carroll High School earning associates degrees

· Board considers allowing liquor sales on Ankeny campus, eventually rejects proposal due to cost and liability associated with sale of alcohol

· Student scholarship, graduation, Dean’s list announcement

· High school vocational programs partnered with DMACC require funding to continue

· Women’s Issues seminar series regarding non-nuclear families, gender, death, and labor

· 18 professional positions (mostly related to mobile career exploration units) threatened by reduction in DMACC budget

· Investigation of credits earned through health care administration program

· Editorial expressing positive opinion of quality of education offered at small colleges/schools

· Profile of new female sheriff trained through DMACC policing program

· Growth of Carroll DMACC enrollment and training programs

· DMACC partners with Woodward Teaching Hospital in medical training courses

· New sculptures donated to the campus by instructor

· DMACC students lobby for lights to be added to train after fatal accident

· DMACC board plans to borrow $7 million for improvements and additions to campuses

· Proposed budget cut of $860,000 for area colleges, Lowery criticizes cuts as foolish and shortsighted

· Profile of art instructor at DMACC Boone

· Report on recent DMACC speaker who criticized lack of racial diversity in Iowa community college faculty and staff, brief profile of black instructor

· Editorial criticizing overloaded and underserved Urban campus facilities

· Profile of former white collar worker learning building trades; profile of woman in same program

· CCI claims Lowery reneged on promises to make improvements to Urban Campus

· Report discussing major issues and challenges with Urban Campus move or renovation

· Multiple stories on Crafts and Jazz Fest

· Open public hearings regarding Urban Campus move, Board releases their 4 officially-considered options for moving; early vote indicates a split on preference for future campus site

· DMACC Boone graduates 145 students

· Profile of first black student to graduate from commercial arts program

· DMACC faces accusation of violating Equal Pay Act, claims made by US Department of Labor Relations that their previous pay policies were a form of sex discrimination, investigation ensues

· Lowery says he will make a recommendation regarding the Urban Campus move by July 1st

· Boone campus adding intercollegiate sports activities for female students

· New agricultural programs offered at Carroll

· DMACC graduation figures: 756 graduates in spring 1977

· DMACC instructor adopts 2 Korean children, several profiles on family

· Reports on changing property tax rates

· Mayor considering plan to give DMACC 8 acres of urban land for renewal project, leading to controversy regarding potential alternative use for housing or parks, City Council eventually blocks this plan; City Council votes to offer Day Street lot to DMACC as gift, in order to work around limits to how much land DMACC can buy

· Protests regarding DMACC board decision to buy former Ruan building on 3rd St. and Keosaqua Way due to excessive cost for a temporary location and lack of parking/accessibility

· Board picks lot for Urban Campus on Day Street

· Profile of DMACC nursing instructor teaching Maternal-Child care courses

· Report on renovation of child development course facilities to include playground, green space

· Profile of agribusiness student now working at Mahaska County Soil Conservation office

· Profiles of 7 DMACC Board of Directors candidates

· Profile of resident who would potentially lose his home if DMACC Urban Campus purchased land

· Controversy surrounding discriminatory policy that would not allow Jewish employees to observe High Holidays with pay, were required to use paid time/vacation time, or take absence without pay. After criticism, Superintendent Lowery agrees to reimburse 5 Jewish employees for past unpaid days on Jewish holidays.

· Fall 1977 enrollment figures: 5180

· DMACC students file suit to prevent DMACC from purchasing former Ruan building

· Students angered by student activity charges creating a surplus of $64,000 for DMACC

· Profile of current DMACC child development student to opened a nursery school

· DMACC Ankeny student designed highway map art, created a portrait of historical Iowan

· ISEA criticizes what they believe is inadequate funding for area schools

1978

· Area colleges start offering short courses with certificates of specialization for graduating

· DMACC officials participate in continuing education programs at Perry, Carroll and Newton

· DMACC Urban Center basement catches fire, leading to evacuation. Suspected arson, causing investigation.

· Report on trend of women performing better in college than men, generally

· Dean’s list, registration, course offering and graduation announcements

· DMACC hosts ISEA teacher continuing education program Project Teach

· State Board of Public Instruction approves a 40 thousand square foot automotive building

· Activities, programs and speakers - UFO presentation given by nuclear physicist, anti-smoking programs, Republican and Democratic state candidates, etc.

· DMACC plans to raise salaries 7% for 1978-1979 academic year, with base salary $10,154

· Profile of Homemaker Health Aides trained at DMACC

· Carroll considers ending their involvement in DMACC vocation programs due to excessive cost

· Des Moines school board budget $75 million, report on salaries of DMACC salaries, with a total of $9.9 million, 7.7% increase from previous year

· DMACC Board rejects (in an unexpected split vote) a proposal to move Urban Campus to particular lot, due to excessive cost; Mayor Olson angered by rejection of proposal; Protests at Board meeting over rejected Urban Campus proposal, claims that too much money is spent on Ankeny campus improvements; NAACP members speaking at Board meeting suggest the lack of interest is due to “racial and economic bigotry” against minority and low-income students at Urban; claims that board member Theodore Nemmens said “mostly black” students attend Urban and expressed concern the building renovations and building would not help improve the Urban Campus, before voting against Urban Campus project; claims that Mayor Olson called for reduced funding to Nemmen’s home district to retaliate against his vote; State senators call for HEW investigation into accusations of improper spending by DMACC, unfair split of funds between campuses; Lowery says Board will request an audit to investigate claims of misuse of funds. Board refuses to consider City Council-backed urban renewal plan (in Walnut Hill neighborhood), board member quoted as saying that urban campus project will probably take several years to get going. At June meeting, board vote comes out in favor of Urban Campus renewal under specific conditions for purchase and resale, plan supported by Mayor Olson and approved by City Council. Urban Campus controversy continues, due to planned purchase and demolition of Walnut Hills homes to move urban renewal project forward. Around 80 residents protest the plan, saying the compensation will not be sufficient to find a comparable home. Board approves an official response to allegations of funding misuse, and send it to HEW investigators. City Council proposes delay to acquisition/demolition of some single-family homes in Walnut Hill neighborhood

· Board writes and approves a written disciplinary policy to establish consistent standards of response to student misbehavior

· Iowa Woman’s Political Caucus criticizes DMACC brochures due to stereotypical representation of genders in career education programs

· DMACC requests an extension of property tax levy to continue capital improvements program to be placed on ballot. Des Moines Taxpayers Association criticizes request and potential continuation of levy

· DMACC offers TV-based courses in art history, American history, business and child development

· Plan for a Park and Ride public transit route between Ankeny and Des Moines, mentioning effects on DMACC commuters

· Profile of popular Chinese cooking courses and instructor; Profile of DMACC dental assistant instructor who is a quadriplegic; 2 profiles of CPR/EMT instructor at DMACC who saved a child in a fire using CPR; Profile of a woman who has been scrapbooking Boone Junior College and later DMACC Boone Campus for 13 years; Profile of work by culinary arts students; culinary arts students receive awards from River Valley Culinary Association; profile of Adult Basic Education courses on financial and household skills for intellectually-disabled students offered at DMACC

· Board proposes 4 new building projects as part of $7 million capital improvements project

· Private hearings planned for 4 terminated DMACC employees

· 9 openings for DMACC Board of Directors, profiles of potential candidates and election results; reports on one contested seat

· Seminars on DIY solar and wind energy-use methods offered to the public

· DMACC student senate election outcomes

· DMACC offers free blood pressure testing to local senior citizens; report on 1000 recipient of free blood pressure test given by program.

· Tax clinic offered by DMACC; seminar in “death investigation;” offering continuing education credit hours in food preparation and service

· Ankeny third graders and DMACC dental students participate in an oral hygiene program

· Undated, unattached item regarding Des Moines Taxpayers Association support for 3-year extension of mill levy, from 1982 expiration date to 1985

· Unattached item, profiling a DMACC graduate who is now working at Wheelabrator Frye in Indiana