CENTERVILLE, Iowa — On Thursday, Indian Hills Community College in Centerville celebrated the grand opening of its new Irma W. Winslow Education Center with a ribbon cutting.
This facility is designed to provide students with a modern and dynamic learning environment. President Matt Thompson emphasized the diverse opportunities the center will offer students.
“Everything from nursing to welding to industrial maintenance to driving commercial vehicles is there,” Thompson said. “The agriculture program is huge here and it’s doing really well. The construction technology that’s used to build homes in southern Iowa every year is fantastic, and then of course the food service and the library and the places for students to hang out. It’s a great college experience.”
The $32 million campus is expected to accommodate 450 students next school year, and that number is expected to grow the following year. Thompson explains how the student-teacher ratio will be managed to accommodate the increasing numbers.
“Our student-teacher ratio is about 17 to 1, so you’re going to a big university,” Thompson said. “You’re spending a lot of money and you’re in a classroom of 350 to 400 people in your first and second year. So this gives you the opportunity to get hands-on experience with someone who cares about you. In a much smaller environment, which I think a lot of our students want. And it’s also a very affordable option.”
The facility is named after a former student who defied age-related expectations by returning to the university at age 69 and graduating from Indian Hills. Thompson also mentioned that the facility has future plans for the Ottumwa campus, including opening a student wellness center.
