Upper Iowa University, NICC, and City of Manchester open Manchester Regional Education Partnership
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The Manchester Regional Education Partnership officially |
MANCHESTER, Iowa (October 21, 2011) – Upper Iowa University, Northeast Iowa Community College, and the City of Manchester officially opened the Manchester Regional Education Partnership Center Thursday night, October 20, at 1200½ W. Main St. in Manchester. A collaborative effort of UIU, NICC and the city, the MREP offers post-secondary education in the greater Delaware County region.
Area residents, business owners, city officials and representatives of the two colleges crowded into the center in the Dupaco building for the ribbon-cutting ceremonies and to learn more about the educational offerings at the center. Officials spoke about the importance of education for non-traditional students, with more jobs requiring education beyond a high school diploma, and a challenging national economy that is transitioning out of a serious recession. City officials noted that offering educational opportunities in Manchester is part of the city's strategic plan to position Manchester as a location for families, community and opportunities.
"After many years of discussion and planning, the time has come to celebrate the opening of the Manchester Regional Education Partnership that will serve the great Delaware County Area. This is a unique partnership with the City of Manchester, UIU, and NICC and multiple community members who have a vested interested from the 'Good to Great' committee," said NICC President Dr. Wee. "We are pleased to be a partner and are excited about the future of this center."
UIU President Alan G. Walker noted that he appreciates the important role of community colleges and training programs in the higher education of adult students, adding that he earned his first degree at a community college before continuing his studies and launching a career in higher education. "This type of educational opportunity is extremely important for adult learners, and the Manchester partnership is a truly unique way to offer these kinds of programs," Walker said. "Upper Iowa is proud to be part of this partnership, which is the first of its kind for our University, and we look forward to its success."
The Manchester Regional Education Partnership (MREP) is a collaboration of entities with the same vision – making quality education accessible to the greater Manchester area. MREP provides services such as on-line credit courses for high school students and adult learners, non-credit training programs for local citizens and the business community. MREP also offers adult basic education, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and GED classes as well as distance education programs offering undergraduate and graduate degrees. The facility has a state-of-the-art computer lab and a classroom for business training and credit classes. MREP's focus will be helping students achieve their educational goals and working with local businesses to expand, retain and grow.
For information about the Manchester Regional Education Partnership, contact MREP Coordinator Debra Kintzle at 563-822-1016 or kintzled@uiu.edu.
About Upper Iowa University
Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs to over 6,800 students—nationally and internationally—at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. Upper Iowa University has been named a top military-friendly school for three consecutive years by both Military Advanced Education and GI Jobs; its online programs are ranked highly by Online Education Database; and many of its online majors have been designated "best buy" or "best value" by GetEducated.com. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.
About Northeast Iowa Community College
Northeast Iowa Community College serves over 5200 credit students and 38,000 non-credit students annually at the college's two major campuses in Calmar and Peosta, at centers in Cresco, Dubuque, Manchester, Oelwein and Waukon, and online. Northeast Iowa Community College offers over 75 academic degree, diploma and certificate programs, and 20 programs can be taken completely online as well as many non-credit continuing education and professional development training and certification programs. In 2011, the Aspen Institute named Northeast Iowa Community College to the list of top 10 community colleges nationwide in its college excellence program. For more information, visit www.nicc.edu.
Contact:
Monica Bayer Heaton
Executive Director of Communications and Marketing
Phone: 563-425-5773
Cell: 515-291-2070
heatonm@uiu.edu