News Briefs April 23, 2018

DMACC Spanish Professor Stacy Amling has been recognized as Region Language Teacher of the Year for Iowa by the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (CSCTFL). Finalists from each state represented by CSCTFL were honored at a ceremony back in early March. Amling teaches Spanish and Honors classes at DMACC in Ankeny.

On Monday, April 9, DMACC students and members of the community gathered to recognize crime victims at a Take Back the Night Rally. Domestic violence survivors and public officials, including Polk County Attorney John Sarcone spoke at the rally. A silent vigil walk around campus followed the speakers.

On Friday, April 13, the DMACC IT Club held a charity gaming event where students and staff could spend some downtime playing video games or board games. The IT club was supporting Tech Journey DSM, a charity that encourages education and interest in the technology field.

Students from all six DMACC campuses and eight different programs participated in a car crash simulation on Monday, April 16. The ‘accident’ damaged several cars and injured over forty people. The programs involved ranged from Criminal Justice, Fire Science Technology, and Early Childhood Education to all the medical programs like Nursing and Medical Laboratory Technology. The simulation was the second annual, and a great exposure to the kinds of hands-on work they may be doing one day.

Benjamin Davis, the Liberian Year Speaker visited Ankeny campus on Thursday, April 19 to share his story of why he emigrated and how his philanthropy efforts are being implemented in Liberia currently. He and his wife are preparing to open the Kids Foundation Elementary School in Monrovia, Liberia. The DMACC Education Department donated $300 to the Davis’ worthy cause.

Earth Week at DMACC included a great variety of events from April 16 through 20. A vendor fair took place on Wednesday with several area conservation groups set up sharing information with students about their organizations and missions. On Friday campus clean-up took place in Ankeny, and Saturday a group of students volunteered to clean up Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.

Women’s Empowerment Week events at DMACC took place last week on Ankeny campus. Wednesday, there was a session of Empowerment Yoga for Women, also serving as a great stress reliever as finals approach. Friday the 20th Trail Point held a Self-Defense for Women class to teach them strategies they can protect themselves with in the event of an attack.

Matt Walsh, a history professor at Urban Campus, was honored by the State Historical Society with the Benjamin F. Shambaugh Award for the high quality of his book, “The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa.” After the Vietnam War, the then governor encouraged Indochinese people to return to Iowa, a piece of Iowa’s history not known to all.

In the first quarter of his time at DMACC, Executive Vice President of College Operations Dr. Stanley Jensen, has earned the Exemplary Leadership Award for his efforts in his previous position as president of another college. At DMACC, Dr. Jensen is currently working to implement processes with the goal of enhancing student advising, enrollment, data collection and use, and workforce initiatives.

English Professor Sharran Slinkard will be retiring after a 26 year tenure at DMACC. She humbly stated, “I am thankful for my career and the opportunity to serve my community.”

On April 6, President Rob Denson sent out this email reagrding on-campus weapons to DMACC students and staff.

“Given the tragic incidents of gun violence over the past few years, we have been meeting with our area law enforcement to make sure we have proper policies in place and that we are meeting the applicable standard of care expected of us.

The Metro Chiefs and Sherriff did raise a point of concern during their discussion. They reminded us that adults could run, hide, fight, etc., but little children could not defend themselves. The most obvious point of concern would be the child care area just inside Trail Point. We know we also have child care in building 9.

Given the immediate concern for children, we are asking the Board for authority to have some of our security officers armed. At this point we are only thinking about security for Trail Point, with some coverage in the building 9 child care area.

BEFORE we add security or change their status at any other site we will have an all-Campus forum, on each site, to hear your thoughts on security needs and levels.

We will be setting up Campus forums soon to get your input.”

Ankeny’s campus forum will take place on Friday, May 4, at 2:30 p.m. in the Building 6 auditorium for those interested in participating.

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