COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Through Community Engagement, the College continues to find opportunities that not only benefit our students, but also serve many needs in the community. In laying the foundation for Community Engagement to thrive, ICC has made a Commitment (one of the Core Values) to make decisions that best serve our students and community.

Engagement opportunities have been focused through Key Initiatives 3 & 4.

Engage the service area community by development/redevelopment of collaborative partnerships and training programs that offer value to our students, our college and the community we serve.

ICC has a consistent presence at the First Friday Event organized by the Independence Chamber of Commerce. This gathering provides an excellent opportunity for over 100 community leaders to stay informed about the latest campus events and news.

In partnership with the Independence Chamber of Commerce, the Pirates organized a memorable Movie Night at Riverside Park. This fantastic event brought together more than 200 students and community members, who had a wonderful time engaging in games and watching a captivating film in unison.

Over two-hundred students, faculty and staff participated in Love Independence, a day of community service. Students, faculty and staff provided service in the form of cleaning up sections around town.

The college invited area groups to perform during halftime during the women’s and men’s basketball games.

International Flag Day

ICC Student Life welcomed the public to a Flag Day Ceremony on the ICC Main Campus on Wednesday, November 16. Keynote Ayanna Hensley, Miss Kansas 2022, opened the ceremony.

Develop college outreach and promotions to maximize awareness of ICC through clear initiatives and additional strategic recruitment to grow enrollment and establish ICC’s identity and brand.

ICC announced the First-Generation Family of the Year.

Through a nomination process, the Sanchez family was selected as providing unwavering support to ICC graduate, David Sanchez.

Announced: November 12, 2022

Walmart, ICC students recognized that many donated items could benefit children in the Independence community. Students spent several weeks, sorting clothes into gift bags that can be given to any student needing a change of clothes.

3 Community Camps/Clinics Community Concerts

1 Ribbon Cutting Career Fairs

Increased Social Media Efforts

Facebook was the chosen platform to reach community, donors, faculty and staff.

The following metrics were pulled from July 2022 through May 2023.

175,023 Total

22,894 New Visits

Total Reach for the Year

2.2% Increase

Page Visits

92.5% Increase

Johnson Wins MLK Jr. Drum Major Award

ICC hosted the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Awards Luncheon on February 10. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals who consistently go above and beyond to serve others but are seldom recognized for their work. The award is presented to one ICC student, one ICC employee, and one Independence, KS, community member.

College Participates in Community Service

Pirates from various activities and departments across campus did community service as part of the city wide Love Independence Day on April 29th.

Women’s Basketball Helps at Trunk-or-Treat

On October 31st, the ICC Basketball program participated in Trunk-or-Treat hosted by the Independence Chamber of Commerce.

The ICC Rural Outreach Education Department brought in Damon Parker, a mental health champion and motivational speaker to Independence Memorial Hall on February 8. Parker challenges audiences with a new way of thinking, providing the blueprint that associations, teachers, and students need to see an immediate improvement in their culture and overall productivity.

Administrative Goals

President Bowhay, along with his Administrative Team, developed the following priorities for the academic year after reviewing trends in local, state, and national data, as well as the current strategic plan. The College is re-orientating itself for growth throughout the academic year. Independence Community College has partnered with Architect One, Inc. to develop a new 15-year campus facilities master plan. Additionally, the College continues to look for new ways to engage our local community and industry partners in everything we do. Finally, the College will continue to examine the student experience to ensure we are delivering a high-quality academic experience partnered with robust co-curricular offerings. Administrative Team members will continue to encourage all areas to adopt these key College-level priorities for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Priority 1:

Build an institutional understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Independence Community College is committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable campus community. To accomplish this, the College must recruit, retain, and support a more diverse community. Further, the College is committed to removing any systematic barriers to student and employee success.

Priority 2: Increase enrollment.

Independence Community College is committed to aligning services, resources, and programs to achieve optimal enrollment levels and support students in realizing their educational, personal, and professional goals.

Priority 3: Grow our academic programming.

Independence Community College will continue to be the destination of choice for a quality education in Southeast Kansas and beyond.

Priority 4:

Improve our infrastructure. Independence Community College is committed to providing sustainable, safe, and attractive facilities conducive to student learning and employee engagement.

Priority 5:

Enhance our technology. Independence Community College strategically plans for upgrades to, and the replacement of, campus technology that supports student success and institutional effectiveness.