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Board grants continued accreditation to Hawkeye Community College and approves Faith Baptist administrator‑prep proposal
Summary
The State Board continued Hawkeye Community College’s state accreditation after a department visit and recommended follow‑up on faculty documentation; the board also approved Faith Baptist Bible College to offer an online administrator preparation program with clinical experience.
The board took two higher‑education related approvals during the March 21 meeting.
Hawkeye Community College (interim state accreditation): The department reviewed Hawkeye’s most recent Higher Learning Commission materials and conducted an on‑site visit in November. The department reported no HLC concerns. Strengths cited included higher retention and completion rates, strong collaboration among credit/noncredit/student support staff, upgraded facilities and a well‑developed simulation lab for health programs. The department identified two accreditation findings related to faculty documentation: two faculty members were identified as lacking required qualifications and one file missing transcript evidence. The department recommended continued accreditation while it conducts additional faculty file reviews and recommended the college improve credential documentation practices. The board voted to continue Hawkeye’s state accreditation through the next comprehensive state review cycle (scheduled for academic year 2029–2030).
Faith Baptist Bible College (new administrator preparation program): The board considered a department review of a proposed online master’s program in education administration and instructional leadership at Faith Baptist (Ankeny). The program proposes a 30‑credit master’s with two tracks (PK–12 Principal / PK–12 special education supervisor; and instructional leadership). The department’s review found Faith Baptist in compliance with HLC and Iowa chapter 79 requirements and recommended approval. The program will require 400 hours of supervised clinical experience for licensure‑aligned administrator candidates and will use local school placements and online coursework. The board approved Faith Baptist’s application to offer the administrator‑preparation program pending the normal site visit cycle.
Why it matters: Continued accreditation keeps Hawkeye’s access to state approvals and federal student aid intact; the Faith Baptist approval expands options for administrator preparation in Iowa, including an online pathway aligned to state standards.
