2008 Woodie Awards
Three semesters down and still making the grade
Dane Schumann
Issue date: 1/26/06 Section: Feature
- Page 1 of 1
It has been one year since Mick Starcevich took over as president at Kirkwood Community College. In that time enrollment has grown, a bond issue has been passed and the college continues to roll forward.
Many are already grading him on his job performance but what is his appraisal of the position he currently fills? As Kirkwood's fourth president, Starcevich has found that there are many new challenges, opportunities and benefits to his year-old job.
Last fall's bond issue had the fingerprints of a high school initiative. Few colleges take on such a task and are often met with failure when they do. As the former Superintendent of Cedar Rapids Prairie Community School District, Starcevich had some experience to draw on when the $25 million bond issue came up for a vote.
"One of the biggest differences between this job and being at a high school is that you've got to fight tooth and nail for every cent you get," Starcevich said.
The bond passed with a majority of nearly 66 percent.
A local school district, like the ones most native Iowans attended, is given a set amount of money to put behind their operations every year. Colleges like Kirkwood receive their funds on a less concrete basis. As a result, Starcevich explained, lobbyists represent Kirkwood and other institutions at the Iowa legislature in order to secure money to keep the school running.
In order to keep funds flowing in "we're always involved in the political process," Starcevich said.
Starcevich came to Cedar Rapids Prairie before coming to Kirkwood as vice president of instruction in 2004. Before being named president, Starcevich was executive vice president at KCC.
With so much time and energy devoted to managerial duties, many administrators find they lose contact with students. Starcevich said he meets for lunch every month with students of different programs in order to keep in touch with them because "they're all what we're here for."
Starcevich said that he's often in contact with culinary arts students and the school's athletes because "we get a lot of food from them after meetings and I usually try to make it to as many athletic events that I can."
Many colleges like Kirkwood find themselves training workers for very specific tasks and area employers find them valuable assets to the locale as a result.
One of the biggest differences Starcevich noted between his duties as a superintendent and president of a community college is "how much more we're involved in the economic development of the area."
What's the best part of his new job? "To learn what we do for all the people in the community, and working with the people here at Kirkwood. We work well as a team," Starcevich said, "We all work to keep Kirkwood accessible."
Many are already grading him on his job performance but what is his appraisal of the position he currently fills? As Kirkwood's fourth president, Starcevich has found that there are many new challenges, opportunities and benefits to his year-old job.
Last fall's bond issue had the fingerprints of a high school initiative. Few colleges take on such a task and are often met with failure when they do. As the former Superintendent of Cedar Rapids Prairie Community School District, Starcevich had some experience to draw on when the $25 million bond issue came up for a vote.
"One of the biggest differences between this job and being at a high school is that you've got to fight tooth and nail for every cent you get," Starcevich said.
The bond passed with a majority of nearly 66 percent.
A local school district, like the ones most native Iowans attended, is given a set amount of money to put behind their operations every year. Colleges like Kirkwood receive their funds on a less concrete basis. As a result, Starcevich explained, lobbyists represent Kirkwood and other institutions at the Iowa legislature in order to secure money to keep the school running.
In order to keep funds flowing in "we're always involved in the political process," Starcevich said.
Starcevich came to Cedar Rapids Prairie before coming to Kirkwood as vice president of instruction in 2004. Before being named president, Starcevich was executive vice president at KCC.
With so much time and energy devoted to managerial duties, many administrators find they lose contact with students. Starcevich said he meets for lunch every month with students of different programs in order to keep in touch with them because "they're all what we're here for."
Starcevich said that he's often in contact with culinary arts students and the school's athletes because "we get a lot of food from them after meetings and I usually try to make it to as many athletic events that I can."
Many colleges like Kirkwood find themselves training workers for very specific tasks and area employers find them valuable assets to the locale as a result.
One of the biggest differences Starcevich noted between his duties as a superintendent and president of a community college is "how much more we're involved in the economic development of the area."
What's the best part of his new job? "To learn what we do for all the people in the community, and working with the people here at Kirkwood. We work well as a team," Starcevich said, "We all work to keep Kirkwood accessible."