About 120 students enrolled in the online 2+2 Elementary Education Bachelor of Arts program will be honored at a special 2+2 Teacher Education Convocation and Celebration on Oct. 22 on the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Urban Campus. 

Sara Russell, Iowa Teacher of the Year who teaches at Pleasant Valley High School, is the guest speaker for the 10 a.m. event. Marc Renning, long-time instructor and coordinator with the 2+2 program, along with Benjamin Forsyth, associate dean of educator preparation, both with the UNI College of Education, will lead the student recognition. 

Students receive a pin and certificate to commemorate this milestone. It heralds admission to UNI Teacher Education and their commitment to teaching as a profession. 

The 2+2 program, offered in partnership with DMACC campuses through its first 25 years, is now accessible by students enrolled at other Iowa community colleges as well. It provides an alternative pathway to earning a bachelor’s degree for place-bound adult learners who want to build upon their associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree in another field to become a teacher. 

The convocation ceremony dates back to the 1990s on the central UNI campus in Cedar Falls. For many years, a smaller ceremony occurred at the DMACC Boone campus for the 2+2 program prior to the shift to Des Moines this year. Nearly 320 students have graduated from the 2+2 program since its inception. 

Contact:

Marc Renning, marc.renning@uni.edu, (712) 792-8323, ext. 800.