Iowa Wesleyan receives $240,000 gift to better student success

Iowa Wesleyan has announced the reception of a $240,000 gift from Steven and Jill Howe to help fund initiatives to support the Student Success Center.

The center will be recognized as the Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center with the donation.

The Student Success Center has been a significant part of Iowa Wesleyan's efforts to trend upward within the higher education realm around Southeast Iowa.

Over the past two years, the university has pushed to expand university-wide student success initiatives by devoting staff and financial resources to the cause.

"As Iowa Wesleyan welcomes an increasing number of first-generation and economically and ethnically diverse students, our Student Success Center has become the cornerstone of our work to increase retention and graduation rates," President Christine Plunkett said in a news release. "We are grateful to Steven and Jill for their generous support of this program, and we are proud to name our center in their honor. Their commitment represents an investment in our students and allows us to enhance our efforts to influence and shape future generations."

Associate Dean of Student Success Initiatives Katie Aranda said that the donation will significantly impact the services they have worked to build thus far.

"I'm excited for our students to have additional support services, and this gift will enhance what we've already been building," Aranda said in the news release. "When I started in the spring of 2017, we had a staff of three; we worked around the clock to connect with students and give them the support they needed. It's inspiring to see how the staff has grown, and this gift will help support that growth and lead to other resources for students."

The center currently has eight full-time staff.

The Howe's wanted to assist the students in any way possible, which led them to help with the improvement of the Student Success Center.

"When we heard about the intention behind the Student Success Center and the good work already being done there, we were moved by the deep sense of caring it represents for students," Steven Howe said in the news release." The Student Success program provides the kind of resources that give them the very best chance of getting the most out of their experience in higher education."

Steven Howe is the son of Stan and Helen Howe, who have also dedicated themselves to the university. The Howe Student Activity Center is named in their honor.

Both Stan and Helen received honorary doctorates from Iowa Wesleyan in 1978 and 2010, respectively.

Aranda said the center would continue to have a substantial impact on the students of Iowa Wesleyan, and the donation will further facilitate student success.

"We have created a strong community in our Center, and it's a place for our students to feel at home," Aranda said. "This gift will help support those endeavors."

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com