BVU, Carroll Community School District Unite in Strategic Partnership
Carroll Community School District joins BVU as its newest Strategic Partner. This partnership allows CCSD to extend educational benefits at a reduced cost to their employees and families.
Buena Vista University (BVU) and the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) have united in a Strategic Partnership to deepen their commitment to education and the communities they serve.
This partnership allows employees of CCSD, as well as eligible family members of full-time employees, to receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. Partner grant funding also lowers the cost per credit hour for students enrolled in BVU’s convenient online/hybrid undergraduate programs or the organizational leadership graduate program.
BVU professors and staff are also available for training programs, workshops, and more should officials with CCSD seek those services and expertise.
“Being a Strategic Partner with BVU is a no-brainer in the sense that it provides educational opportunities and reduces the cost of education for our employees and their eligible family members,” says CCSD Superintendent Dr. Casey Berlau. “This partnership helps to send a message that we are an institution that highly values education.”
“BVU had great professors who helped me succeed in the classroom. The class sizes gave me an opportunity to work closely with the professors, and they were able to give me real-world experiences in the classroom before I earned my first teaching job.”
Randy Bissen, 2005 BVU graduate
Serving approximately 1,700 students PK-12, CCSD has more than 250 employees.
“There are a lot of opportunities for our educators through this partnership, and we look forward to offering this benefit to our employees,” says Berlau.
BVU has long enjoyed strong educational ties in and around Carroll, home to Des Moines Area Community College, a campus that has collaborated with BVU for many years. Students enrolled in a program through DMACC can seamlessly transfer their credits toward their bachelor’s degree at BVU. Students receive personalized support including admissions and enrollment counseling, and academic advising through BVU’s online and hybrid undergraduate programs.
“BVU had great professors who helped me succeed in the classroom. The class sizes gave me an opportunity to work closely with the professors, and they were able to give me real-world experiences in the classroom before I earned my first teaching job,” says Randy Bissen, a BVU graduate. “I am now the Activities Director at Carroll and am thankful for everything I was able to take away from my time at BVU.”
“BVU is excited to offer partner grant funding to Carroll Community School District staff and their eligible family members, lowering the overall cost of education,” says Laura Todd, BVU Director of Strategic Partnerships. “Access to quality, affordable education opens many opportunities for individuals, and we look forward to strengthening the Carroll community and beyond through education.”
For more information about BVU’s Strategic Partnerships and partner opportunities, please visit the BVU website at bvu.edu/strategic-partnerships or contact strategicpartnerships@bvu.edu.