Construction continues on Upper Iowa building

A new building that will serve as the Quad-Cities Education Center for Upper Iowa University is under construction in Bettendorf and is expected to be completed in October.

The private college, based in Fayette, will lease a 10,000-square-foot building that is under construction near Kimberly Road and Middle Road in Bettendorf, in front of the Burlington Coat Factory store.

Upper Iowa began offering classes locally in January at Scott Community College and expects to occupy its new facility in October, said Daniel Marvin, director of the local education center.

“We’re looking forward to getting out there,” he said.

Marvin said the focus of the center will be to provide an opportunity for working people who have earned an associate’s degree to take classes to finish their bachelor’s degrees.

Upper Iowa will offer bachelor’s degrees in several majors, including accounting, business administration, criminal justice, emergency and disaster management, health services administration, human resources management, human services, interdisciplinary studies, management, marketing, psychology and public administration.

Upper Iowa has an articulation agreement with the Eastern Iowa Community College District that will allow students to transfer their credits from the community college to Upper Iowa to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

Alan Campbell, spokesman for the community college district, said the district has similar agreements with all local colleges and state universities and that students will benefit from having access to the Upper Iowa Quad-Cities Education Center.

“It gives them yet another option,” he said.

Marvin said he expects about 50 students at the center when it opens, but that number could reach 250 students over time.

The facility will include traditional classrooms and computer labs where students can take courses online, Marvin said.