arts component, the college has always emphasized professional development from its early involvement, as a junior college, on business courses and teacher education. The departments of nursing, education, and social work were accredited in the 1960s and 1970s as the four-year programs developed. Initiated in 1997, the Adult Accelerated program, a joint Mount Mercy University/Kirkwood Community College accelerated degree completion program for working adults meets an important community workforce development need.
On August 23, 2010, the institution was re-designated as a university.
In May 2024, the university announced a partnership with fellow Catholic institution St. Ambrose University in Davenport that would allow students from both institutions to freely take classes at them. At the time of the announcement, a merger was "being explored for the future." Three months later, in August 2024, it was announced that the university would merge with St. Ambrose.
=== Presidents ===
Mary Ildephonse Holland, 1928–1933, …
