MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa — Following the closure of Iowa Wesleyan University in May and a subsequent auction, the remaining items on campus are being given away to the community in a series of events.
The school's Board of Trustees has organized "Community Days" to help clear out the campus buildings.
The schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, Sept. 27 - Gymnasium and student union
- Wednesday, Oct. 4 - PEO building
- Wednesday, Oct. 11 - Old Main and Pioneer Hall
- Wednesday, Oct. 18 - Library
The individual buildings will be open to the public from 1 to 7 p.m. on each designated day.
Items not attached to the wall may be taken at no charge. No holds will be honored, and items will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. The release says that no power tools are allowed, but small wagons will be allowed to help carry items out.
Rachel Lindeen, executive vice president of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, said in a phone call with News 8 that these events are part of the close-out process. Items remaining are anything not taken in the last content auction, and include things like filing cabinets, staplers and trash cans.
Anyone entering the buildings for the giveaways must sign a liability waiver.
Iowa Wesleyan University closed in May of 2023 after serving the community for 181 years.
Overall, Iowa Wesleyan said the decision to close in May was based on increased operating costs due to inflation, changing enrollment trends, a "significant drop" in philanthropic giving and the "rejection of a proposal for federal Covid funding by Governor Reynolds."