April 13, 2023 Minutes of Regular Meeting

The Board of Trustees of Illinois Valley Community College District No. 513 convened a regular session at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 13, 2023 in the Board Room (C307) at Illinois Valley Community College.

Members Physically Present

Everett J. Solon, Chair

Jay K. McCracken, Vice Chair

Angela M. Stevenson, Secretary

Amy L. Boyles

Jane E. Goetz

William F. Hunt

Members Virtually Present

Maureen O. Rebholz

Members Telephonically Present

Members Absent

Ashton F. Dille, Student Trustee

Others Physically Present

Jerry Corcoran, President

Tracy Morris, President-Elect

Matthew Seaton, Vice President for Business Services & Finance

Gary Roberts, Vice President for Academic Affairs

Mark Grzybowski, Vice President for Student Services            

Mary Beth Herron, Director of Human Resources

Elizabeth G. Boyles, Student Trustee-Elect

Walt Zukowski, Attorney

Others Virtually Present

 

OPENING REMARKS

Mr. Solon informed of the following: Provisions within Section 7(e) of the Open Meetings Act, allowing for Board meetings to be virtual and without requiring the physical presence of a quorum of the members, continue to apply to our Board meetings due to (a) Governor Pritzker’s most recent disaster proclamation; and (b) my determination that in-person meetings are not practical or prudent (for all board members and members of the public) because of the disaster. It is the custom and practice of the college to record Board meetings and the meeting was being recorded both audio and video. Anyone joining the meeting virtually, please mute until you are ready to speak.

APPROVAL OF AGENDA

It was moved by Mr. McCracken and seconded by Ms. Goetz to approve the agenda.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Boyles, Dr. Rebholz, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

PUBLIC COMMENT

None

CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS

It was moved by Dr. Boyles and seconded by Mr. Hunt to approve the consent agenda, as presented.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

The following items were approved in the consent agenda:

Approval of Minutes – March 9, 2023 Board Meeting and March 30, 2023 Planning Committee Meeting.

Approval of Bills - $1,848,384.96

Education Fund - $1,311,204.46; Operations & Maintenance Fund - $160,917.24; Operations & Maintenance (Restricted Fund) - $8,937.24; Auxiliary Fund - $71,751.31; Restricted Fund - $175,974.12; Audit Fund - $17,563.00; and Liability, Protection & Settlement Fund - $102,037.59.

Treasurer’s Report

Personnel

Approved stipends for pay periods ending March 11, 2023 and March 25, 2023 & Part-time Faculty and Staff Appointments March 2023.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Dr. Corcoran congratulated the new SGA Leadership group which includes President Daniel Sack; VP Drew Knipper; Secretary Riker Fesperman; Treasurer Katie Bates; and our new Student Trustee Libby Boyles whom Judy Day, Dr. Morris and I met with yesterday morning. He noted that Libby is going to do a fine job and we are lucky to have her in this critical position. Dr. Corcoran thanked Ashton Dille for serving one year as outgoing student trustee. We appreciate the support Ashton provided and wish her nothing but the best going forward. Dr. Corcoran noted that The Explore IVCC open house event that we had on campus on March 22 turned out great. He added that with Tom Quigley and Ashlee Fitzpatrick leading the way, we had 95 people attend, the largest turnout since Tom Quigley took over as director of admissions and records 18 months ago. Dr. Corcoran commented that as noted on page 81 of tonight’s agenda, on March 24th, the ICCB held its regular bimonthly meeting on our campus and the Board was very complimentary of our facilities, programs and staff. He noted that Judy Day made sure everything came together like clockwork; the tour of our academic support center was very positive thanks to Angie Dunlap, Stephanie Reeder, and Tina Hardy who did a fine job of showcasing our center for accessibility and neurodiversity. He added that as we walked through the CTC, he was worried about the group wanting to be back on their trip home by mid-afternoon, however, the more Dr. Shane Lange talked about our career and technical programs, the more our guests wanted to hear. Dr. Corcoran noted that overall, it was a fine day and he was proud of the way everything turned out. Dr. Corcoran informed that as some of you are aware, The Nell’s Woodland Foundation is a 501c(3) organization dedicated to facilitating a meaningful and connected relationship to nature through programs that support stewardship in the areas of Ecology, Health and Wellness, and the Arts by way of a 60-acre preserve located on the north side of Ottawa. He added that several college officials have met with folks about partnership opportunities that could result in a handful of Continuing Education classes being offered there this summer as well as some Humanities and Fine Arts programs in the fall. Dr. Corcoran noted that he is very optimistic that good things lie ahead in this area so stay tuned for more to follow as programming comes together. Dr. Corcoran extended kudos to Mark Grzybowski and his colleagues who organized an excellent academic awards banquet on April 5th where one of the highlights was LeeAnn Johnson’s address to the students. He commented that as you know, LeeAnn was this year’s recipient of the Steve Charry award for teaching excellence. Dr. Corcoran noted that she did an awesome job. Dr. Corcoran thanked President-Elect Dr. Tracy Morris for co-facilitating a presentation to five Rotary clubs in our area last night. He added that Tracy is excelling in her new role and we are all committed to doing everything we can to support her. Dr. Corcoran informed that tonight is Dr. Matthew Seaton’s last board meeting as our excellent vice president for business services and finance/treasurer. Dr. Corcoran noted that it has been an honor and privilege to work beside Matt Seaton. He commented that everything he asked of Matt was done well. Matt’s impact of IVCC goes way beyond the less-than-two years he has been with us. Dr. Corcoran added that Matt’s future with the Illinois State Board of Education is very bright, well-deserved and we all want what is best for him and his loved ones. Dr. Corcoran noted that tonight’s agenda also includes Reed Wilson’s retirement plan effective June 30 as assistant to the college president for special projects. That is a job title that fits Reed perfectly. Dr. Corcoran added that Reed has been a master of getting special projects done in a quiet and professional way. Projects like building the Peter Miller Community Technology Center, meeting our goals with the capital campaign, partnering with the city of Ottawa on the IVCC Ottawa Center, and successfully relaunching our agriculture program all tie back one way or another to Reed. Dr. Corcoran noted that we thank him for a job well done. Dr. Corcoran informed that tonight is also Fran Brolley’s last board meeting as our Executive Director of Community Relations and the Foundation. He noted that no one has worked harder or been more successful than Fran. Dr. Corcoran commented that when Fran first told him about his retirement plans, he honestly could not imagine coming to work and Fran not being here, but we all move on eventually.  Dr. Corcoran noted that we owe Fran a debt of gratitude. Dr. Corcoran added that indicative of Fran’s unmatched fundraising skills, he has something new to share with us tonight about another major donation to the IVCC Foundation. Mr. Brolley announced that Dr. Kamal Kishore, an ophthalmologist and retina specialist at the Illinois Retina and Eye Associates and who generously has given ten $1,000 annual awards for students in pre-med and medical-related careers has now established an endowment of $100,000 with the IVCC Foundation. Fran noted that Dr. Kishore is doing this to say thank you for the support he has received from patients and the community over the past 20 years. He added that Dr. Kishore is an award-winning ophthalmologist with offices in Peru, Peoria and Galesburg and teacher of ophthalmologists at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Medicine and Peoria.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Ms. Goetz, Chair of the Planning Committee noted that Dr. Roberts provided an excellent and informative presentation at the Planning Committee meeting on March 30th and she and the committee extended many thanks to him and also to Matt Suerth for collecting the data.

PURCHASE REQUEST – NURSING PROGRAM SIMULATION LAB EQUIPMENT

It was moved by Ms. Stevenson and seconded by Dr. Rebholz to authorize to purchase the equipment for the Nursing Simulation Lab from Pocket Nurse, through the OMNIA Partners purchasing cooperative, at a cost of $182,211.71.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried. Dr. Rebholz noted that the simulation lab would place our nursing department in a position to have the best tools possible and would be a tremendous asset to the department and the college. Dr. Boyles pointed out that the project would be entirely funded by the Pipeline for the Advancement of the Healthcare Workforce (PATH) grant. Mr. McCracken noted the outstanding detail provided for the purchase request.

BID RESULTS – MEDICAL ASSISTING LAB RENOVATION

It was moved by Dr. Boyles and seconded by Mr. McCracken to approve to accept the base bid and Alternative No. 2 from Lite Construction Inc., Montgomery, Illinois, in the amount of $290,274 for the Medical Assisting Lab Renovation to be paid from fund balance.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

AGREEMENT – DISPLAY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIFACTS

It was moved by Mr. Hunt and seconded by Ms. Goetz to approve the proposal from Bluestone+Associates, as presented.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

APPROVAL – BOARD POLICY 3.34 – REMOTE WORK

Motion made by Ms. Stevenson and seconded by Ms. Goetz to approve the new Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 3.34 Remote Work that was approved by the Board Planning Committee on March 30, 2023.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

STAFF RESIGNATION – DR. MATT SEATON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES & FINANCE

Motion made by Ms. Goetz and seconded by Ms. Stevenson to accept with regret the resignation of Dr. Matt Seaton, Vice President for Business Services and Finance effective May 1, 2023.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried. Ms. Goetz noted that Matt has done a fantastic job at the college. Mr. McCracken added that Matt has done outstanding work as Vice President of Business Services & Finance. A standing ovation was given to Dr. Seaton by all present.

BOARD TRAVEL

It was moved by Mr. Hunt and seconded by Mr. McCracken to approve for reimbursement of expenses in the amount of $111.35 incurred by Ms. Goetz for attending the ICCTA Seminar and Meeting March 2023.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  “Abstain” – Ms. Goetz. Motion carried.

ITEMS FOR INFORMATION

Mr. Solon pointed out the information items on pages 61-81 of the Board book.

TRUSTEE COMMENT

Ms. Goetz noted that Reed Wilson has been fantastic to work with and Fran Brolley has been phenomenal. She thanked them both for their years of service.

Mr. McCracken extended kudos and many thanks to Reed and Fran.

Mr. Solon informed that a Board organizational meeting needs to be scheduled. The Board tentatively set Tuesday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. for the meeting pending receipt of the canvassed election results from April 4th.

CLOSED SESSION

Mr. Solon requested a motion and a roll call vote at 5:52 p.m. to enter into a closed session to discuss: 1) the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; 2) pending or imminent litigation; 3) complaint lodged against an employee of the public body; and 4) closed session minutes. 

Motion made by Dr. Boyles and seconded by Ms. Stevenson to enter into a closed session.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon. “Nay” – none.  Motion carried. The Board immediately entered closed session at 5:55 p.m.

Motion made by Mr. Hunt and seconded by Ms. Stevenson to return to the regular meeting.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried. The regular meeting resumed at 6:30 p.m.

POSSIBLE APPROVAL – APPOINTMENT OF INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES & FINANCE AND/OR POSSIBLE APPROVAL OF INTERIM APPOINTMENTS

Motion made by Mr. McCracken and seconded by Dr. Boyles to approve the appointments and stipends and/or wage adjustments for services from April 17, 2023 through June 30, 2023, as presented:

  • Jim Carlson, Interim Vice President for Business Services & Finance at $590 per day for approximately two to three days a week;
  • Kathy Ross, Interim Board Treasurer and CFO with a $5,000 stipend;
  • Michelle Carboni, Interim Director of Business Services with a $3,500 stipend;
  • Nikki VanNielen, Interim Additional Business Office Duties with a wage adjustment to $22.00 per hour; and
  • Mary Beth Herron, Interim FOIA Officer with a $2,500 stipend.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none. Motion carried.

CLOSED SESSION MINUTES

It was moved by Dr. Boyles and seconded by Mr. Hunt to approve and retain the closed session minutes of the March 9, 2023 Board Meeting.

Roll Call Vote: “Ayes” – Ms. Stevenson, Mr. McCracken, Dr. Rebholz, Dr. Boyles, Ms. Goetz, Mr. Hunt and Mr. Solon.  “Nay” – none.  Motion carried.

OTHER

Ms. Goetz shared the ICCTA Board Highlights and noted that the ICCTA annual conference is June 2-3 and required trustee leadership training will be offered at the event.

Dr. Corcoran informed of a couple of items:

  • The college will be requesting proposals for a 12-month digital marketing campaign.
  • Larry Huffman has requested to address the Board at the organizational meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. Solon declared the meeting adjourned at 6:38 p.m.