January 2006 Board Meeting Report

Illinois Valley Community College board of trustees authorized the conferring of 258 degrees and certificates for the fall semester graduates as presented at the Wednesday night board meeting.

The board learned that a community college’s combined tuition and universal fee rate must be at 85 percent of the state average in order receive equalization funding. Between the fiscal years of 2005-2006 the average state tuition and fee rate increased by 9.93 percent. IVCC’s combined tuition and universal fee rate is currently $61.25 and has not changed since an increase of one dollar in the fall of 2003. Eventually, the college's tuition and fee rate will rise and Dr. Jerry Corcoran, vice president for business services and finance/treasurer and Cheryl Roelfsema, controller plan on meeting with IVCC students to invite dialogue on this subject.

Several changes were made to the IVCC board meeting calendar. The board of trustees approved the date change of the August board meeting from Wednesday, Aug 23 to Aug. 30; the November board meeting from Wednesday, Nov. 22 to Nov. 29; and the December board meeting from Wednesday, Dec. 20 to Tuesday, Dec.19. “The recommended changes to August and November meeting dates are necessary to allow our budget and levy to be on display for at least 30 days,” stated Dr. Corcoran.

A tuition waiver was granted for a .5 credit hour course to help high school students with disabilities transition to college. This course is designed to assist students in gaining career and personal awareness, technical skills, and an understanding of IVCC’s programs and services in response to the lower retention and success rate of this population. The waiver will be in effect for the fall of 2006 and the spring of 2007.

The board adopted the master plan for IVCC, a banking and investment policy and a contract approval policy as presented, and authorized the business office to accept the bid of $10,900 from Vanguard Construction, Pekin as the lowest most responsible bid for the resource center wall panel installation in LRC-E.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the part-time faculty payroll as presented and a new full-time position of ESL/GED program manager assigned to the adult education department.
• Learned of the appointment of Vera A. Adams research analyst; Michelle E. Bakr administrative assistant to Career Services; and the resignations of Jacqueline Fox, director of Human Resources, Cheryl Joseph from the Early Childhood Center Learning Ladder and Pamela Masterson, horticulture instructor at Sheridan Correctional Center.
• Appointed Lori Scroggs as the chair and Dennis Thompson as the vice-chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.
• Approved a comprehensive marketing research partnership with professors from Northern Illinois University.