September Board Meeting Report

Illinois Valley Community College may one day be the home of a multi-county University of Illinois Extension office, IVCC board members learned Tuesday.

“Given the current economic climate, the idea of two public institutions with similar missions working together in shared facilities makes great sense,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

The Extension office considering relocating to the Oglesby campus represents Bureau, La Salle, Marshall and Putnam counties.

With the anticipated 2013 completion of IVCC’s Community Technology Center, several college programs will be moving into the CTC including Adult Education. When the CTC opens, the Extension could lease the area now occupied by Adult Education on the third floor of E-building, Corcoran said in a letter-of-intent to the U of I’s Northwest Regional Office approved by the board Tuesday.

Trustee Larry Huffman said the Extension would bring a new population to campus.

“You will get people here who have never set foot at IVCC before,” Huffman said.

Corcoran said the Extension offers services to the community such as soil analysis and offers non-credit courses and workshops such as the master gardener program hosted by IVCC last spring.

“The Extension will complement our continuing education program,” Corcoran said.

In other business, the board heard a report from Human Resources Director Glenna Jones and Human Resources Specialist George Needs on the demographics of IVCC’s employee population.

Jones said the college filled 39 positions in fiscal 2010 including 22 full-time positions. Of those, eight were professional/technical, five faculty, five classified and four administration. About 60 percent of IVCC employees are female.

Prior to the meeting, the board toured IVCC’s newly renovated biology lab.

The board also approved:

• Renewal of the cash farm lease for fiscal 2011 with Randall Michelini at $227 per acre on 149 acres for an annual payment of $34,000.
• Seeking bids for a utility tractor for the grounds and maintenance department at an estimated $35,000 to replace a 1988 Case 480F tractor.
• The academic calendars for 2011-12 and 2012-13. A major change is the moving of May commencement to a Saturday afternoon both years to increase student participation.
•  Accepted the retirement request of Sheridan Correctional Center instructor Bruce Markwalter. Markwalter began work in 1980 as a computer technology instructor and retires as Cooperative Work Training/Bridge instructor. When Sheridan was closed, he worked on IVCC’s main campus as facilitator of instructional technology.