June 2011 Board Report

As Illinois Valley Community College this month ends its nearly 35-year practice of offering classes at Sheridan Correctional Center, instructors assigned to the prison will have the option to work for another community college.

IVCC President Jerry Corcoran announced at Tuesday’s board meeting that Lake Land College of Mattoon has agreed to take over the program July 1.

“Our goal all along has been to have the transition to a new training provider be seamless for our staff and the inmates and it appears that will be achieved,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran credited history instructor and AFT Union Local 1810 President Steve Alvin and Vice President for Learning and Student Development Rick Pearce for helping facilitate the transition that will involve four instructors.

Following closed session, the board announced it would hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 5 to act on the administration’s recommendation regarding security services.

In other news, Corcoran said Illinois community colleges are optimistic about receiving level funding in fiscal 2012 after House Bill 3700 passed both legislative chambers at the end of the spring session.

“Under some circumstances level funding may not seem like good news, however, given the state of the Illinois economy, it is a victory for Illinois community colleges and I am very pleased with the way IVCC’s legislators voted on this particular bill,” Corcoran said.

The President also noted the performance-based funding bill (HB 1503) was approved by both chambers.

“Beginning in fiscal 2013, the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s annual budget must include performance-based funding,” said Corcoran.

As co-chairs of the Council of Community College Presidents’ Finance and Administrative Services Committee, Corcoran and Illinois Eastern President Terry Bruce will begin work this summer with a group of CFOs, presidents and ICCB-advisory groups to set “momentum points” and milestone markers in a community college student’s academic career.

“These milestones will be the criteria for promoting and measuring student success and the foundation for performance-based funding,” Corcoran said.

In other business, the board approved:

  • The $26,459 bid of Midland Paper of Wheeling for paper used in printers, copy and fax machines across campus.
  • A 36-month lease for two, 15-passenger shuttle buses from Midwest Transit Equipment of Kankakee at an annual payment of $8,236 for each. The buses are used by IVCC athletic teams and for general college use.
  • The $4,200 bid (after trade-in) from Smith Sales and Service of Peru for an Exmark Lazer Z mower.
  • A three-year agreement totaling $155,967 with McQuay Factory Service of Wood Dale for maintenance of six McQuay air conditioning units.
  • The purchase of $40,000 in janitorial supplies from Interline Brands of Peoria and $17,443 in elevator maintenance from ThyssenKrupp Elevator of Peoria.
  • The $25,000 purchase of a lab-volt wind farm simulation software site license from Advanced Technologies Consultants of Nashville, Mich., for use by the basic and advanced renewable wind energy technician certificate programs.
  • The $52,500 purchase of 75 Dell computers for use in labs A208 and A212 and the $15,200 purchase of 117 classroom stools for the physical science lab being renovated this summer.
  • The prevailing wage resolution for fiscal 2012.
  • The appointment of nursing instructor Christine Foster to fill the vacancy created by the promotion of Dr. Kathryn Kott to director of nursing.
  • The resignation of sociology/anthropology instructor Merri Mattison. Mattison, winner of the 2007 Stephen Charry Faculty Excellence Award, has accepted a teaching position at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo. “I will treasure the (10) years I spent as part of the IVCC team,” Mattison said in her resignation letter.
  • Reinstatement of two IBEW academic support personnel in the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) Local Union 176 program in Joliet.
  • Intervention in the appeal proceedings regarding Exelon’s La Salle Nuclear Power Station’s equalized assessed valuation for 2009. Exelon has appealed to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board its assessment of $525,108,238 by the La Salle County Board of Review. An independent appraisal authorized by IVCC and 10 other taxing bodies set the assessment at over $736 million.
  • Renewal of the official “RAMP” request for state capital funding for an $8.2 million renovation of Jacobs Library and expansion of the fitness center. The state’s portion would be $6.15 million; IVCC’s match is $2,052,000.
  • Objectives for IVCC’s 2011-13 strategic planning period and suspension and civil union policy changes.

The board learned:

  • Marj Verplaetse will retire Sept. 1 after 10 years as a part-time assistant in the assessment center.
  • Danielle Stoddard of Mark has been hired as recruitment and dual credit/dual enrollment coordinator. Stoddard earned a bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in education, guidance and counseling from Eastern Illinois University and worked previously as a clinical therapist at North Central Behavioral Health Systems in La Salle.
  • A total of 646 spring graduates earned 724 degrees and certificates.