May 2012 Board Report

Men’s and women’s tennis will continue next year at Illinois Valley Community College with volunteer coaches and no tuition waivers for incoming players.

Tuesday the IVCC board approved a model proposed by a group of local tennis advocates and parents of current players that will facilitate a women’s fall season and a men’s spring season without paid coaches or athletic waivers for freshman participants.

Each team will be expected to raise $2,000 for equipment and travel as well as a $2,000 contingency fund for post-season travel.

The employment of current men’s coach Lukas Burkon and women’s coach Bonnie Peterson will be terminated May 18. The college will honor tuition waivers for current players planning to return next fall and spring.

The college expects to save about $35,000 in tuition waivers, coach’s salaries and other expenses. Last month, the board approved a new procedure for awarding tuition waivers for volleyball, golf, men’s and women’s basketball, softball and baseball that could save an additional $50,000.

IVCC also expects to save an additional $100,000 following reorganization of top administration. Dr. Lori Scroggs, Vice President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness the past three years, was appointed Interim Vice President for Learning and Student Development to replace Dr. Rick Pearce who is leaving for a similar position at Heartland Community College.

“Lori is the most appropriate person to immediately fill the position because of her education and unique combination of teaching, counseling and administrative experience,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

Scroggs of Princeton, a former IVCC instructor, division chair and board member, taught at Bradley University for six years.

In addition, the reorganization will result in increased responsibilities for Vice President for Business Services and Finance Cheryl Roelfsema of Marseilles. Roelfsema, a CPA, will now oversee Information Technologies and Institutional Research – departments representing 11 employees and a budget of nearly $2 million.

The board also approved:

  • The appointment of Bonnie Bennett-Campbell to Dean of Health Professions and Interim Director of Nursing Programs effective June 1. Bennett, a nursing instructor, is a former division chair and director of nursing.
  • Bay Remediation of Chicago’s $55,000 bid to remove asbestos in Buildings A, B, D and E.
  • The $760,800 bid of Vanguard Contractors of Pekin for restroom modifications and replacement of door panic hardware, ceilings, lighting, valves and piping in various buildings. 

The board learned:

  • The Business Office has earned the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the fourth straight year. IVCC was one of only 11 Illinois community colleges to receive the award.
  • Instructors Dorene Perez, Jim Gibson, Rick Serafini, Paul Leadingham and Tim Bias coordinated a successful MIMIC Fair April 25.
  • The April 19 Job Fair, the first coordinated by Cathy Buck, attracted 43 employers and 321 job seekers.
  • IVCC benefactors George and Nancy Maze of Peru were honored April 24 by Mike Pecherek’s Music Theory II class for funding an annual spring trip by the class to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. “This is a wonderful experience for many of our students and one that many of them would not have had were it not for the generosity of the Mazes,” said Corcoran.
  • The second annual Green Expo coordinated by sociology instructors Christine Dove and Jared Olesen April 24 featured IVCC’s wind energy program, eco-friendly clothing, organic agriculture, green products, a master falconer, local musicians and more.
  • The fifth annual IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held in LP’s Matthiessen Auditorium April 28 because of the closure of the Cultural Centre. Inductees were Dan Janka, Dick Janko, Evelyn Moyle, Malcolm Whipple and Bill Vlastnik. Corcoran credited Sue Monroe, Donna Swiskoski, Jenna Stinson, Dr. Rose Marie Lynch and
  • Corcoran and trustee David Mallery met with seven district legislators May 2 at the annual Illinois Community College Trustees Association-sponsored Lobby Day in Springfield. Discussion centered on pension reform, the fiscal 2013 budget and insurance for community college retirees.
  • The Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society’s May 4 induction ceremony hosted by instructors Kim Radek, Delores Robinson and Adam Oldaker inducted about 25 students into IVCC’s Mu Alpha Chapter. Virginia Campbell of Ottawa earned a national award for her essay “From Amleth to Hamlet: Just Move the H?”
  • The May 9 Tau Upsilon Alpha National Organization for Human Services Honor Society induction ceremony coordinated by Jean Batson-Turner attracted a number of students and service learning partners.
  • Project Success’s May 11 year-end celebration in the cafeteria honored students who distinguished themselves in the federally-funded program serving 160 first-generation, low-income and disabled students annually. The event was coordinated by Chris Herman, Cynthia Cardosi, Diane Scoma, and Teresa Bowen.
  • A 2 p.m. Monday, June 4 press conference will announce details of a $99,000 USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant that is part of the $2.1 million capital campaign for CTC enhancement.
  • The resignation of human resources specialist George Needs of Peru after eight years. Needs accepted a position with another local employer.
  • Work on the Peter Miller Community Technology Center is proceeding nicely, Corcoran reported. Steel erection is scheduled to start on the west end of the building May 29 and all foundations should be complete by May 31. Drilling on the geothermal field will end Wednesday and will be followed by backfilling. Pipe will be run under the road to connect the field to the new building May 21-25. Construction of the horizontal field will begin the week of June 11 and last approximately six weeks. The Therapeutic Massage Lab in the gymnasium should be substantially completed by June 12.
  • Associate Vice President for Student Services Tracy Morris successfully defended her dissertation May 11 at Northern Illinois University. “We have a new doctor in the house,” said Corcoran.