April 2013 Board Report

Illinois Valley Community College’s board recognized three outgoing leaders Tuesday including board chair Dennis Thompson of Princeton.

Thompson, who led the board the past four years and served as a trustee for eight, received a plaque with a gavel attached to recognize his chairmanship and was lauded by IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

“Dennis was a steering committee member and benefactor to the Peter Miller Community Technology Center capital campaign, donated all labor for the repair of IVCC’s baseball dugouts and he and (his wife) Linda provided tremendous financial support to the Foundation,” said Corcoran. “Dennis has been a great role model.”

The board also recognized outgoing trustee Jim Narczewski of Spring Valley who served the board two years and Britney Burkart of Peru who, Corcoran said, “was incredibly active” in her role as student trustee. Burkart, who is bound for the University of Illinois, will be replaced by Taylor Gunia of Peru.

The board will choose new officers, make committee assignments and seat newly elected trustees Jane Goetz of Ottawa and Laurie Bonucci of Princeton at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. 

In other action, in his monthly Peter Miller Community Technology Center construction update, Corcoran reported the circle drive closing has been pushed back to the week of April 22 at the earliest due to weather conditions.

Pouring of a temporary sidewalk, relocation of temporary fencing and installation of new traffic signs should take place by the end of April, Corcoran said. Construction inside the 80,000-square-foot building and on east campus additions are progressing nicely, he added.

In other business, the board approved:

  • Purchasing $569,954 in information technology and student technology equipment for the PMCTC project. By beginning the process now, the equipment can be installed soon after the Capital Development Board turns the building over to IVCC in mid-September.
  • Sabbatical leave requests for political science instructor Amanda Cook Fesperman and English instructor Kim Radek for the 2013-14 academic year.  Fesperman and Radek will receive half-pay for the full-year sabbaticals to work on their doctoral dissertations. Radek will teach two classes in the fall and one in the spring.
  • A $437,000 bid from John’s Service and Sales of Oglesby for Building C boiler upgrades.
  • Filing an appeal with the State of Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board on La Salle Nuclear Power Station’s equalized assessed valuation. While the La Salle County’s board of review set La Salle Station’s 2012 EAV at slightly over $448 million, an independent appraisal, funded by the 11 taxing bodies affected by Exelon’s EAV, set it at over $705 million.
  • A reduction in force and adopted a resolution of honorable dismissal for Dr. Elaine Novak, dean of career and technical programs, effective June 30.

In other business, the board learned:

  • Cheryl Duke, administrative assistant in the Continuing Education and Business Services department, will retire effective May 1 after 14 years and Mary Needham, administrative assistant for the truck driver training program will retire effective June 30.
  • Gail Divan, program manager, Continuing Education Center, Business and Workforce Development, will resign effective May 3 and 15-year shipping and receiving assistant Lolita Schmitz will retire effective May 31.
  • A total of 138 students were recognized at the April 11 academic honors banquet in the gym. Economics instructor Abhijeet Bhattacharya, the 2013 Stephen Charry Memorial Teaching Excellence Award winner, delivered the keynote address. 
  • A “Bridging the Gap” grant proposal, authored by IVCC administrators Dr. Lori Scroggs, Sue Isermann and Marianne Dzik, will be funded by the ICCB for $9,700. The funding will help IVCC establish horizontal alignment in mathematics and English between fourth year high school and entry-level college courses.
  • Approximately 80 staff members attended a March 8 development day keynoted by 1996 IVCC graduate Jason Kotecki, an author, motivational speaker, and cartoonist. Administrative applications programmer Kris Curley was named the Support Staff Distinguished Service Award winner.
  • The annual nurse pinning is 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 18 followed by commencement at 2:30 p.m.; GED graduation is 7 p.m. Monday, May 20.