September 2014 Board Report

The Illinois Valley Community College board Thursday approved a four-year contract with 15 custodial and maintenance workers represented by Service Employees International Union Local 138.

Workers will receive a 2 percent wage increase each year and all will move to the high-deductible medical insurance plan beginning Jan. 1. In addition, each employee will receive four personal days a year.

In other collective bargaining news, negotiations continued this week with 83 faculty and counselors represented by American Federation of Teachers Local 1810.

The board also approved:

  • The $27,761 bid of Blackhawk of Eagan, Minn., for printing supplies.
  • Revising the Protection, Health and Safety (PHS) budget for Building A chiller and air handler replacement from $797,907 to $1,134,470. Trustees also approved exterior door replacement ($297,591) and Cultural Centre carpet replacement ($65,872) for a total of over $1.5 million in PHS projects for tax year 2014.
  • Authorization for legal counsel to file an industrial appeal with the Property Tax Appeal Board for tax year 2014 concerning a parcel in Putnam County.
  • A $10,000 match for Project Success, a federally-funded TRiO program serving approximately 160 low-income, first generation and disabled students annually.
  • A cash farm lease renewal with Chris Kolodziej for $56,620 on 149 acres or $380 an acre.
  • Hiring a full-time dental assisting instructor after it was recommended by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) following its September 2013 visit. “I believe a full-time faculty/program coordinator will provide leadership and support necessary compliance with CODA standards,” said Dean of Health Professions Bonnie Campbell.
  • Academic calendars for fall 2015 through summer 2017. May commencement will remain on Saturday and fall break has been eliminated.
  • The $416,870 bid of Len Trovero Construction of La Salle for the ADA parking lot near the Peter Miller Community Technology Center secondary entrance and lot 1 reconstruction.
  • A resolution setting the filing period for two, six-year board positions in the April 7 election. Petitions must be filed in the President’s office, C301, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 15-19 or 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 22. The first day candidates can circulate petitions is Sept. 23.
  • Deferred pay of $3,235 for nursing instructor Jennifer Savoia.

Trustees learned:

  • Cory Tomasson has been hired as interim director of athletics. Tomasson is also a speech instructor, director of student activities and head softball coach. Chris Herman, director of Project Success and a former assistant men’s basketball coach, has been hired as head coach.
  • In her campus update, Director of Human Resources Glenna Jones said 19 full- and part-time positions were filled in fiscal 2014. A total of 108 employees are 50 or older and eligible for retirement within the next 10 years, she said.
  • Mary Jean Entwistle, who began working at IVCC in 1976, will retire Sept. 30 from the Continuing Education Center and part-time counselor Gary Carruthers will retire Sept. 17 after more than 10 years. Resignations were received from adult education instructor Carol Wheeler, CNA/CPR instructor Judy Ferguson, ESL instructor Arlena Juarez and programmer/analyst Alejandro Botero.
  • A total of 170 summer graduates earned 189 degrees and certificates compared to 222 graduates earning 240 degrees and certificates in summer 2013.
  • Grants recently received include a $10,000 “Bridging the Gap” program to better align English and mathematics curriculums between the college and district high schools; a $5,000 “Program of Study” program to enhance outcomes and equity in the Business Technology AAS program; and a $10,000 “Dual Credit Enhancement” grant to expand blended courses and professional development for high school dual credit instructors.
  • Chicago-area sculptor John Adduci, who is doing the Art in Architecture sundial sculpture near the secondary entrance to the Peter Miller Community Technology Center, was on campus this week to examine the site. A concrete pad will soon be poured for the sculpture to be delivered in October.
  • Phi Theta Kappa’s fall induction ceremony will be 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 in the cafeteria. PTK is the academic honor society for two year colleges.
  • Program coordinators Tim Bias, manufacturing, Paul Leadingham, welding, and Dorene Verucchi, CAD,  and 42 students attended the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago Wednesday and met with Dan Janka, President of Fives Machining Systems. Janka, a 1982 IVCC graduate and native of La Salle, was inducted into the IVCC/LPO Hall of Fame in 2012.
  • IVCC is working with the City of Streator to pilot direct-route public transportation between campus and the city via NCAT (North Central Area Transit). The college believes more than 100 GED, ESL and literacy students could benefit from the direct route.  
  •  IVCC President Jerry Corcoran said the college is expecting a strong turnout for the 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15 90th anniversary celebration. State Senators Sue Rezin and Darin LaHood, Representatives Frank Mautino and Bob Pritchard, local mayors and former IVCC presidents are expected to attend, he said.
  •  The board’s planning committee will meet at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25.
  • Student trustee Amy Rogowski invited board members to attend the IVCC Invitational volleyball tournament running from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.