January 2002 Board Meeting Report
Illinois Valley Community College’s Board of Trustees on Wednesday toured a new high technology computer lab that has been installed through a Department of Commerce and Community Affairs grant awarded to the Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.
"The $170,325 grant funded construction of the lab and is intended to promote two high school occupational training programs — manufacturing and information technology — that are supported by the Education-to-Careers Partnership," said ETC coordinator Alexa Doll, who submitted the grant application.
As part of the grant proposal, IVCC agreed to house the lab as an "in-kind" contribution. When area high school students are not utilizing the lab as they explore school-to-work careers, IVCC classes are taught in the lab.
The lab is equipped with 22 student workstations, an instructor workstation, a network server, laser printers, and smart classroom equipment.
In addition, 18 career-training modules, featuring a combination of CD-ROM based training and hands-on training with actual industrial equipment trainers, were purchased from Aidex Corporation in Morris.
Two curriculum tracks are available for most of the modules with 10 hours of instruction for career exploration purposes and then an additional 30 hours of instruction for skill attainment.
The entire system has an instructor supervisory software package titled Class Act Management that can be used to monitor student progress. Modules purchased include Industrial Control Technology, Computer Numerical Control Technology, Robotics and Automation, Basic Electricity, Hydraulics, Computer Aided Design, Digital Photography, Computer Troubleshooting, Network Configuration, Web Page Design, Graphics and Animation, Mechanisms, Computer Maintenance and Upgrading and Investigating Computers.
Doll, who will bring in high school students and teachers for "investigative" training, will utilize the lab from 8 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The remainder of the time the lab can be used to expand IVCC course offerings, particularly in the networking curriculum, said Sue Isermann, chair of the Business and Engineering Division.
Besides touring the new computer lab, trustees also approved the creation of two new degree programs. Degree and certificate programs have been created in Graphic Arts Technology through a federal Title III grant. In addition, IVCC will expand its popular therapeutic massage certificate program into a degree program, pending Illinois Community College Board approval.
IVCC President Jean Goodnow commended IVCC employees for their ardent efforts to secure state and federal grant funds for the college.
"We’ve been surviving through some lean budget years thanks to the tenacious efforts of our staff and faculty to secure grant money to pay for needed technology investments and to develop high-demand programs," Goodnow said. "These grants allow us to offer these programs without placing the burden on our taxpayers."
In other business, the board:
- Approved the appointment of Mary Gross as director of adult education and the appointment of Steve Crick as director of financial aid. The board also learned that Sarah Partington had been appointed as the Career Development Coordinator at Sauk Valley Community College.
- Approved $359,170 in bids for a campus wide security and surveillance system. Goodnow said the security system, which will be paid for through life-safety funds, had been a part of the college’s master plan, but the need for the system became even more evident after Sept. 11.
- Rescheduled the Sept. 18 board meeting to Sept. 23 to allow 30 days for public inspection of the budget.
- Accepted a number of bids for insurance coverage.
- Accepted a $10,045 bid from Imaging Office Systems in Schaumburg for a microfilm/microfiche reader printer.
- Learned 179 graduates received a total of 194 degrees and certificates in December.