September 2003 Board Meeting Report
The explosive growth in technology at Illinois Valley Community College in recent years was the focus of a presentation to the college’s board Wednesday.
The college now has 672 desktop computers, 55 notebook computers and 19 servers compared to 261 computers a decade ago, said Harold Barnes, director of information and technology services.
Barnes said the college will launch online registration for spring semester enrollees in November and said the college’s Gigabit Ethernet network can now transmit data, video and voice.
A total of 32 of IVCC’s classrooms now have presentation technologies such as LCD projectors and computers. Emily Vescogni, director of learning technologies, said Jacobs Library has 17,000 periodicals available for online research. Vescogni also reported the number of online classes has increased from 1 in 1999 to 28 last spring.
Technology brings better visual illustration to the classroom, thus appealing to different learning styles, Viscogni said. IVCC students are better prepared for workplace technologies and for transfer to four-year institutions, Barnes added.
Future technology initiatives include more online services for students and faculty, saving documents electronically, networked telephones and unified messaging and wireless computing and communication, he said.
In other business the board approved a $29.3 million budget, a 4.5 percent
decrease from the $30.6 million 2003 budget. The budget includes all federal and state grants, life safety projects and other funds.
The operating budget, which includes only the Education and Operations and Maintenance funds, is up 6.1 percent to $15.5 million. Jerry Corcoran, vice president for Business Services and Finance, said total state operating grants to the college will decrease by $750,000, a 19 percent decline from fiscal 2003.
"As the state cuts back on paying its fair share of the cost for public higher education, the burden is passed on to local government (property taxes) and student tuition and fees," said Corcoran.
Despite that setback, the college was able to submit a balanced budget for the eighth straight year, said President Jean Goodnow.
"We asked our deans and department heads to cut their budgets back to 2001 levels. I am so proud of the way everyone has responded during these trying economic times. We’ve come together as a team and have not had to substantially curtail services to the community," said Goodnow.
Following an open meeting on the budget, the board heard the annual audit report from the college’s auditing firm Clifton Gunderson.
In other action, the board:
- Heard Noelle Herzel was appointed division secretary and Steven Swett was appointed men’s head tennis coach and Karen Frantzen, a Project NOA cook, resigned.
- Heard the Illinois Board of Higher Education approved the Associate in Applied Science degree in human services.