June 2009 Board Meeting Report

Trustee Paula Endress of Earlville stepped down from the Illinois Valley Community College board Thursday.

A six-year trustee, Endress said her resignation was the result of "a new career opportunity" in the Springfield area

"I wish only the best for the students, faculty, staff, and administration of Illinois Valley Community College," Endress said. "Thank you for the privilege of serving as a trustee."

Endress was appointed to the board in August 2003 to fill the final 18-months of the term of the late Harry Debo of Peru. She was then elected to a six-year term in 2005.

To fill the remaining two years of Endress’s term, new trustees Michael Driscoll, Melissa Olivero and Leslie Engelhaupt will review the files of applicants who came forward following the March 10 resignation of trustee Lori Scroggs. There were 10 candidates for the seat which eventually went to Driscoll. Sometime in July, the three new trustees will make a recommendation to the full board on what the next steps should be in filling the vacancy.

In other business, the board learned the business plan for the proposed satellite campus in Ottawa may be presented for action at the July 23 meeting. The college is working with the city of Ottawa to finalize details on a four-year lease for a downtown building to house the center.

The city has offered to waive the first year’s lease to allow the college to spend that money on marketing the facility. IVCC hopes to begin offering classes in Ottawa in fall 2010.

The board approved:

The retirement request of 30-year nursing instructor Kim Abel of Mendota. Abel, whose retirement from full-time teaching will be effective Dec. 1, won the 2009 Stephen Charry Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence and the 2004 Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year Award.

The updated RAMP (Resource Allocation Management Program) request for the Community Technology Center to the Illinois Community College Board for $22.7 million, which includes the college’s 25 percent match of $5.6 million. The building will house technical programs, adult and continuing education and student services such as admissions, financial aid and counseling.

The RAMP request for renovations to buildings B, C and D for $11.6 million including the college’s $2.9 million match and the $16.3 million RAMP for additions and renovations to buildings C and G that includes a $4 million match.

The purchase of 100 Dell computers for students and employees for $77,737 and 23 Macintosh computers from Apple for the Graphic Arts lab for $36,754. The purchases are part of the college’s plan to upgrade computers every four years.

The college’s strategic plan and the creation of a full-time Director of Nursing Programs position to replace the assistant director of nursing position.

Parking for students, visitors and east campus faculty in new parking lot 7. The lot will be unveiled with the truck driver training facility at an 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 8 grand opening.

The prevailing wage resolution for fiscal 2010 and renewal of the food service contract with Lil Bella’s Pizza, Inc.

The seeking of bids for a Hunter four-post alignment rack for the automotive technology program at an estimated cost of $20,000.

The 36-month lease agreement with Central Illinois Truck Group Leasing for two 2005 Volvo tractors and two 2004 Hyundai trailers for the truck driver training program at an estimated cost of $172,560.

The $53,868.82 bid of Woodward Printing of Platteville, Wis., for the spring and summer/fall 2010 schedules.

The board also learned of:

The appointments of Kimberly Koehler as IVCC’s Program Coordinator for Continuing Education and Business Services, Sarah Yeazel as a teacher at the Learning Ladder Early Childhood Center in Princeton, Dawn Watson as an administrative assistant in Information Technologies and Carolyn Bryant as assistant volleyball coach.

The resignations of Joe Sramek, help desk support in the Computer Resource Center, and Mary Jo Freeman, Colleague programmer in IT. "The past 30 years have been very rewarding," Freeman said in her resignation letter.