April 2010 Board Meeting Report

Summer and fall enrollment at Illinois Valley Community College "is off to a fine start," President Jerry Corcoran informed trustees Thursday at their monthly meeting.

"The trend is higher than where we were one year ago and the response to enrolling in classes at the Ottawa Center has been excellent," said Corcoran.

After less than three weeks of fall enrollment at Ottawa Center, 25 percent of the available seats have been filled and 151 students have registered, he added. Overall fall enrollment — main campus and Ottawa combined — was up nearly 8 percent when matching comparable registration dates from a year ago.

In other business, the board heard from chemistry instructor Larry Ault and members of the chemistry club following the club’s successful trip to the American Chemical Society’s national meeting in San Francisco. IVCC was recognized as one of only 20 chapters — and the only community college — designated as "Outstanding," the highest level of recognition.

The 2009-10 women’s basketball team was recognized for advancing to the NJCAA National Tournament, winning the Region IV tournament and winning the most games in IVCC women’s history (28-7).

Each player and coach received a commemorative plaque and Dr. Corcoran unveiled a banner that will hang in the gymnasium listing the team’s accomplishments.

At her final meeting, student trustee Cheyanne Smith was recognized for exemplary service to the board and trustees were introduced to newly elected trustee David Zallis.

The board also approved:

  • Seeking a five-year agreement with a beverage service since the present agreement with Pepsi Americas expires June 30.
  • The purchase of 48 Falcon computer desks from Henricksen & Co. of Peoria for $14,379 and 48 Elan chairs from Computer Comforts of Kemah, Texas, for $5,670. The desks and chairs will go into Computer Lab A208.
  • Seeking bids for parking lot and roadway lighting controls at an estimated $16,000; and audio-visual equipment — including 21 19-inch monitors — for the renovated biology lab at an estimated $12,000.
  • Bids totaling $366,314 from Excel Electric of Frankfort for electrical and lighting upgrades throughout the gym and fitness center.
  • The $45,687 bid from Chicago Office Technology Group of Itasca for audio-visual equipment for Ottawa Center.
  • Dual credit agreements in electronic with both the LP Area Career Center and Ottawa High School and a dual credit manufacturing agreement with Starved Rock Associates for Vocational and Technical Education (SRAVTE).
  • The hiring of Nora L. Lethiot as an English composition instructor.
  • The filing of a complaint to the Property Tax Appeal Board regarding the La Salle County Board of Review’s assessment of La Salle Nuclear Power Station. The Board or Review set La Salle Station’s assessment at $525,108 but an independent appraisal authorized by the 11 taxing bodies set the assessment at $736,726,320.
  • Seeking proposals for a food service provider.

The board learned:

  • Connie Skerston has been hired as assistant director of admissions and records.
  • The results of last week’s Student Government Association elections. Winners were Caitlin Rinker, president, Katie Brodzik, vice president, Brad Cockerl, treasurer, Abby Bertrand, secretary, Zallis, trustee, Patrick Guilfoyle, sophomore representative, and Taylor Young and Sam Debosik, sophomore programming board.
  • History instructor and faculty union president Steve Alvin has accepted a prestigious appointment from the National Endowment for the Humanities' summer institute on "History and Commemoration: Legacies of the Pacific War" in Hawaii.
  • International Titanium Powder (ITP) of Ottawa contracted with IVCC’s Business Training Center to coordinate their new employee training program.
  • John Bartoli and Run Jin You of Princeton, Janey Joiner of Tiskilwa, Luke Meyers of Minonk, Danielle Soenksen and Richard Weitzel of Ottawa and Kyle Wineinger of La Salle received IVCC’s highest academic honor, the Thomas J. MacCormack Scholar award and another 161 students received academic honors at the 43rd annual Academic Honors banquet at Starved Rock Lodge April 13.
  • An estimated 850 job seekers and 49 employers attended the 19th annual IVCC Job Fair April 15.