December 2018 Board Report

Illinois Valley Community College trustees Thursday approved a $12.2 million tax levy request for 2018, up less than five percent over the actual 2017 levy extension of $11.7 million.

With an increase of 4.85 percent, it did not require a public notice or hearing.

The estimated tax rate of .3647 is the same as 2017 while the estimated equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of $3.3 billion is 4.99 percent over last year.

IVCC levies taxes in all or parts of eight counties: La Salle, Bureau, Putnam, Marshall, Lee, Livingston, Grundy and DeKalb.

In other business, La Moille High School student Luke Lovgren thanked IVCC for partnering with his school on a College Start program beginning in January. Lovgren shared a persuasive speech he gave at La Moille this fall advocating for College Start being adopted there.

Modeled after programs at Putnam County and Hall high schools, the initiative allows academically qualified students to take IVCC courses as part of their high school coursework.

IVCC trustee Jay McCracken of Hennepin was the Superintendent at Putnam County, interim-Superintendent at Hall and current interim-Superintendent at La Moille when College Start was introduced at each institution.

In other action, the board approved:

• Renewal of 21 Career Cruising software licenses for $11,445. The software, paid for through the Carl Perkins grant, assesses students’ career interests based on their likes and dislikes.
• The hiring of Nicholas Fish as Emergency Medical Services instructor. Fish has 21 years EMS, pre-hospital and in-hospital experience, a bachelor’s in nursing and was IVCC’s part-time EMS instructor.
• Purchase of a utility tractor (with trade-in) from Holland & Sons of Mendota for $24,900.
• Setting 2019 meetings for 6:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month, except for August, on Jan. 10, Feb. 14, March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13, July 11, Aug. 15, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12.
• Reimbursement of expenses totaling $220 to board chair Jane Goetz to attend an Illinois Community College Trustees Association meeting Nov. 9 and 10 in Lisle. Goetz is the Northwest Regional Chair for the ICCTA executive committee.

Trustees learned:

• In 2019, IVCC will likely be adding a second instructor for its growing ag program and a Medical Assistant instructor/coordinator for that program’s fall launch.
• In a recap of the Dec. 6 audit-finance meeting, committee chair Everett Solon said the college received another “clean” audit for 2018 with no weaknesses or deficiencies in its financial statements. The audit also confirmed IVCC is debt-free, a claim few community colleges can make, said Solon. With IVCC solidly in the black, only a slight tuition increase is expected for the 2019-20 academic year, he added.
• Lab instructors Larry Ault, chemistry, and Michelle Story, computers, have been reassigned to classroom teaching in chemistry and business technology respectively.
• Gracelyn Quesse is the new student recruitment specialist. Quesse worked previously at the University of Nevada, Reno, and UCLA. At UCLA she earned a master’s in education in student affairs.
• Part-time computer instructor in continuing education Kathryn Baker will retire Dec. 31 and IR/IT programmer analyst Angelica Fanti resigned Nov. 16.
• The Nov. 14 Explore IVCC attracted about 200 prospective students, parents and guests.
• The Nov. 28 Support Staff Holiday Art and Craft Fair raised $1,200 for the Connect to Complete initiative.
• The Nov. 29 Ag Open House drew more than 40 high school students and IVCC hosted the Dec. 5 FFA Section 7 competition. “Having the program here allowed (ag coordinator) Willard Mott to address 100 students and familiarize them with the quality of our program,” said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.
• The Dec. 5 Honorspalooza, led by Honors program coordinator Adam Oldaker and faculty members Jean Forst and Jared Olesen, was a success.
• American Federation of Teachers Local 1810 President Tracy Lee introduced the union’s new officers in attendance.