North Egypt News

John A. Logan College Community College District No. 530 Board of Trustees met Aug. 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Minutes of the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of Community College District No. 530, Counties of Williamson, Jackson, Franklin, Perry, and Randolph, State of Illinois, held at Carterville, Illinois, commencing at 6:04 p.m. The meeting was open to the public and available via Zoom.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman William Kilquist.

The Chairman directed the recording secretary to call the roll.

Rebecca Borgsmiller -- present

Brent Clark -- present

Bill Kilquist -- present

Mandy Little -- present

Glenn Poshard -- present

Jake Rendleman -- present

Aaron R. Smith -- present

Jeremiah Brown -- present

Also present were President Kirk Overstreet, Legal Counsel Rhett Barke, Provost Melanie Pecord, Vice President Stacy Buckingham, Recording Secretary Susan May, and other College personnel.

Chairman Kilquist led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.

OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPORTS

A. Chairman's Report

No report.

B. Athletics Advisory Committee

Trustee Brent Clark reported that Logan Fitness is offering 39 classes this semester and has 640 individuals enrolled. Logan Fitness memberships are up 13 percent from last fall, and after one full year of a Google business profile, Logan Fitness has an overall rating of 4.9 out of 5.0 stars.

C. Building, Grounds, and Safety Committee

Trustee Jake Rendleman reported that the Bell Tower had been disassembled, and stormwater drainage and electrical work continue on the Pedestrian Pathway project. Design work for the second floor of C & E instructional corridors will begin soon. Painting in the Cosmetology lab and classrooms will be complete within the next few weeks.

D. Board Policy Committee

No report.

E. Budget and Finance Committee

Trustee Aaron Smith commended JALC employees' efforts for the increased tuition and fee collection this semester compared to the past two years.

F. Integrated Technology Committee

No report.

G. Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA)

Trustee Aaron Smith attended the ICCTA executive planning retreat, where they established goals for the coming year.

H. John A. Logan College Foundation

Trustee Jake Rendleman reported the 45th Annual Foundation Golf Classic sponsored by US Bank and Ullico is scheduled for October 14. Vic Koenig Chevrolet is the hole-in-one sponsor, and new sponsorship levels are available this year.

The Foundation has awarded over $750,000 in scholarships for the fall semester and provided 300 Welcome Week t-shirts for JALC students, faculty, and staff.

G. Student Trustee

Student Trustee Jeremiah Brown reported that the Student Senate held its first meeting and has a new co-advisor, Hilary Johnson. Interest in the position of student trustees is growing among students, and Mr. Brown is hopeful for a large candidate pool for the next student trustee election.

FACULTY ASSOCIATION REPORTS

A. Faculty Association Report

Association President Jane Bryant reported that the Association is looking forward to working with the administration and is working to solidify its negotiating team.

B. Adjunct Faculty Association – No report.

C. Logan Operational Staff Association Report – No report.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP REPORTS

Tuition and Fee Revenue

Vice-President Stacy Buckingham reported that tuition and fee payment activity had been much stronger this August compared to the last two years. During the first 15 days of August, the Bursar Office received tuition and fee payments of $748,008 compared to $458,000 and $230,000 for the same period in 2021 and 2020, respectively. Since registration began on March 28, the College has collected over $1.7 million

in tuition and fee payments. Approximately $424,000 of this amount was from prior semesters, which demonstrates the College is making progress toward collecting past-due balances.

Follett Bookstore Scholarship Vouchers

Follett Bookstore has set aside $10,000 in scholarship vouchers for FY23 to provide textbook assistance to students. Vouchers are administered through the Office of Financial Aid and based on student financial need.

Campus Works Update

Provost Melanie Pecord reported that Campus Works has been instrumental in improving processes within the Office of Financial Aid. As a result, Financial Aid funds are dispersed to students by the third and fourth week of the semester, and approximately 98 percent of transactions are conducted electronically.

Welcome Week

Provost Pecord reported that Welcome Week activities involved collaboration among many individuals to ensure the students' first week of the fall semester was special. Dr. Pecord stated that the impact of these events created opportunities to connect with students and parents and demonstrated the dedication of the faculty and staff at John A. Logan College.

Higher Learning Commission Assurance Argument Review

Provost Melanie Pecord reported that the College received its Assurance Argument Review from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Strengths of the College noted within the review included the commitment to diversity and an inclusive environment for employees, students, and community members, a solid student-faculty ratio, student-support services, and cultural/co-curricular events to support diversity and engagement. Some opportunities for improvement identified included the need for current evidence, co-curricular assessment, an evaluation process, and the use of key performance indicators. Areas requiring immediate attention included the development of programmatic learning outcomes, connecting program review with budget planning, and financial aid compliance. Two areas that were met with concerns included 4.B – The Institution's Ability to Demonstrate a Commitment to Educational Achievement and Improvement through Ongoing Assessment of Student Learning and 5.C – The Institution Engages in Systematic and Integrated Planning. HLC recognized the planning the College currently has in place but noted the need to include additional documentation to indicate how the College uses data for decision-making and closing the loop.

Dr. Pecord noted that the new Strategic Long-Range Plan adopted by the Board of Trustees in July would guide the College toward improvements defined in this review. An HLC Steering Committee has also been established to focus on the areas of improvement. The College will submit a Quality Initiative to HLC for years seven and eight that will focus on becoming a data-informed institution. In addition, the College will provide a focused report to HLC in 2025 that will be incorporated into the comprehensive ten-year review in 2027.

Convocation Days

President Kirk Overstreet reported that updates to policy and other items were presented to employees during Convocation Days to ensure transparency.

Shared Governance

President Overstreet reported that an all-campus meeting was held to discuss committee work and the current structure of College Council. The College had approximately 45 committees, and it was time to review that structure. Some committees will remain active, and task forces will be utilized for specific accomplishments. President Overstreet also presented information on a Shared Governance model that would create a place for communication with students, faculty, and staff. A survey requesting feedback from employees was conducted, and currently, 83 percent of the responses received are in support of the Shared Governance model. President Overstreet noted that the Convocation Days presentation and Shared Governance proposal are posted on the website under planning documents.

PRESIDENT CABINET REPORTS

Administrative Drops for Non-Payment

Assistant Provost for Student Affairs Christy Stewart reported that this fall, the College resumed administrative drops for non-payment for the first time since COVID. The Student Affairs staff and other College employees reached out to assist students on this list through phone calls and emails and reduced the number of drops for non-payment from 1,058 to 113 students. Ms. Stewart appreciated all of the effort put forth to achieve this outcome.

Welcome Week Activities

The Office of College Readiness and Student Life hosted the fall kick-off to encourage social engagement between students, faculty, and staff. Seventy-two students attended a student-faculty panel discussion before the start of the semester. Other Welcome Week events included greeting students in golf carts, campus navigation stations, a hot dog picnic served by the administration, pizza and ice cream day hosted by the Athletic Department, and a popcorn and popsicles event, including live music in the Waterfall Courtyard.

Extended Tuesday Evening Hours

Assistant Provost Stewart reported that the College had extended its hours to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings to provide services to students in Admissions, Advising, Financial Aid, Testing Services, Tutoring, and the Library.

Enrollment

Assistant Vice-President for Institutional Effectiveness and Research Jordan Mays presented preliminary enrollment numbers for Fall 2022. Credit hours are currently 29,131.50, including dual credit and dual enrollment, which is an increase of 4.47 percent compared to 2021. The headcount for all classes at this point is 3,013. The average age of current students is 22; 45.9 percent are full-time, 60 percent are female, and 63 percent are 20 years and younger. The average number of hours students are taking this semester is 8.76. The final enrollment numbers for ICCB reporting will be captured on September 1, 2022.

President Overstreet commented that future aspirations of the College include focusing on the adult population, students with some college no degree. The average number of credit hours attempted is another area to work on, which would increase credit hours and help the students complete their programs and graduate in a timely fashion.

Program Articulation

Assistant Provost Stephanie Chaney Hartford reported that the Office of Curriculum and Instruction had expanded its efforts in creating and updating transfer agreements with multiple universities and faculty to ensure students are presented with the best academic opportunities. We are currently developing transfer plans for the new Saluki Step Program and reviewing proposed plans from Murray State and Southeast Missouri State to expand options for students studying electrical engineering technology and mechatronics engineering technology.

Career and Technical Education (Perkins) Grant Assistance

Assistant Provost Hartford reported that the Perkins Grant supports a student loan library that provides textbooks, uniforms, tool kits, and other classroom materials. This semester, the Perkins Office was able to assist 90 students.

Snack Locker

A Snack Locker has been established with funds from a Foundation Campus Grant to provide on-the-go snacks for students. In addition, faculty and staff have joined this effort through individual donations, which promotes the community effort at the College.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

A. Retirements and Resignations

President Overstreet accepted the resignation of Charlie Jones as Assistant Men's Basketball Coach, effective May 31, 2022. Mr. Jones will continue in his role as Ethics Officer for the College.

CONSENT AGENDA

Chairman Kilquist asked if there were any Consent Agenda items the Board would like to pull for further discussion or a separate vote. Hearing none, Consent Agenda items A – G were presented for approval:

A. Approval of Architectural Firm

Approved the recommendation of the Qualification Based Selection Task Force and authorized the administration to contract with BHDG Architects to perform architectural design services and project management for JALC projects on an indefinite basis, excluding federally funded and Capital Development Board (CDB) projects that require a separate architect selection.

B. Wage Agreement with Logan Operational Staff Association

Approved a wage increase of $1.15 per hour, effective July 1, 2022, for members of the Logan Operational Staff Association.

C. Wage Agreement with Teamsters Local Union No. 50

Approved a wage increase of 2.5 percent effective July 1, 2022, and a 3.0 percent increase in FY24 for members of Teamsters Local Union No. 50.

D. Personnel Action Items (Appendix A)

Approved the employment of personnel as recommended by President Overstreet.

E. Expenditure Report

Approved the Expenditure Report for the month ending July 31, 2022.

F. Treasurer's & Financial Report

Approved the Treasurer's and Financial Report for the month ending June 30, 2022.

G. Meeting Minutes of Regular Meeting

Approved the minutes of the July 26, 2022, regular meeting.

Brent Clark and Jake Rendleman moved and seconded that the Board of Trustees approve Consent Agenda Items A – G, as presented.

Upon roll call, all members present voted Yes. Motion carried

(Resolution #16-4282)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Trustee Glenn Poshard announced that Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton would be on campus Friday, August 26, for a student roundtable discussion. Students from Southern Illinois University, Kaskaskia, and Shawnee College will participate in addition to John A. Logan College students.

ADJOURNMENT

Jake Rendleman and Mandy Little moved and seconded that the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees be adjourned.

Upon roll call, all members present voted Yes. Motion carried.

(Resolution #16-4283)

The meeting was duly adjourned at 7:43 p.m.

https://www.jalc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MIN-08-23-22.pdf