North Egypt News

John A. Logan College Board of Trustees met April 25.

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, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, commencing at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was open to the public and available via Zoom.

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Bill 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

Magnus Noble -- 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.

STUDENT TRUSTEE SEATED

Chairman Kilquist swore in Mr. Magnus Noble to serve as the student trustee for 2023-2024.

OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS

There were no public comments.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES REPORTS

A. Chairman's Report

Chairman Kilquist commended K. J. Debrick on his acceptance to Cleveland State College. The Chairman stated he was impressed that Mr. Debrick made a point to thank each Logan spectator for coming to the national championship game.

B. Athletics Advisory Committee

Athletic Director Greg Starrick reported that the men's golf team finished second in the district tournament in Florida, qualifying the team for the national tournament. Lucas Lasley from Anna Jonesboro was the medalist in the tournament. The women's golf team will also advance to the national tournament, and Autumn Dowdy was named the medalist for the district tournament. Spring sports are doing well, baseball is 33-13, and the softball team split with Lakeland College. The men's basketball players are getting an opportunity to play at the next level, with Elijah Jones committing to Wisconsin Green Bay and James Dent committing to Western Illinois.

C. Building, Grounds, and Safety Committee

Trustee Rendleman reported that design work for the C & E Wing renovation would wrap up at the end of May, and bidding should occur over the summer. Seven classrooms are receiving much-needed flooring upgrades, and the building and maintenance staff are remodeling E205 and E207 into one large classroom. Other projects completed internally include the men's and women's saunas at Logan Fitness. Trustee Rendleman thanked the staff for all their work on these projects.

D. Board Policy Committee

Trustee Becky Borgsmiller reported that the Committee met on April 13th and approved revisions to Board Policy 5220 and 5310 to be presented for the first reading.

E. Budget and Finance Committee

No report.

F. Integrated Technology Committee

No report.

G. Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA)

Trustee Aaron Smith reported that he and Trustee Little would attend the annual Lobby Day in Springfield next week.

H. John A. Logan College Foundation

The Foundation Board will welcome two new members, Rich Gossett from DuQuoin, and Ben Craft of Carterville. At their March meeting, Ms. Mikaylan Roach, Alumni Engagement and Affinity Programs Coordinator, discussed the staff payroll deduction program and spring appeal. In addition, a greenhouse has been donated to the College, which will be an excellent addition to the agriculture program, and the Foundation sponsored a well-attended retiree event at the Marion Elks Club organized by retiree Barbara Throgmorton.

G. Student Trustee

Student Trustee Magnus Noble thanked the Board for their welcome. He reported that Student Senate would hold a staff appreciation lunch/dinner for the grounds and safety staff on May 5, and officer elections will occur at their final meeting in May.

FACULTY ASSOCIATION REPORTS

A. Faculty Association Report

Association President Jane Bryant reported on behalf of the Political Science Club. The Civic Leadership Academy finished on April 3, and seven students will receive a certificate at Honor's Night for attending four of the five sessions. The Political Science Club is also taking donations for the Lighthouse Homeless Shelter in Marion.

B. Adjunct Faculty Association – No report.

C. Logan Operational Staff Association Report – No report.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP REPORTS

Award of Audit Services

Vice-President Stacy Buckingham reported that request for proposals for the audit services was sent to 29 firms, and Kemper CPA Group was the only firm to respond. Kemper has just completed a prior engagement with the College but is eligible for two consecutive engagements per Board Policy.

Financial Report

The College continues to receive consistent payments from the state and is currently at 83 percent of revenue received. In addition, the College has received 99.8 percent of the total levy of $15.8 million for property taxes and has received $10 million in tuition and fees, just $475,000 short of this year's budgeted amount. Ms. Buckingham noted that half of the summer tuition and fees would be added to this number.

ACH Deposits

Vice-President Buckingham reported that the College fielded phone calls from current and former employees impacted by invalid deposits to their bank accounts caused by a clerical error within a nationwide ACH processor Shazam. Information Technology staff took the ERP system offline for precaution until they could determine that the College had not been compromised. Shazam indicated it was strictly an internal issue, not a data breach.

Faculty Awards

Provost Melanie Pecord congratulated communications instructor Patrick Idzik on his nomination as Full Time Faculty of the Year and English instructor Sarah Ritcheson for her nomination as Adjunct Faculty of the Year. Dr. Jason Tanner also received the National Business Education Association Post Secondary Teacher of the Year Award.

President Overstreet

President Overstreet attended the annual American Association of Community Colleges meeting with Dr. Rachel Sveda Webb, which included excellent sessions on Promise Programs and Dual Credit. He also participated in the Inaugural Saluki Ball to support our work with SIU-C.

Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market (SICCM)

The SICCM Board resolved to dissolve the Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market by June 2024. As a result, we are working with faculty, staff, and accreditation units to move the Surgical Technology and Medical Lab Technician programs to John A. Logan College and the Occupational Therapy Assistant program to Shawnee Community College.

Illinois Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (ILACEP) Conference

Dr. Sveda Webb held a unique conference via Zoom, including concurrent programs at JALC and the College of Dupage. Approximately 50 individuals representing the southern region joined with 100 individuals representing the northern region to discuss best practices and alignments across the state for Dual Credit and Early College programs.

Strategic Long-Range Planning Third-Quarter Report

Assistant Vice-President Jordan Mays provided third-quarter results for the Strategic Long-Range Plan. He reported the percentages of completion for each pillar, including Student Success (53.11%), Arts, Culture, & Community Engagement (60.43%), Career and Economic Development (67.11%), and Organizational Culture (61.26%). Trustee Poshard asked what percentage of completion would be considered successful. Mr. Mays responded that he is hopeful to have 80-90 percent complete by the end of this year and that the first year would develop a baseline to improve upon in the next four years.

Student and Employee Satisfaction Surveys

Two surveys were completed this spring, including an Employee Satisfaction Survey and Student Satisfaction Survey. The College received over 49 percent response rate from employees and a 26 percent response rate from students. Mr. Mays will report on the employee survey results next month. Results of the student survey are expected to be released in July. This information will be beneficial as we build strategies and goals for the next few years.

INFORMATIONAL ITEMS

A. President Overstreet accepted the retirement request of Ms. Teri Campbell, Basic Skills Specialist/Academic Advisor, effective January 1, 2024.

B. President Overstreet informed the Board of the pending termination of Chris Willis, Campus Safety Law Enforcement Officer, effective May 2, 2023.

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. Full-Time Academic Rank

Approved the academic rank promotion to Associate Professor for Erin McGuire, Assistant Professor of ADN/PN.

B. Award of Audit Services

Approved Kemper CPA Group, LLP for a three-year audit cycle agreement covering fiscal years 2023 – 2025, with the option for a one-year extension in accordance with Board Policy 7130.

C. Repayment of Interfund Loans

Approved the interfund loan repayment from the Student Activity Fund of $70,000 to the Working Cash Fund, $750,000 from the Restricted Purposes Fund to the Working Cash Fund, and $300,000 from the Liability, Protection, and Settlement Fund to the Working Cash Fund.

D. Personnel Action Items (Appendix A)

Approved the employment and ratification of personnel recommended by President Kirk Overstreet and presented as Appendix A.

E. Expenditure Report

Approved the Expenditure Report for the period ending March 31, 2023.

F. Treasurer's and Financial Report

Approved the Treasurer's and Financial Report for the period ending February 28, 2023. G. Meeting Minutes

Approved the March 28, 2023, meeting minutes of the Board of Trustees.

Jake Rendleman and Brent Clark 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 #16-4310)

NEW BUSINESS (No Action)

A. Energy Transition Community Grant Program

John A. Logan College was awarded $272,769 in grant funding from the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) Energy Transition Community Grant, and stakeholders were given the opportunity for public comments during this public meeting regarding the proposed use of the allocated funds. There were no public comments.

B. Board Policies for First Reading

The Board Policy Committee presented revisions to Board Policy 5220 and 5310 for the first reading. The revisions will be made available to College employees for input and presented for Board action in May.

Board Policy 5220 – Professional Staff Position Guidelines

Board Policy 5310 – Hiring Policy for Full-Time Faculty

EXECUTIVE SESSION – None.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Chairman Kilquist announced that Board Committees would be established next month and asked the members to email their committee requests to him.

Trustee Rendleman reported that recipients of the Harley-Davidson scholarships would be recognized on Saturday. Harley-Davidson contributes a $500 scholarship to one high school student from the community college districts in southern Illinois, which includes 45 high schools. In addition, the respective community college Foundationssupport this scholarship with an additional $500.

Trustee Rendleman added that former JALC baseball players initiated an event to honor Jon Rivers at the baseball game on Saturday. Mr. Rivers was the first baseball coach at John A. Logan College.

ADJOURNMENT

Mandy Little and Jake Rendleman 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 #16-4311)

The meeting was duly adjourned at 7:18 p.m.