Board veteran Bonan returns to fill vacated seat until election
The board welcomed back former trustee and chair Hunt Bonan, who will fill the seat vacated by former board member Rick Marlow until the April elections. Bonan will serve until the May 2017 board meeting, at which time the trustees elected in April will be seated. Bonan is the president of Market Street Bancshares Inc. and vice president of Peoples National Bank NA. He served on the RLC Board of Trustees from 1997-2009.
Marlow stepped down from the board last month in order to return to teaching architecture at RLC on a part-time basis. His seat was up for re-election in April and he had opted not to run.
Board authorizes $5M in alternative revenue bonds
The board approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $5 million in general obligation bonds (alternative revenue source) to defray the ordinary and necessary costs of operation. This move was made necessary by the continued lack of state funding.
Tuition rates, fees approved
The board approved keeping the tuition rate for in-district students at $110 per credit hour. The out-of-district tuition rate will be set at a later date. Out-of-state and out-of-country rates were set at $200 per credit hour. Also, board procedure concerning fees was approved Tuesday, and this included an increase in the universal technology fee from $10 to $15 per credit hour.
Children’s Center addition transferred to RLC
The board approved the transfer of the RLCF Children’s Center Skill Development Room, valued at $333,089 from the RLC Foundation to Rend Lake College. In addition, the statement of final completion on this project was approved for submission to the Illinois Community College Board. The Skill Development Room features a gross motor room which gives students the chance to play indoors and have their own library on location. The project was spearheaded by two donations. One was a $195,000 anonymous donation and the other was a $100,000 donation from the late Marjorie Farrar, a long-time supporter of the RLCF Children’s Center and one of the original donors for the construction of the center in 1995.
Articulation agreement for Health Information Tech with Illinois State gets green light
An articulation agreement between RLC and Illinois State University for Health Information Technology received approval Tuesday. This agreement allows students who complete an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Health Information Technology at RLC to transfer seamlessly to Illinois State University’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Information Management.
Tenure for three
Three employees were granted tenure Tuesday upon recommendation by their supervisors.
·Jordan Hicks, Academic Advisor, effective July 1, 2017. According to the recommendation from Jena Jensik, Director of Academic Advisement, Hicks has proven himself to be a dedicated employee, contributing to not only the Academic Advisement Department, but also to the First-Year Experience program, Warrior Days and other Student Services activities.
·Alex Martin, Math Lab Coordinator / Instructor, effective Aug. 18, 2017. According to his supervisor, Andrea Banach, Dean of Math and Sciences, Martin is a well-respected instructor who has been instrumental in the curriculum redesign of eight math lab courses. He leads his students by example, uses different methods to promote their understanding of course content, and is always accessible to and encouraging of his students.
·Lora Phillips, Medical Coding / Health Information Technology Instructor, effective Aug. 19, 2017. According to her supervisor, Kim Wilkerson, Dean of Allied Health, Phillips works closely with students to ensure they learn the skills they need to be successful. She also was a significant contributor to the recent program site accreditation visit and keeps herself up-to-date on advancements in the field.
Four new employees join RLC
The board made four personnel appointments Tuesday.
·John Gulley, Controller, effective March 1, 2017. Gulley has been the Franklin County Treasurer and Tax Collector since 2006, and prior to that worked as a business development representative for the Illinois Department of Commerce. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, both from Southern Illinois University. He will replace current Controller Wendy Smith, who will retire this summer.
·Courtney Hatcher, Quality / Provider Recruitment Specialist for Project CHILD, effective March 1, 2017. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Rasmussen College and an Associate in Applied Science Degree from Frontier Community College. She owns Courtney’s Family Child Care and is a trainer for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
·Kaylee Smith, Career Services Specialist, effective Feb. 16, 2017. She holds a Master of Science Degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree, both from SIU Carbondale. She currently works as a part-time Educational Support Specialist for RLC and formerly was a graduate assistant for SIU’s Career Services Department.
·Ashlee Stevenson, Subsidized Child Care Specialist for Project CHILD, effective March 1, 2017. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from McKendree University and currently serves as a member service representative for the Kaskaskia Valley Community Credit Union.
O’Daniel takes on baseball coaching duties
The job duties of Tyler O’Daniel, Director of The Rec, RLC’s recreation center, were expanded to include head coaching duties for RLC’s baseball team. This was done partially in response to the recent resignation of previous head coach Tony Etnier. O’Daniel is a former Warrior baseball player and has been employed with RLC full-time since September 2014.
Three employees moving on …
The board ratified the acceptance of resignations of three employees Tuesday.
·Carrie Newman, Subsidized Child Care Specialist, effective Feb. 10. Newman worked with Project CHILD, the Child Care Resource and Referral program, and had been with the program full-time since November 2012. “I have truly enjoyed my time working here at Project CHILD,” Newman wrote in her resignation letter. “It has been a privilege to be part of such a caring and professional team that is committed to providing exceptional service to clients, families and child care providers.”
·Juliana Rubenacker, Records Specialist, effective Jan. 31, 2017. She had been with the college full-time since May 2015. “I could not have asked for a better job or greater people to work with every day,” Rubenacker said in her resignation letter. “Working at Rend Lake College has been a great experience … I wish both Student Records and Rend Lake College continued success.”
·John Walker, Nursing Instructor, effective Jan. 20. Although Walker had been with RLC only a short time, he said he has had “nothing but positive interaction with administration, faculty, staff and students.” He added, “RLC is an outstanding school, great place to work and a prominent, proud institution in our community.”
In other business, the board …
·Approved board policy and procedure concerning administration of Narcan (second reading), administration of epinephrine (second reading), and conduct and appearance (second reading).
·Ratified payment of college expenses, including travel reimbursements, as presented.
·Approved the notice of election for the student member of the Board of Trustees.
·Approved submission of statements of final construction compliance for two Protection, Health and Safety projects. These were the HVAC replacement in the North Oasis and the theatre lobby / art room roof replacement.
·Granted permission to advertise for bids for the take-down, removal and sale of a glass greenhouse near the Science Building.
·Approved the Learning Resource Center Handbook.
·Approved revision to board policy and procedure concerning textbook rental (first reading).
·Approved revision to board policy concerning the tenured / tenure-track faculty and staff seniority list (first reading).
·Granted a one-year probationary contract for the director of health information technology.
Mark your calendars …
·Visiting Artist Series: Mixed Media by Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, Jan. 27-April 21, RLC Theatre Lobby.
·RLC Basketball Homecoming Games vs. Southeastern Illinois College, Wednesday, Feb. 15. Women’s game at 5:30 p.m., men’s game at 7:30 p.m., Waugh Gymnasium.
·Faculty / Staff In-Service, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., RLC campus.
·Career Fairs for eighth grades, Fridays, March 3 and 10, RLC Campus.
·RLC Spring Break, March 13-17.
·SIU Student Filmmakers, noon Wednesday, March 22, RLC Theatre.
·Kickstart Your Journey for high school freshmen and sophomores, Thursday-Friday, March 23-24, RLC Campus.
·Culinary Arts Showcase, 5-8 p.m. Thursdays & Fridays, March 23-May 25, Pat Kern Private Dining Area in the RLC Student Center on campus; make reservations with Stephanie Smith at 618.437.5321, Ext. 1714.
·Transition Summit, Thursday, March 30, RLC campus.
·Spring Musical: The Wizard of Oz, 7 p.m. April 6-8, 2 p.m. April 9, RLC Theatre.
·Job Search Party, 3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 13, Holiday Inn / Doubletree Inn, Mt. Vernon.
· Children’s Health Fair, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, April 28, RLC campus.
