Trustees receive good report on Transfer Academy

OGLESBY — During Illinois Valley Community College’s July board meeting, it was learned the Transfer Academy successfully launched this summer at Ottawa Center as students banked college credit while still in high school.

There are 22 Transfer Academy students enrolled this summer at Ottawa Center from Serena High School, Marquette Academy and Henry-Senachwine. Streator and LaSalle-Peru High School students are expected to enroll in 2020.

“The academy positions students for seamless transfer to a university,” Mark Grzybowski, IVCC vice president for Student Services, said.

"The academy allows high school students to be released each afternoon to attend two courses at Ottawa Center, or on main campus," Quintin Overocker, director of Admissions, reported.

This fall’s Transfer Academy courses at Ottawa Center are Global Environment, Introduction to Speech, Introduction to Theater, and Strategies for College. Spring classes will be Weather and Climate, U.S. History I, U.S. History II, or American Government.

Like all dual-credit students, Transfer Academy enrollees receive a 25 percent discount, and those qualifying for free and reduced lunches pay only a $5 registration fee. Students accumulating 30 credits or more in high school can complete their associate’s degree at IVCC with the 25 percent discount.

In other action, the board approved a tentative 2020 budget with anticipated revenue of $32 million, representing a 1.4 percent increase over the 2019 budget, and $32.3 million in expenditures, down 6 percent from the previous year.

Operating revenue is up 1.8 percent to nearly $22.3 million, and operating expenditures rose less than 1 percent to just under $22.3 million.

Following a public hearing, the board will move for final approval of the budget at its 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 meeting.

In other business, the IVCC board approved:

• Various IT maintenance, support purchases and renewals involving printers, internet access, iFiber, website software and room scheduling software.

• Renewal of the administrative and student services maintenance and support contract with Ellucian Colleague for $277,428.

• Annual radio and television advertising contracts totaling $67,438 from NRG Media, LaSalle County Broadcasting, Studstill Media, WZOE and Comcast.

• Automotive department supplies from Peru’s NAPA for $40,000, Advance Auto Parts for $30,000 and O’Reilly Auto Parts, $10,000.

• Business Training Center instruction for OSHA safety classes from 2B Safe, of East Moline, for $25,000; supervisor and leadership training from Riffle, Inc., of Davenport for $20,000; and IT and business training from AristaHire, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., for $75,000. Costs are recovered through fees charged to clients.

• WEX fuel cards for the Truck Driver Training program totaling $50,000.

• Janitorial supplies from Home Depot Pro, of Peoria, for $40,000, and maintenance services from ThyssenKrupp Elevator, of Peoria, for $28,616.

• Accepting the resignation of trustee Melissa Olivero, of Peru. Olivero was elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2015. There is less than two years remaining in her term.

• Renewal of student athletic coverage with 1st Agency for $30,318, and student athletic catastrophic coverage with Zevitz Student Accident Insurance for $2,990.

• A rental agreement with Marco Technologies, of Peru, for 11 copiers for $25,286.

• Reimbursement of $82.36 in travel expenses for Board Chairwoman Jane Goetz to attend the ICCTA Convention and trustee leadership training June 6 and 7 in Itasca.

• Release of closed session meeting minutes for Dec. 10, 2015; Dec. 8, 2016; Nov. 28, 2017; and April 12, June 21 and Jan. 29, 2018.

The board learned:

• 15 graduates are expected to participate in the 5 p.m. Monday, July 22 LPN pinning in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre.

* Therapeutic massage graduates will be honored at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 31 in C316.

* IVCC’s Mu Alpha chapter was again recognized as a 2019 Ivy Chapter by Sigma Kappa Delta, the English Honor Society for two-year colleges. English instructors Dr. Kim Radek-Hall and Delores Robinson are Mu Alpha advisers.

* The waste removal contract with Republic Services has been extended one year for $9,774.

* Enrollment services assistant Carmen Colon will retire July 30; part-time truck driver training instructor Charles Walker resigned June 23; part-time librarian Jane Norem resigned June 26; part-time phlebotomy instructor Dena Kowalski resigned July 9; and Project Success administrative assistant Terumi Scully rescinded her resignation and will stay on at IVCC.