Nine retired professionals were awarded the honorary emeritus title at and recognized during the Jan. 15 Board of Trustees meeting. The honorees included administrators Dr. Robert P. Marshall and Bonnie Campbell and faculty members Stephen Alvin, Dr. Rose Marie Lynch, and Dr. Jane Sack.
The Board approved introducing a new Early Childhood Education (ECE) Director Qualified Certificate, which, according to ECE Program Coordinator Tammy Landgraf, will now allow people working according to young children to add to their earning potential by becoming director-qualified. Taking a sequence of ECE courses and specialized supervision, administration, coaching, and mentoring courses will allow childcare providers to build their skill set around management and leadership.
Landgraf stated that the field of Early Childhood Education has received statewide attention because current stakeholders understand there is a correlation between high quality care and education of young children and healthy, successful adults.
According to IVCC’s Jan. Board report, graduates of the program will be able to document their qualifications clearly for licensing representatives. The certification still requires state approval, but the first class is expected to begin in the 2025-26 school year.
IVCC President Dr. Tracy Morris shared several updates in her monthly report. She gave a shout-out to Bhawna and Danica Scoma, IVCC’s first peer mentors. She also shared that Transformative Growth, IVCC’s mental health partner, provided 615 counseling sessions during the 2023-24 school year and hosted 42 activities for students, staff, and the community.
Early Spring 2025 semester enrollment has risen by 6.35% in headcount and 12.77% in credit hours compared to Spring 2024.The Truck Driver Training Program secured a $300,000 grant from the state Community College Board to promote trade programs to high school students.
In other news, the Board authorized the purchase of independent audio-visual systems for CTC conference rooms, a test kitchen, and a yoga studio from Intech Innovations of Washington, Ill., at a cost of $323,955. They also approved the purchase of furniture for a distance-learning classroom from KI of Green Bay, Wis., totaling $27,120.
The Board acknowledged the appointments of Danielle Bell as Student Services administrative assistant and Sarah Ursini as Financial Aid administrative assistant. The board also noted the resignations of Dustin Lawless and Michael Furlan, professional tutors; Kelly Shymanski, Workforce Careers Navigator; and Jen Hauser, CNA instructor.
The next board meeting will take place on Feb. 19 at 4:30 p.m.