One of the college’s most notable projects, a new Microbiology lab, is nearing completion, with classes scheduled to start in the new lab for summer 2026.
Campus construction projects are becoming commonplace – along with construction noise and temporary relocations around campus. This long-term improvement is designed to improve the education experience and utilized student feedback.
“We have a 10-year master plan, which we update every decade,” said Dr. Tracy Morris, president of IVCC. “But when new leadership takes place, it provides an opportunity to evaluate what we should aim at regarding our institution in the future.”
The renovation was planned with much thought to students’ wishes and concerns.
“The existing microbiology lab worked well enough,” Morris said. “However, the issue is that there are no barriers, students are not separated from each other in their activities, and outsiders could enter the lab at any time without a reason.”
Thus, although the conditions in the existing lab met the safety requirements, it still required an upgrade.
Now, the new lab will be safer and more comfortable for students, and the main difference is that students will have a separate class in which they can put personal items and proceed to the lab only upon permission. The lab is located on the lower level of A building.
Unfortunately, the creation of such a lab means that some other spaces have to be moved as well, as it creates the necessity to create more space for the upgraded lab.
“It creates a domino effect,” Morris explained. “In order to create a room for the new microbiology lab, we have to relocate other spaces.”
The lab displaced Information Technology, which will affect the assessment center and English computer labs. The renovation means that the testing center also got a face lift in order to accommodate more students who may need it.
As a result of all those changes, now the assessment center has been renovated and relocated into a new space in A building with additional capacity and security measures for people taking professional licensing tests.
Ag Building Construction Continues
With construction of the agriculture building in full swing, students will continue to see progress on the Dr. Alfred E. Wisgoski Agricultural building.
The building, which is being constructed on the south edge of the campus, is named after the former late Dr. Alfred E. Wisgoski who was a former president here at Illinois Valley Community College.
The agricultural building has been part of the 10-year campus plan. The college had received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. department of economic development administration to help fund the project, but additional local fund raising was needed.
The construction of the agricultural building not only adds to Illinois Valley College campus but also help locals in the Illinois Valley get their qualifications without having to leave home to achieve their dreams.
This new construction will feature 10,250 square feet building, with innovation labs, classrooms and labs, and a lot more cool features that will be exciting to see, according to IVCC President Tracy Morris.
The college also recently announced that former IVCC president Jerry Corcoran has donated money to the project.
A faculty office in the ag center will be named in honor of Dr. Jerome and Katherine Corcoran, who contributed $10,000 in support of the new building.
Corcoran’s career at IVCC spanned 33 years, including 15 years as president before he retired in 2023. Corcoran said his donation supports IVCC’s mission to respond to its community’s needs.
“It had been a long time since we offered many classes in agriculture. We decided to develop a program and hired a top-notch coordinator to help it ‘take flight.’ We went from two agriculture courses and marginal facilities to 22 courses and 70 students annually,” Corcoran said.