Southern Illinois News

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees met Feb. 27.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

1. Call to Order & Roll Call - Chairman Gary Carter called the meeting to order at 6:15 p.m. and directed the Board Secretary Sonja Wease to call the roll.

Guadalupe Amicone (Student Advisory): Present

Susan Batchelor: Present

John Brooks: Present

Roger Browning: Present (via Zoom, non-voting)

Gary Carter: Present

Brenda Culver: Absent

Jan Ridgely: Present

Barbara Shimer: Present

Present: 5. Absent: 2.

Also present at the meeting, in addition to trustees:

Ryan Gower, Chancellor

Jay Edgren, President of Frontier Community College/ Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs

Tona Ambrose, President of Lincoln Trail College/Vice Chancellor Institutional Outreach

Chris Simpson, President of Olney Central College/Vice Chancellor Business Operations

Matt Fowler, President of Wabash Valley College/Vice Chancellor Student Affairs

Alex Cline, Director of Information & Communications Technology

Ryan Hawkins, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer

Andrea McDowell, Director of Human Resources

Sonja Wease, Board Secretary

2. Welcome from the Chair - Chairman Carter welcomed all who were present for the meeting.

3. Recognition of Visitors and Guests

3.A. Visitors and Guests - Paul Bruinsma, Nixie Hnetkovsky, Steve Hnetkovsky, and Dustin Wiggins were present.

3.B. IECEA Representative - Nixie Hnetkovsky reported that the Spring semester is going well and that faculty are looking forward to Spring Break and preparing for the Summer semester.

4. Public Comments - None

5. Reports

5.A. Trustees - None

5.B. Chancellor - No additional information to his previously sent report.

5.C. Presidents - Reports were presented by the Presidents.

5.D. Division Report - Reports were presented by the Vice Chancellors.

6. Approval of Consent Agenda

Motion to approve the consent agenda with the removal of Item #6D Policy 500.14 Tuition Waivers to be tabled for another meeting. This motion, made by Susan Batchelor and seconded by Barbara Shimer, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

6.A. Disposition of Minutes - Open meeting minutes as prepared for the regular meeting held on January 16, 2024 were presented for approval.

6.B. Policy 500.18 Transfer Degree Educational Guarantee - Move Policy 500.18 (Transfer Degree Educational Guarantee) to become Policy 800.10 (Transfer Degree Educational Guarantee)

6.C. Policy 500.19 Technical Degree/Certificate Educational Guarantee - Minor revisions were made to the policy.

6.D. Policy 500.14 Tuition Waivers - The policy was removed from the consent agenda and tabled for another meeting.

6.E. Policy 500.21 Student Military - Minor revisions were made to the policy to ensure new federal regulations are addressed concerning provisions when students are called for service.

6.F. Policy 500.33 Student Consumer - Minor revisions were made to the policy.

6.G. Affiliation Agreements - Chancellor Gower recommended approval of affiliation agreements with Master's Hands Inc. NFP; Renewal Rehab LLC; Trilogy Rehab LLC dba Synchrony Rehab; Edwards County Farm Bureau; and Empower Me.

7. Action on Items Removed from Consent Agenda - None

8. Policy First Reading (and Possible Approval) - None

9. Policy Second Reading - None

10. Staff Recommendations for Approval

10.A. ICISP Program Fee

Motion to approve the ICISP Cost Recover and Administrative Fees for institutional needs, financial aid, and for collection and remittance to ICISP. This motion, made by John Brooks and seconded by Guadalupe Amicone, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

10.B. Policy 300.15 Revolving Fund

Motion to waive second reading and approve the foregoing policy as recommended. This motion, made by Susan Batchelor and seconded by Jan Ridgely, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

10.C. Sale of Real or Personal Property

Motion to approve the sale of five acres formerly the location of the Lincoln Trail College "South Campus" (Harry L. Crisp Building) in the amount of $106,000. After the destruction of the building, the Board determined that it no longer needed the land for community college purposes. This motion, made by John Brooks and seconded by Susan Batchelor, Carried. Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

10.D. FY25 Tuition and Fee Rates

Motion to approve the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 tuition and fee rates as presented to be effective with the Summer 2024 term. In-District Tuition will be set at $135 per credit hour. This motion, made by Susan Batchelor and seconded by Guadalupe Amicone, Carried. Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, John Brooks: Nay, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea Yea: 4, Nay: 1, Absent: 2

11. Bid Committee Report

Motion to accept the bid from Eagleson Automotive for the purchase of a new 15-passenger van at $45,911.06. The motion also includes the acceptance of the bid from OneRoom, Inc. for Synchronous Learning Classrooms in the amount of $866,384.22. This motion, made by Barbara Shimer and seconded by Susan Batchelor, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

12. District Finance

Motion to approve payment of district financial obligations for February 2024 in the total amount of $1,764,025.94. This motion, made by Jan Ridgely and seconded by Susan Batchelor, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

13. Executive Session - None

14. Approval of Executive Session Minutes

Motion to approve executive session minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. This motion, made by Jan Ridgely and seconded by Barbara Shimer, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

15. Approval of Personnel Report

400.1 Employment of Personnel

A. Professional, Non-Faculty, Exempt

1. Jesus Gonzales, Head Men's & Women's Soccer Coach, LTC effective March 4, 2024

B. Classified, Non-Exempt

1. Rachel Greenwood, International Student Liaison, LTC/OCC effective March 4, 2024

2. Juliet Graham, Student Service Specialist, WVC effective March 4, 2024

3. Melissa Hardiman, Custodian, WVC effective March 4, 2024

400.2 Change in Status

A. Professional, Non-Faculty, Exempt

1. Rodney Ranes, Interim Program Director of Adult Education to Program Director of Adult Education, effective September 1, 2024

2. Christy Morley, TRIO Upward Bound Counselor to Trio Upward Bound Coordinator, effective March 4, 2024

400.3 Special Assignments (Attachment)

400.4 Approval of Proposed Non-College Employment

400.5 Retirement Ratification

1. Laurel Cutwright, Math Instructor, OCC effective May 10, 2024

Motion to approve the foregoing Personnel Report as presented. This motion, made by Barbara Shimer and seconded by Jan Ridgely, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Guadalupe Amicone: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 6, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

16. Collective Bargaining - None

17. Litigation - None

18. Other Items - None

19. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn at 7:51 p.m. This motion, made by Susan Batchelor and seconded by Jan Ridgely, Carried.

Roger Browning: Absent, Brenda Culver: Absent, Student Advisory: Yea, Susan Batchelor: Yea, John Brooks: Yea, Gary Carter: Yea, Jan Ridgely: Yea, Barbara Shimer: Yea

Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2

https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/CustomMinutesForMeeting/2652?meeting=620995