Rend Lake College News

COVID-19 Updates - Spring 2020

Written by Nathan Wheeler | Oct 13, 2021 5:00:00 AM

 

May 11, 2020

{slider + Book Return|info|closed}

Dear Students,
Due to COVID-19, the process to return your Spring 2020 textbooks will be modified. Your return options are as follows:

Curbside Rental Return- May 27th, 28th and 29th (9:00am-2:00pm)
The Bookstore will be conducting curbside rental returns near the 15 minute and handicap parking area behind Warrior Way on the dates listed above.

Mail-In Rental Returns- Your returns must be received by June 19th or they will be billed to your student account.
If you are unable to make it to the curbside return days you may mail in your rental books and your deposit refund will be placed on your student account.
(Please include your NAME and WARRIOR TAG in your package)
The return address is as follows:
Rend Lake College
Attn: Bookstore
468 N Ken Gray Pkwy.
Ina, IL 62846

Textbook Buyback- Unfortunately there will be no buyback for your purchased textbooks this semester. We hope to resume our buyback for the Fall 2020 returns.

{/sliders}

May 8, 2020

{slider + Summer 2020 Hybrid Dates|info|closed} Below are meeting dates for summer hybrid courses in the Arts & Science Division.

Summer 2020 Hybrid Lab Dates All labs will meet from 8:00 - 4:30.

BIO 1100        -           7/1 & 7/15      

MICR 1101     -           7/9 & 7/16

ZOO 1105       -           7/2 & 7/23

ZOO 1106       -           7/1 & 7/22

CHE 1101       -           7/2 & 7/30{/sliders}

{slider + RLCF Children's Center Closed for Summer|info|closed} In order to align our operations with the Illinois plan for phased reopening, the Rend Lake College Foundation Children’s Center will be closed FOR THE SUMMER.{/sliders}

May 5, 2020

{slider + PSB Testing|info|closed}

The last day of PSB testing for the nursing program will be May 14th at 9 am and 1 pm. Only students applying for the 2 year Associate Degree Nursing program may test on this date.  

The nursing application deadline is May 14th at midnight.{/sliders}

April 30, 2020

{slider + Drop Date|info|closed}

Dear students,

We are sending this email to remind you that the last day to drop a class is Friday, May 8. You can do so by emailing rl-cares@rlc.edu. RL-Cares is also here for you if you are experiencing any difficulties during this time that are not tech-related. For tech-related issues, please email help-desk@rlc.edu.

One more thing. Online tutoring is available to you. Detailed information about this is below.

We have received many questions about the CARES Act funding. It is planned for distribution soon via BankMobile. Funds will go to PELL recipients based on their qualifying percentages.

Have a great evening.

- Rend Lake College{/sliders}

{slider + Tutoring|closed}

Find a tutor: Just because you can’t meet face-to-face doesn’t mean you can’t get help with your coursework. Online tutoring is available for those looking for assistance. We will be using the Zoom app for all online tutoring. To join an online zoom tutoring session please contact Joseph Marlo via Email. marloj0909@warriormail.rlc.edu. Below is a list of currently available times and sections for tutoring, if these times do not work for you please let Joseph Marlo (marloj0909@warriormail.rlc.edu) know. Any other online tutoring will be set upon request but does not have weekly slots currently. Please contact Joseph Marlo with any questions.

  • English/Essay Tutoring
  • Tara Janowick
  • Tuesday: noon-5 p.m.
  • Wednesday: noon-5 p.m.
  • Jo Chapman
  • Thursday: noon-5 p.m.
  • Friday: noon-5 p.m.
  • Math Tutoring
  • Wayne Aydt
  • Monday: noon-5 p.m.
  • Tuesday noon-5 p.m.
  • Charlie Webb
  • Wednesday: noon-3 p.m.
  • Thursday: noon-4 p.m.
  • Friday: noon-3 p.m.
  • Science Tutoring
  • Joseph Marlo
  • Monday - Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Nursing Tutoring
  • Zoie Frey
  • Monday: 8:30-10:30 AM
  • Tuesday: noon-4 p.m.
  • Please also check Canvas messages for updates and information from Zoie in nursing classes.

Speech Tutoring is available by emailing Dana Uhls (uhlsd@rlc.edu).{/sliders}

April 24, 2020

{slider + BankMobile & Stimulus Funding|info|closed}

Dear students, 

You received an email yesterday from BankMobile with the subject "Important Information About Your Emergency Financial Aid Grant." It was a legitimate email. Below is important information about it.  
 
A week ago, we sent you an update about the Federal Emergency Stimulus Funding (CARES Act) for Colleges and Universities. CARES is enabling Rend Lake College to distribute nearly $600,000 in cash grants to help students in need pay for housing, food and other essentials. This will be distributed to PELL grant recipients based on their qualifying percentages (full, three-quarter, half, or part-time).
 
IF our formula finds you to be a student eligible to receive money from the grant, BankMobile will be responsible for getting the funds to you. So it will be very important that BankMobile knows each student's preferred way of receiving the funds and the correct bank account information for electronic transfers. 
 
Feel free to check your settings and information with BankMobile at any time by going online to https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices. Expect another email from BankMobile tomorrow. 
 
Thank you for trusting us. We are here for you. Email the Rend Lake College Business Office at deforeste@rlc.edu with questions.
 
- Rend Lake College
 
#WeAreRendLake

{/sliders}

{slider + Online Fee Waived for Summer & Fall|info|closed}

Dear students, 

 
This transition caught us all by surprise, but it's going to make us stronger. 
To help, Rend Lake College is waiving the $20-per-credit-hour, online course fee for every class during the Summer & Fall Semester. 
 
Keep going. Get stronger. #WeAreWarriors 
 
There are links below to make registering for Summer & Fall as easy as possible.  
 
Virtual Advisement
 
Summer Schedule
 
Fall Schedule     
 
Virtual Testing Appointments
 
Have a great evening, 
 

RLC
 
#WeAreRendLake #WeAreWarriors{/sliders}

April 16, 2020

{slider + Fed CARES for RLC students|info|closed}

You have likely heard news about the Federal Emergency Stimulus Funding (CARES Act) for Colleges and Universities. The stimulus package Congress passed recently will enable Rend Lake College to distribute nearly $600,000 in cash grants to help students in need pay for housing, food and other essentials during these pressing times.

Our team is currently working on a distribution method and we will provide more information as soon as we have it formulated.

We also want to make sure you received our message that the 2020 Commencement ceremonies scheduled for May have been postponed. Our aim is to have an in-person ceremony at a later date. We will provide an update on that as soon as we have more information to go by.

Have a great evening.

- RLC

#WeAreRendLake{/sliders}

{slider + Important Message from the RLC Business Office|info|closed}

Dear students,

We wanted to take a few moments to provide you important information about the upcoming summer semester.

First, since Rend Lake College employees are working remotely, students will not be receiving summer tuition statements in the mail. Students can access summer statements through the Self-Service portal.

Second, the summer payment deadline is Friday, May 15. Students must pay their tuition in-full or be enrolled in a Nelnet payment plan on or before this date.

Since campus offices are closed, we encourage students to take advantage of the convenient payment options available through Nelnet. Nelnet offers the option to either pay your bill in-full using a secure online portal OR establish a convenient monthly payment plan. If you choose to pay-in full using your bank account information, there is no additional charge for this service at this time. However, if you establish a payment plan or use a credit or debit card, additional fees will apply. For more information, please visit https://mycollegepaymentplan.com/rendlake/.

Tuition payments may also be mailed to the Rend Lake College Business Office. However, processing of checks will be delayed during this time.

Please do not hesitate to email the Rend Lake College Business Office at deforeste@rlc.edu with questions.

Sincerely,

Rend Lake College Business Office

{/sliders}

April 15, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson|info|closed}
 
I hope this message finds you well and managing the challenges of this pandemic as best you can.
 
I wanted to let you know that we are doing our best to stay in touch with the students and their struggles. Our latest endeavor has just rolled out as a call bank with many of us reaching out to every student to do a wellness check and field questions they may have.
 
Our plan for the summer semester is to be all online at this point with a contingency to bring smaller cohorts in for labs and CTE courses if the situation develops to where that scenario is safe. Please realize there is a lot of time between now and then, so this is just the plan for now.
 
We will remain on remote work for the remainder of the spring semester and are postponing our commencement until a later date. We will have a ceremony in person and together; but for the time being, it would be premature to set a date at this point. There will be plenty of time to announce the event in advance.
 
When we do begin to return to work, we will do so in a similar fashion as we went remote
in a planned fashion and phases. I know for some of you this felt like we went remote all at once, but there was considerable consideration given even as we rushed to our current remote platform. I'm sure our return will appear smoother, but not everyone all at once. Hopefully, this transition begins in mid-May, but that is not a definite date at this point.
 
We will continue to update you and keep the safety of you, our students, and our community at the forefront of our decisions. These considerations will drive our return back.
 
See you then.
 
Terry Wilkerson
{/sliders}

April 14, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Textbook Rentals / Returns|info|closed}

We’re working on a plan for returning spring textbooks. Keep your textbooks until we send you more details. Students will want to make sure to keep track of rented textbooks so that deposit fees can be returned to them.{/sliders}

April 7, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Deadline to Drop Classes Extended|info|closed}

The drop date for spring has been extended to May 8. This will allow students additional time to adjust and to seek any assistance they need from their instructors or from RL-Cares (rl-cares@rlc.edu) as the semester goes along.{/sliders}

March 31, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Summer Tuition Statements Delay|info|closed}

Due to social distancing guidelines, Rend Lake College staff is working remotely. As a result, the mailing of summer tuition statements will be delayed. Students can access their up-to-date summer statements by logging on to their self-service accounts at https://sserve.rlc.edu

For questions about your statements, contact Emily DeForest at deforeste@rlc.edu.{/sliders}

{slider + Nursing application deadline extended|info|closed}

At this time PSB testing has been suspended due to our current mandate from our Governor. We are currently working on a plan to extend out our Nursing application in order for everyone to have time to apply.{/sliders}

{slider + Non-Tech-Related Questions go to RL-Cares|info|closed}

If you are a student who has a question or needs help with any issue that is not tech-related or that your instructors can't answer (scheduling, advisement, payments, counseling issues, mental health, or others); please send an email to RL-Cares@rlc.edu. {/sliders}

{slider + Virtual Advisement Coming|info|closed}

Tomorrow we will launch virtual advisement sessions. From our website, you can make an appointment to meet virtually with one of our advisors and register for summer and fall classes. Stay tuned.{/sliders}

March 27, 2020

{slider + Update on upcoming events|info|closed}

Due to ongoing health concerns with COVID-19, Rend Lake College has canceled the following events. RLC is committed to the safety of students, faculty, staff and the public and is working to limit large gatherings during this time. For up-to-date information on the college’s plan moving forward, visit rlc.edu/coronavirus.  

Warrior Showcase

Student Art Show

3/31 Jon Garrett | Gateway Men's Chorus

4/2 Musical Performance

4/2 West Frankfort CTE Day

4/2 Transition Summit

4/3-5 "Little Women" Spring Musical

4/5 Musical Performance

4/8 Agriculture Banquet

4/8 Art Demonstration: Carrie Gibbs

4/8 Ag Banquet

4/15-16 Rend Lake Music Festival

4/16 West Frankfort CTE Day

4/16 Studio RLC Open House

4/16 Phi Theta Kappa Induction

4/17 Welding Contest

4/23 Children’s Health Fair

4/23 RLC Job Search Party

4/23 Lake Reception

4/24 Future Business Warriors

4/25 Hall of Fame Banquet

4/29 Wellness Resource Fair

4/29 Stop the Bleed Training

4/30 STARS Banquet

5/1 Flummoxed Performances

5/2 Spike Down Cancer Volleyball Tournament

5/6 State FFA Ag Business CDE

5/7 Spring Concert

5/8 Jefferson County Chamber Women's Conference

5/12 Faculty and Staff Awards{/sliders}

March 20, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson|info|closed}
 Effective immediately, Rend Lake College is closed to all individuals with the exception of security and necessary physical plant inspection of equipment, both of which will be stationed at a bare minimum to accomplish only their fundamental objectives.

All employees should move to completely remote and online work.  All instruction will be delivered remotely the remainder of the semester. We will continue to work with faculty on creative ways to deliver educational outcomes for laboratory portions of the curriculum.

No one is allowed on campus without permission from an Associate Vice President or higher. All previous permissions must be re-established after evaluating their absolute necessity.

This action comes with the safety of all employees, students, and our community being the highest priority. 

Thank you for understanding.

Terry Wilkerson

President

Rend Lake College{/sliders}

March 19, 2020

{slider + Check Warriormail spam|info|closed}

Dear student, 

The transition to online classes is well underway. During this time, it is possible that some emails being sent to you are landing in your Warriormail spam folder. Please have a look in your spam folder for any messages from the college. If you find any, right click and tell it it's not spam. 

If you are auto-forwarding all incoming Warriormail to another account, the spam filtering is done before that takes place. So any messages that Gmail considers spam will end up in the forwarding account's spam folder. Go into the Warriomail account, tell it that it's not spam, and from that point on, new messages will be included in the auto-forward.

If you are a student who has a documented learning disability, and you encounter any learning issue related to your disability in the online format, please contact our disability services specialist, Susan Cunningham, at cunninghams@rlc.edu. Sue will assist you with any problems you may encounter.

We are all in a constantly changing situation. We are all learning and adapting as we go along. You can be confident in the fact that college leaders are working with the best information we have to make decisions moving forward. You will finish. We will all move forward together.  {/sliders}

March 18, 2020 

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Nelnet Payment Date Extended to 4/20|info|closed}

For those students on a Nelnet payment plan, the next payment date has been extended from 4/5 to 4/20. We hope this will offer some relief and add flexibility for you during the coronavirus situation. The health of our communities continues to be a top priority at RLC.  {/sliders}

March 17, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Updates

{slider + Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson|info|closed}
We continue to remain in contact with state officials and monitor developments locally, statewide and nationally regarding the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the shift to online instruction where possible, we are moving toward essential functions only in order to minimize the risk of spreading the virus. Please see the various updates below.
INSTITUTIONAL UPDATES
  • The current expectation is that we will continue with online instruction through the remainder of the semester. Students, please check with your instructors if you have questions.
  • The Learning Resource Center will be closed for the remainder of March.
  • Help Desk will have extended hours starting Monday of next week (7a-7p). We will monitor the volume of calls and adjust accordingly. Also remember the help-desk@rlc.edu address in the event you cannot reach the help desk at Ext. 1259.
  • NJCAA has cancelled spring sports.
  • If you are sick, stay home.
  • Continue to watch our website and our student and employee emails for updates.

FACULTY & STAFF

There are functions such as entering and approving requisitions, processing transcripts, running payroll and the like which are essential functions. Sanitation, network upkeep and maintenance, and other duties also are essential during this time. From the instructional standpoint, some faculty may need the college’s internet / hardware capabilities to upload content to their online courses.

  • If you need to work on campus, get approval from your respective Vice President or Associate Vice President. Those who can work remotely are encouraged to do so, although some areas such as Student Records, Financial Aid, Business Office, etc., may need staff physically present. This is being done in part to enhance social distancing and to minimize the number of people who need to be in the same area at the same time.
  • Please keep the need to pay bills in mind, and determine when / how to enter your requisitions. If you are a fiscal manager or if you enter requisitions regularly and believe you need remote desktop access, please check with your respective Vice President. If you have questions / problems, contact the Business Office.
  • Please ensure that your voicemail contains your work email so you can be reached as needed. Instructions for how to do this can be found at Intranet > IT Tech Tips > Cisco Unity Voice Mail Tips.
STUDENTS
  • Academic advisement appointments scheduled over the next two weeks will be done via phone or other distance delivery methods.
  • Students with existing advisement appointments will be contacted with more information.
  • All entrance testing, including Psychological Services Bureau, is pushed back until after April 1, at which time we will re-evaluate.
  • Physical education classes are being evaluated, but rest assured students will not be penalized for circumstances beyond their control.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS

While we would love to provide some certainty as far as what is going to happen in the coming weeks, no one has that crystal ball. What we can guarantee is that we will be thinking and doing all we can to keep all of our stakeholders safe. We will continue to do whatever we can to support our students and our employees through this time, and will keep you updated as often as we can.

We appreciate the continued hard work and dedication of everyone involved … students, faculty, staff and the community.

Terry Wilkerson

President

Rend Lake College {/sliders}

March 16, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Online format will begin March 23, 2020|info|closed}

College leaders were busy this morning preparing for Monday, March 23, when all classes go to online instruction. 

To get ready for online classes, all students need to:

  1. Log in to your Canvas account. Go to the MyRLC web page and log in using your Warriormail address and password. Need help? Call the Help Desk at 618.437.5321, Ext. 1259 or email help-desk@rlc.edu.
  2. Log in to Warriormail. Go to www.gmail.com and log in using your Warriormail address and password. This will be a primary way we communicate with students. Once you are logged in, if you prefer, you can have emails to that account auto-forwarded to another account. Here are instructions to forward your Warriormail to another account of your choice.   

Academic Advisement and Testing Appointments
Rend Lake College will honor existing appointments for Academic Advisement and Testing. The college is not scheduling any new appointments at this time.

Spring 2020 Refund Disbursement
Rend Lake College Spring 2020 refunds will disburse March 18th as scheduled. Students who are expecting a refund are reminded to have their BankMobile accounts set up. For more information about getting your refund this spring, visit www.rlc.edu/financial-aid/getting-a-refund.

Cancelled Events

  • Warrior Showcase suspended until further notice
  • All Great Rivers Athletic Conference events are canceled
  • All NJCAA Spring Sports
  • 3/17 Advisory Board Meetings
  • 3/17-18 Lunch on the Lake
  • 3/18 Nursing Informational Meeting
  • 3/18-20 & 3/25-27 Studio RLC Esthetics Services at Waugh Gym
  • 3/19 Student Art Show Reception & Awards
  • 3/19 Land That Job
  • 3/20 Active Shooter Training
  • 3/22 Lions Club All-Star Practices
  • 3/23 Blood Drive
  • 3/23-27 All Diversity Week Events
  • 3/25 Nursing Informational Meeting
  • 3/25 Career Connections
  • 3/27 Lions Club All-Star Games
  • 3/31 Jon Garrett | Gateway Men's Chorus
  • 4/2 West Frankfort CTE Day
  • 4/2 Transition Summit
  • 4/3-5 "Little Women" Spring Musical
  • 4/8 Agriculture Banquet
  • 4/8 Art Demonstration: Carrie Gibbs
  • 4/16 Phi Theta Kappa Induction

 {/sliders}

March 15, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + Important Message from RLC President Terry Wilkerson|info|closed}
In keeping with developments in the state of Illinois as the coronavirus issue continues to evolve, Rend Lake College will be moving to essential personnel only on campus as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020. This is being done in an effort to promote social distancing and similar measures announced by the Illinois governor Sunday afternoon.

All regularly scheduled personnel should report to the college as planned Monday. This will allow faculty and support staff to work together to move as much instructional content online as possible. Online instruction will begin in earnest on Monday, March 23. Administrators also will use that day as a planning and triage day to determine any further needed actions.

Employees should consult with their respective Vice President or Associate Vice President to determine whether to work in person, remotely, etc., from that point.

Gov. Pritzker announced Sunday that all bars and restaurants will be closed to the public by the end of business Monday, March 16, and lasting at least until March 30, which is one of the reasons for this move. We expect that our regional community college partners will be taking similar actions. We are taking this situation on a fluid basis and will be regularly re-evaluating when we can return to a normal working schedule.

We want to thank all of you for your hard work, dedication and flexibility during this time, and we truly appreciate the way you have come together to deal with this situation. The RLC team is truly one-of-a-kind, and this is just another example that proves it. Keep your eyes on your email and the website for more updates as we go.

In the meantime, please continue to keep yourself safe and healthy. Take all the appropriate measures to keep yourself safe from infection, and if you are sick, stay home. As always, if you have questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you,

Terry Wilkerson

RLC President{/sliders}

March 13, 2020

Rend Lake College Coronavirus Response Update

{slider + To the Rend Lake College community:|info|closed}

Due to the effects of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Rend Lake College is taking the following measures to help protect our students, faculty and staff, and to do our part to reduce risk of spreading the infection. All updates will be posted on our website at www.rlc.edu.

  1. Spring Break will be extended an additional week, through Saturday, March 21. The faculty, staff and administration wi