Grace Pytlinski, a sophomore from Waltonville, was chosen as the new student member of the Board of Trustees following an election earlier this month. The Waltonville High School graduate is studying Agriculture Business and Agricultural Production and Management, and plans to transfer to Murray State University to continue her education in Plant and Soil Sciences. She hopes to one day become an agronomist, working for a large company like Monsanto or Syngenta. Pytlinski will replace outgoing student member Eric Schumm. She is following in the footsteps of big sister Claire, who served as student trustee for the 2015-2016 board year. Grace Pytlinski is the current RLC Homecoming Queen; Claire also held that honor in 2015.
The board approved several curriculum-related matters Tuesday and authorized their submission to the Illinois Community College Board for action. Among them was the approval of the Veterinary Assistant occupational certificate. This 17-credit-hour curriculum is comprised of six classes: Communication in Technical Services, Small Animal Nursing, Animal Grooming, Veterinary Practice Management, Veterinary Technology Internship I, and Animal Surgical Technology I. Animal Grooming and another related course, Animal Facilities Management, also were approved.
The Veterinary Assistant certificate program prepares students with the knowledge and skills needed for a career working with animals in a variety of settings, such as veterinary clinics, boarding kennels, grooming salons, pet shops and animal shelters. Rend Lake College and Southeastern Illinois College have collaborated on this new Veterinary Assistant curriculum. The previously offered Veterinary Technician associate degree curriculum is being discontinued by the Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market (SICCM), and RLC is discontinuing its participation in SICCM at the end of this fiscal year.
In other matters, changes to the Business Communications and Advanced Data Structures courses were approved, Intro to Ag Production was approved for online development, and 25 courses which had not been offered for an extended time were withdrawn.
A public hearing on the intended issuance of bonds was held during the regular board meeting. There were no comments from the public. At last month's meeting, the board approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $5 million in general obligation bonds (alternative revenue source) to defray the ordinary and necessary costs of operation. This move was made necessary by the continued lack of state funding.