INA, Ill. (Oct. 20, 2020)
The Rend Lake College Board of Trustees approved RLC’s plan for the upcoming Spring semester at Tuesday's meeting. The plan closely mirrors the college’s plan for the current Fall Semester. A majority of classes will be conducted online or remotely while hybrid classes will allow some in-person instruction as needed. Spring classes begin Jan. 11 and open enrollment for the semester is Nov. 9. For more information, or to see the full plan, visit rlc.edu/spring2021.
RAMP proposal
Rend Lake College has an expansion of the Student Center on its wish list. RLC submitted a proposal to build an addition onto the center at an estimated $11,878,748. Each year, RLC submits projects under the Resource Allocation Management Plan through the Illinois Community College Board to the General Assembly. RLC’s recent top project, a new Allied Health building, was recently approved. With that project set to begin soon, an addition to the Student Center is now at the top of the list. The proposed plan would include space for the college’s Bookstore, a conference center and reception area, a coffee bar and added space for student commons.
Nursing Accreditation
The Rend Lake College Nursing Program recently learned it received accreditation through the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. RLC applied for candidacy in February 2018 and faculty and staff worked to meet all accreditation requirements. To learn more about the achievement, click here.
Micro-Scholarship Program
Community Outreach Specialist Kristen Garner presented a new micro-scholarship program the college is considering piloting. The program would allow students to earn money towards RLC tuition starting as early as third grade. The idea was met with enthusiasm from the board.
Carley hired
The board approved the appointment of Sean Carley as Web and Social Media Specialist effective Oct. 7. Carley holds a bachelor’s degree in Sports Administration and Journalism from Southern Illinois University. He previously worked for the University of Pikeville as the Sports Information Director before taking the position at RLC.
Recruitment Specialist position created
The board approved the creation of a new position
Recruitment and Student Success Specialist. The position is funded by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. The purpose of the grant is to target initiatives to enroll and retain underrepresented, first-generation, and high-need students that might not otherwise enroll in or return to school due to the pandemic. The new position will attempt to reach those students in the RLC District.
Herrmann resigns
The board accepted the resignation of Brett Herrmann as Public Information Specialist, effective Oct. 28.
Bonds issued
The board held a hearing for and later approved the issuance of $5,500,000 in funding bonds to increase funds available for capital improvements, including a new Allied Health Center.
Tax levy approved
The board approved the 2020 Tax Levy, which has a slight increase compared to 2019’s total. The levy will increase from $7,056,573 to $7,190,352 or 1.89%. The proposed taxes to be levied will be payable in 2021.
In other business, the board…
- Updated its policy regarding credit by means other than traditional classroom attendance.
- Approved an amendment to the college’s 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan. The plan allows employees to make further retirement contributions to complement the SURS mandatory 401(a) retirement plans.
Mark your calendar…
- Virtual Ag Sales Competition will take place Thursday, Oct. 22
- Virtual Fall 2020 Faculty/Staff In-Service will take place Monday through Thursday, Nov. 16-19 via Zoom
- RLC Virtual Open House will be 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19 via Zoom
- Virtual CTE Career Days will be Wednesday and Friday, Dec. 2 and 4 via Whova.
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