Serving Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) as the Vice Chancellor of Institutional Outreach, while fulfill- ing the responsibilities as the Lincoln Trail College (LTC) President, has proven to be a meaningful and advan- tageous element within the new IECC organizational leadership structure. As the LTC President, I can focus on working together with our dedicated faculty and staff to fulfill the IECC mission on our campus, while also simultaneously investing in the success of our institutional outreach efforts Olney Central College
The Academic Affairs Division of IECC was established on July 1, 2024 and the Vice-Chancellor (VCAA) and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) positions were created and assigned at this time. This was a new endeavor, as it is the first time all the academic functions of the District, except for dual credit and non-credit instruction, are housed in one unit. While it is the largest division of the organization, comprising over half of all IECC employees, it is also where the mission of the organization predominantly happens; it’s where “the
rubber meets the road,” in my opinion. The first task of the unit was to build out the organizational struc- ture with respect to departments and hire personnel accordingly. Having the already established meta-majors provided guidance for Dean positions (Dr. Alani Frederick, Cyndi Boyce, and Robert Conn) as well as Directors of Instructional Services (Amy Tarr and Tim Zimmer). Simultaneously, Dr. Michael Conn was hired to lead the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). Dean Sharmila Kakac’s Business and Industry Training efforts complete the three main departments of Academic Affairs. The second main responsibility was to establish District processes for important functions, such as class scheduling, assigning faculty to classes, creating a major equipment inventory, and online course review and development. We are currently in the process of drafting language detailing these efforts. Dr. Jay Edgren
across the district. The Institutional Outreach Division includes Adult Education, Dual Credit, Enrollment Management, Marketing, TRIO Upward Bound, and Community Education. Furthermore, with the IECC District being one of only two community college districts in Illinois comprised of a multi-campus system, we are fortunate in that we have four colleges within our “family” to look to for collaboration and we are uniquely positioned to leverage our collective strengths, best practices, and resources in these institutional outreach areas. This intentional intercampus structure now ensures better efficiencies, natural connections, and a shared vision across the district. Aligning this organizational structure with the IECC Strategic Engagement Plan is challenging, yet rewarding, and we are poised to achieve even greater success in fulfilling our mission, advancing our strategic initiatives, and moving Forward Together .
Tona Ambrose
The Student Affairs Leadership Team (SALT) was formed over the course of the 2023-24 academic year. Dr. Gower set forth a year for people to meet throughout the IECC District and begin the process of forming divisions. The process of determining which depart- ments and individuals were part of the Student Affairs Division underwent several iterations during the first six months of this fiscal year. There were many white board exercises at each college trying to figure out how our structure could best serve students.
I am very excited to serve as the Chief Academic Officer of Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. Since starting my role on July 1, 2023, my team has worked on a number of exciting initia- tives projects:
Meta-Majors and Guided Pathway s: Five meta-majors and 18 departments were identified to arrange and cate- gorize our career and technical and transfer pathways. To help our students have clear direction when planning their academic plans, academic advi- sors have developed individual transfer pathways and are in the process of finalizing their recommendations for further vetting and approval. Scheduling : IECC has transitioned from campus-based scheduling to a District-based scheduling model. This involves a collaborative effort by the meta-major deans to look at course needs, scheduling efficiencies, delivery modalities, and class assignments which will all improve access to classes and the overall student experience. Major Equipment Rotation : Dr. Edgren and I met with CTE faculty and toured programs on all four campuses this spring. As a result of these visits, we are in the process of developing a major equipment needs list and a rotation plan for replacing existing equipment. New O�fering: In the summer of 2025, IECC will launch a new certif- icate program: Gas Utility Construction and Service. This program will prepare students to install, maintain, and operate natural gas distribution systems used to supply residential, commercial, and industrial companies – stay tuned! Dr. Paul Bruinsma
The Student Affairs Division understands the call to provide “wrap- around” services that help transform the lives of our students. We are excited about the opportunity we have each day to impact the lives of our students and to build a robust student experience. It takes a team to build this experience for our students and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Student Affairs Leadership Team. Matt Fowler currently serves as the President and Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs. Amber Malone currently serves as the Associate Dean of Admissions and Records. Libby McVicker currently serves as the Program Director of Grants and Compliance. Cassandra Goldman currently serves as the Dean of Students at IECC. Chad Groves serves as the Director of Learning Commons at Olney Central College. Wain Davis currently serves as the Director of the TRIO Student Support Services program. Dr. Matt Fowler
Forward Together 7
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