Lincoln Trail 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
The Business Operations Division consists of the Vice Chancellor of Business Operations (VCBO), the busi- ness officer on each campus and his/ her staff, and the auxiliary units on each campus made up of campus bookstores and food service staff. As part of the IECC Strategic Engagement Plan, there are three prior - ity topics that the Business Operations Division will address. The first prior - ity is to simplify the IECC tuition and fee structure. Some of this work has already been accomplished as certain
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
student fees have been eliminated and adjustments have been made to clarify what the fees are used for. A second priority is to conduct an in-depth review of the auxiliary units on each campus. The two primary auxiliary units are bookstores and food service. Both of these auxiliary units provide a valuable service to students, but they need to become more efficient in their operations so that they can continue to serve students’ needs. A third priority is to develop a uniform textbook adoption process. As the IECC moves into its new organizational structure and there is an increased sharing of resources among the four campuses, it is important that certain procedures become more consistent. The method by which textbooks are adopted and then distributed to students is a prime example. The end goal is for the Business Operations Division to increase efficiency, strengthen auxiliary units, and support the IECC mission to deliver exceptional education and services to improve the lives of our students and strengthen our communities. Chris Simpson 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 Offering: 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 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:
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.
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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