Articulation agreement, two MOUs receive approval

The board approved an articulation agreement and ratified two memoranda of understanding designed to ease transfer of Allied Health students to three universities.

• An articulation agreement with Southern Illinois University Carbondale will allow graduates of Rend Lake College’s Radiologic Technology program to transfer to SIUC’s Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology program.
• A memorandum of understanding with Indiana Wesleyan University will allow RLC Associate Degree Nursing graduates to transfer into the post-licensure Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing program at IWU.
• A memorandum of understanding with McKendree University will allow RLC Associate Degree Nursing graduates to transfer into the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing McKendree.

These agreements are intended to smooth the transition for RLC graduates and to maximize the transfer of credits.

President Wilkerson’s contract renewal receives final approval

The board approved renewing the contract of President Terry Wilkerson (second reading). The contract is for a four-year term from June 30, 2018, through June 30, 2022, and per President Wilkerson’s request, represents no increase in salary or benefits.

Featherstone transfers to Coordinator of Data Information Systems

The transfer of James Featherstone from Report Writer to Coordinator of Data Information Systems, effective Feb. 16, was ratified Tuesday. Featherstone has been with RLC full-time since May 2013. The transfer is needed to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Brian Clark.

Two police officers join RLC

The board appointed two new police officers Tuesday. The hires were made in order to ensure adequate levels of security for students and staff.

• Rodney Sweetin, Police Officer, effective March 14. Sweetin has worked part-time for RLC since 2011. He served as a police officer and detective with the Mt. Vernon Police Department from April 1992 through May 2015.
• William Young, Police Officer, effective March 19. Young has been working part-time with the RLC Police Department since November 2017, and also has worked for the Benton, Buckner and Ewing police departments.

Two positions to be filled

The board granted permission to create two positions and their accompanying job descriptions and to advertise to fill them.

• Health Studies Student Success Center / Help Desk Support Technician – This new position is needed to support technology and software in the HSSSC and to provide extended coverage hours for the Information Technology Help Desk. The position is grant-funded, and the hire will be ratified at the April board meeting.
• Student Success Coordinator – This new position is needed to develop, implement and assess student success efforts at RLC and is needed to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Rachel Sveda-Webb. The position will include early alert process and procedure, career testing, working with faculty for academic input, working with the Financial Aid Department to overcome student barriers, and individual student counseling. The position also will represent RLC at various outside events at area high schools, career fairs, college expos and other community events. The hire will be ratified at the April meeting.

Health Info Tech’s Henry moving on

The board ratified acceptance of the resignation of Charlotte Henry, Health Information Technology Program Director, effective May 14, 2018. She has been with RLC full-time since April 2014.

Bids for roof, gutter replacements receive approval

The bid of $111,150 from D7 Roofing of Albers was accepted for replacement of the roof on the Administration Building and for various gutter replacements across campus. The projects will be paid for with Protection, Health and Safety Levy funds.

Accreditation update

The board heard a report on the college’s reaffirmation of accreditation activities. The college is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is due for a comprehensive evaluation visit by the HLC September 24-25, 2018. In addition to continuing work on the Assurance Argument, designed to prove the college meets HLC’s five criteria for accreditation, the board also heard an updated from Kim Wilkerson and Angie Kistner on the federal compliance portion of the accreditation effort. This piece is designed to show the college’s compliance with various regulations, including Title IV compliance, credit-hour compliance and several other matters.

The third-party comment process, also a part of the compliance section, is set to begin this month. This process is designed to provide the college’s constituencies with the opportunity to present their perspectives on the college. Comments must be in writing and can be submitted at www.hlcommission.org/comment, or by mail to Third-Party Comment on Rend Lake College, Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL  60604-1411. Comments must be submitted at least four weeks ahead of the visit date. RLC has been accredited by HLC since 1969.

The college also is required to deliver a student opinion survey on behalf of HLC, and this will go out to students April 2. The college also is preparing for HLC’s annual conference in April at Chicago.

In other business, the board …

• Ratified payment of college expenses including travel reimbursements.
• Approved revision to college policy and procedure concerning social media (second reading).
• Approved a request to develop five online courses and to authorize their submission to the Illinois Community College Board for action. The courses are Business Data Entry, Office Procedures and Technology, Beginning Microsoft Word, Intermediate Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Excel.
• Approved revision to the job description for the Coordinator of Network Operations and Security.
• Approved revisions to the alcohol and drug policy (first reading) and authorized signature of an agreement with First Advantage.

Mark your calendars …

• Transition Summit, Tuesday, March 20, RLC campus.
• Advisory Council meetings, 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, Waugh Gymnasium.
• Kickstart Your Journey, Thursday-Friday, March 22-23, RLC campus.
• Spring Musical: The Addams Family, 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 5-7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 8, RLC Theatre.
• ICCTA Southeast Region Trustees Meeting, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, Rend Lake College.
• RLC Spring Musical: The Addams Family, RLC Theatre. Performances 7 p.m. nightly Thursday, April 5, through Saturday, April 7; 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, April 8.
• Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Thursday-Monday, April 5-9, Hyatt Regency Chicago.
• Job Search Party, 3-6 p.m. Thursday, April 12, Mt. Vernon Hotel and Event Center.
• Trivia Night, Thursday, April 12, The Rec on campus. Doors open at  p.m., trivia begins at 7 p.m.
• Phi Theta Kappa Induction, 2 p.m. Thursday, April 19, RLC Theatre.
• Lake Reception, 5 p.m. Thursday, April 19, King City Books, Mt. Vernon. Lake is RLC’s fine arts publication.
• Children’s Health Fair, Thursday, April 26, The Rec on campus.
• Flummoxed Fairy Tales, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday-Friday, April 26-27, RLC Theatre.
• RLC Music Showcase, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 29, RLC Theatre.
• RLC Spring Concert, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 3, RLC Theatre.
• Annual Board / Faculty Staff Awards, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, May 8, RLC Theatre.
• Radiologic Technology Pinning Ceremony, 1 p.m. Thursday, May 10, RLC Theatre.
• Associate Degree Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 10, Waugh Gymnasium.

·         RLC Commencement, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 12, 2018, Waugh Gymnasium

By ReAnne Palmer 

INA – Graduates and current students in two Rend Lake College Allied Health programs now have new opportunities to continue their education at a four-year institution. The new articulation agreements will help students enrolled in RLC’s Associate Degree Nursing and Radiologic Technology programs.

The agreements, approved during the March Board of Trustees meeting earlier this evening, are effective immediately for those who meet program requirements at both institutions. Kim Wilkerson, RLC Dean of Allied Health, said the benefits of each agreement are countless.

“Every articulation agreement is unique in that it gives our students an outline and goal for their future. They know what is expected of them at RLC and at the university where they want to transfer,” said Wilkerson. “Specifically, the agreements make sure each four-year institution is building on RLC learning experiences, therefore eliminating instruction duplication, and they provide students with a clear path toward their goals.”

RLC’s Radiologic Technology program graduates now have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into Southern Illinois University (SIU) Carbondale’s Bachelor of Science degree program in Radiologic Sciences.

To qualify, students must complete the Associate of Applied Science degree in Radiologic Technology at RLC with a 2.0 grade point average (GPA), plus meet other admission requirements of SIU Carbondale’s College of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Allied Health.

All RLC degree program graduates who meet SIU Carbondale’s admission requirements will be considered for admission, based on the department’s enrollment criteria and space availability. RLC students will need a minimum of 69.5 credit hours to transfer and will complete another 42 or more credit hours at SIUC before graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Before the approval of the agreement, RLC’s Radiologic Technology program offered two other articulations to local institutions. RLC has 11 other agreements with SIU Carbondale.

“Southern Illinois University Carbondale continues to draw many of our radiologic technology graduates who want to continue their education because of its location and proximity to our campus,” said Wilkerson. “We anticipate many students will take advantage of this agreement in the future.”

Two additional agreements were approved for graduates of RLC’s Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program: one with McKendree University and a second with Indiana Wesleyan University.

ADN program graduates will transfer seamlessly into McKendree University’s Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing program, provided they meet admission requirements. Additionally, RLC students must pass the NCLEX-RN examination. Ninety hours of credit from RLC’s ADN program will be accepted and applied toward the Bachelor of Science program at McKendree.

RLC ADN students who enroll in McKendree University’s Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN) will be granted a 10 percent discount per credit hour. The discount will be based on continuous enrollment.

RLC students also have an extra opportunity for dual enrollment with McKendree University. Five course offerings are available to RLC students who have a 3.25 GPA and meet admission requirements.

ADN graduates can also transfer seamlessly to Indiana Wesleyan University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. RLC students will have to complete at least 60 credit hours with a grade “C” or higher, have a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, and provide proof of a current unencumbered RN license.

The ADN articulation is the only agreement between RLC and both McKendree University and Indiana Wesleyan University.

“We are very excited to be able to partner with the universities that provide articulation agreements with our Associate Degree program so that our nursing students can continue their education and receive a BSN degree,” said Nancy Buttry, Director of Nursing. “The articulation agreement makes it easier for our students to receive the advanced degree which will open many doors for the graduates in their career in nursing.”

All agreements will be reevaluated annually by RLC and the partnering university. A list of specific courses that will transfer seamlessly to each institution was also provided. This list can be found on RLC’s website or when speaking with an RLC Academic Advisor.

Students wishing to learn more about program specifics should contact their RLC Academic Advisor at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266.

 

INA – Thirty-one Hamilton County seniors are preparing for their first steps after high school this week during Rend Lake College’s third College Signing Day on the McLeansboro campus. RLC Advisors met with the students this week to give information, answer questions, and enroll students into summer and fall classes.

Registration for Summer and Fall 2018 classes at RLC is going on now. Classes start the week of June 4-8 for the summer semester and during theweek of August 20-24 for the fall semester. Contact RLC’s Academic Advisement Center at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1266 to schedule an appointment for summer or fall registration.

Academic Advisors will also visit Norris City-Omaha-Enfield and Sesser-Valier high schools this week to speak with students. During the months of April and May, advisors will visit all 13 high school campuses to speak one-on-one with students and help them prepare for their first semester of college life.

According to the U. S. Department of Education, college graduates typically earn more and are less likely to face unemployment than those with a high school diploma. Over the course of a lifetime, the average worker with a postsecondary degree will earn approximately $1 million more than a worker without a postsecondary education. In fact, by 2020, an estimated two-thirds of job openings will require college education or training.

RLC is a comprehensive community college located in Ina in Southern Illinois. Rend Lake College offers more than 100 associate degree and occupational certificate programs, preparing students for transfer to a four-year university or direct entry into the workforce. To learn more about RLC, visit www.rlc.edu/journey.

CARBONDALE — ButterBurger and frozen custard fans in Southern Illinois have a reason to celebrate once again: A Culver’s franchise could soon be headed to Carbondale.

The Carbondale City Council will vote on a site plan Tuesday for the construction of the restaurant at 2401 Reed Station Parkway — the intersection of Illinois 13 and Reed Station Road.

The franchise will be owned by Aaron and Maria Jones from Thompsonville, who also owns the Marion store.

Please click on the link for the full story from Dustin Duncan of the Southern Illinoisan.

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/communities/carbondale/culver-s-could-be-coming-to-carbondale-city-council-set/article_f88d903a-edfe-54ea-8a25-0a98f96aa90b.html#tracking-source=home-breaking