The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting on Monday, February 28, 2022. Board members included Bill Hawley (Odin), Jim Beasley (Centralia), Bryan Holthaus (Carlyle), Louis Kalert (Centralia), Jeff Brown (Greenville). Laura Wedekemper (Shattuc) and Alexis Enke (Student Trustee) were absent.
In the first order of business, the KC Board of Trustees approved to maintain Kaskaskia College tuition and rate fees at the same level for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. In-District tuition will be kept at $136.00 per credit hour, and mandatory fees to remain at $16.00 per credit hour, for a total In-District credit hour rate of $152.00.
“Over the last six years, the college has only raised tuition by $3.00,” said KC President George Evans. “We will continue to provide a high-quality, affordable education to all students within the KC district.”
The board authorized KC President George Evans to approve an easement and waive the right to an appraisal and compensation for the said easement to the City of Vandalia. The City of Vandalia received grant funding to extend and replace existing sidewalks to improve safety. The sidewalk project extends from Vandalia Elementary School, west to Fillmore Street, and then west to the Vandalia Education Center. The easement for the sidewalk on the Vandalia Education Center property should not interfere with any college operations or activities.
The board awarded a bid to purchase pneumatic and hydraulic trainers from DEPCO Enterprises, LLC of Frontenac, KS, for $50,875. The new trainers will be bought via the funds of the college’s Workforce Equity Initiative Grant and used for instructional purposes in the Industrial Technology program. The purchase will allow replacements of the old trainers, plus have an additional quantity installed to increase the number of students to train simultaneously.
The purchase of new heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) trainers from the Hampden Engineering Corporation of Longmeadow, MA, for $50,655 was also approved by trustees. Funds from the Career and Technical Education Improvement (CTEI) Grant will purchase a new heating and A/C wiring trainer, basic wiring trainer, intermediate electricity trainer, basic refrigeration trainer, and a gas heat trainer for the new HVAC program being developed at the Centralia Correctional Center.
“One of the advantages of these new HVAC trainers is the ability to program faults into the trainers to have students correct, thereby increasing students’ troubleshooting skills,” said Mark Kohnen, KC Associate Professor of HVAC.
To keep current with electric car technology, the board of trustees approved the purchase of a cutaway Toyota Prius hybrid trainer from Consulab Training Aids of Quebec, Canada for $38,963. The college was awarded a grant from the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) that included funding for the Automotive Technology program. KC is currently working in conjunction with the Automotive Technology faculty and Automotive Technology Advisory Board to guide the development of an electric vehicle (EV) curriculum and the launch of an EV certificate program.
Following a request from a student group and a faculty sponsor, the board approved the formation of the student club Campus Ministries International (CMI). CMI has chapters on campuses throughout the United States, including nearby Rend Lake College and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Any student may join the club and continue their participation with CMI upon transfer to a four-year university. Regarding all student organizations, the board approved an allocation of $2,585 to registered clubs and organizations for the FY22 year. Additional funding was authorized to be provided upon club request and approval to the KC Director of Student Retention and Support Services.
The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees also approved the search for a full-time student success coach and the following personnel items:
New Employment:
• Holly Sallee – Executive Director of Development
• Nathan Gibbs – Warehouse and Distributions Instructor
• Zachary Ricke – IT Systems Administrator
Retirements:
• Susan Batchelor, Vice President of Student Services - effective 6/30/22
• Sandra Neabuhr, Transitional Academic Advisor- effective 5/31/22
Resignations:
• Wesley Lindsay, Grant and Contract Accountant
• Lisa Szatkowski, Human Resources Coordinator
• Michelle O’Laughlin, Director of the Trenton Education Center
• Shelby King, Grant and Contract Accountant
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