Faculty sabbatical updates

Each year, LLCC provides the opportunity for full-time tenured faculty members who have served at least six consecutive years to apply for sabbatical leave. Sabbatical leave allows a faculty member to pursue a professional development project for a semester or a year. Professor David Leitner of English and humanities is currently completing a sabbatical and Professor Leslie Stalter of arts and communications has been awarded a sabbatical for spring 2023.

Professor Leitner’s spring 2022 sabbatical project was to write the first draft of a no-cost textbook for EGL 110: Introduction to Poetry. The textbook will be titled “The Poetry of Song” because it is inspired by the poetry in lyrics from popular music, including rock, country and rap. The book engages students by building on their preexistent interest in these popular genres. The textbook will be released under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (BY-NC-SA) International License, which lets others remix, adapt and build upon this work non-commercially, as long as they credit the source and license their new creations under the identical terms. This book will allow students to have the resources to work toward meeting the outcomes of the course and the general education outcomes that the course develops without being burdened by the expense of a commercial textbook. In this course, students will learn to apply close reading techniques, use literary terminology, analyze poetry from multiple historical and cultural contexts, and create well-informed written analysis that incorporates scholarly resources. Leitner will offer this course using the new materials during Mod 1 in the fall.

Professor Stalter’s spring 2023 project will be to develop open educational resources (OERs) for instructors who want to incorporate materials on non-Western art and culture into their courses. Stalter has explained that one of the barriers to teaching a more non-Western centered curriculum can be a comfortability level with delivering this material to students when many of our own educational backgrounds did not cover this in much detail. For teachers who might be trying to expand their knowledge of the subject before educating the students, it can be quite intimidating. Expanding viewpoints outside of the Western perspective is important, especially as the world becomes smaller and academia works toward moving beyond the Eurocentric viewpoint that is the mainstay of our present educational system. Including more of these diverse perspectives on a regular basis would help position LLCC at the forefront of curricular change. Stalter intends for these materials to be available for use in online or face-to-face classes via the Canvas learning management system. The materials will include pronunciation guides, images and collateral information in a ready-to-use format, and an accompanying video suggestion list. These resources could be useful in a wide variety of courses: history, sociology, humanities, anthropology, religion.

Great work by our faculty! Per Article XI of the Faculty Contract concerning Professional Development, information regarding sabbaticals is sent out in early October with a mid-November submission deadline for AY 23/24. These are two examples of projects that are not only student centered but also are anchored in curriculum development and enrichment and are connected to the new strategic plan.

Jazz concert today

LLCC Jazz Band presents Jazzin' It Up, spring 2022 jazz concert, Monday, May 2, 7 p.m., A. Lincoln Commons
Join us today, May 2, to hear our talented musicians as the LLCC Jazz Band presents “Jazzin’ It Up” at 7 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. The concert will feature jazz standards and modern arrangements.

Choir concert today

LLCC Choir Connection. Spring 2022 Choir Concert. FREE. Friday, April 29, 2022, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m. A. Lincoln Commons Rotunda
Hear our talented student vocalists perform in the LLCC Choir spring 2022 concert,  “Connection.” The choir performs today, April 29, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons.

The LLCC Jazz Band will present “Jazzin’ It Up” on Monday, May 2, 7 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. The concert will feature jazz standards and modern arrangements.

Construction students build tiki bar for Gala silent auction

Tom Spears with students who constructed the pictured tiki barStudents in the Workforce Institute’s highway construction careers training program constructed a tiki bar under the direction of Tom Spears, workforce development program coordinator, which sold for $1,100 in the silent auction at the 16th Annual Foundation Gala. This hands-on learning opportunity raised funds in support of students and educational programs at LLCC. The Gala was also an opportunity to showcase the talents of culinary arts and hospitality students, who prepared and served the four-course gourmet meal, under the direction of Sheridan Lane, director of culinary program and operations, LLCC Choir members who performed under the direction of Laurie Lewis-Fritz, assistant professor of music, and PRM student worker Sara Waller who spoke on her experiences at LLCC and greeted guests.

Choir and Jazz concerts April 29 and May 2

Join us next week as the LLCC Choir presents “Connection,” the spring 2022 concert, on Friday, April 29, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons.

LLCC Jazz Band will present “Jazzin’ It Up” on Monday, May 2, 7 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. The concert will feature jazz standards and modern arrangements.

 

Check out the Juried Student Art Show

Student Art Show gallery with various works on the wall and on podiumsThe 2022 Juried Student Art Show is now on display through May 6, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Trutter Museum/James S. Murray Gallery, located on the upper floor of Menard Hall.

Winners of various awards were announced at an opening reception. Skyler Voss of Chatham was awarded Best of Show. Nathan Atkinson of Taylorville won the Digital Award. Miriam Carter of Springfield won the 3D Award and Peyton Cox of Spaulding the 2D Award. Vlada Popyk of Springfield won the Art History Award.

Crux May of Edinburg was honored with the Alexis Wernsing Pinnacle Award. This award was established in memory of  Wernsing, a 2011 LLCC graduate. The winner is chosen by LLCC art faculty and goes to the student who best embodies Wernsing’s qualities of striving for the the best in all academic endeavors without complaint and no matter the context.

Artist Amanda Grieve, an LLCC alumna. served as juror for the show. She commented, “I want to congratulate the award winners and accepted artists in this year’s show. I would also like to encourage all of the students who entered pieces into this juried exhibit to continue to hone their creative voices. You should all be proud of yourselves for having created artworks under such unique conditions as those presented the last couple of years.”