Recognize an outstanding full-time faculty member with a nomination for the Pearson Master Teacher Award. It’s easy to do so go online now!  Simply click here for the nomination form or log into Blackboard. Nominations must be submitted to the Foundation by Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017.

This award annually recognizes an exceptional faculty member for his or her professional contributions to LLCC.

For more information stop by the LLCC Foundation, Level one, Menard Hall room 1214, call 786-2217 or e-mail LLCCFoundation@llcc.edu.

(QR code will take you directly to the online nomination form)

Rose Raikes, assistant director, PRM, and husband Erik are proud parents of a baby girl, Nora Jean Raikes, born Jan. 9, 12:45 p.m. weighing 7 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 19 1/4 inches long. Congratulations!

A reminder that the Workforce Development department is looking for your feedback to inform our gardening plan for growing produce to be made available at a campus farm stand starting late spring. Please share your interest in purchasing LLCC grown food and flowers through this 3-5 minute survey . Your answers will determine what the campus farm stand will have available, where it will be located, and what time and day the farm stand will be held. We greatly appreciate your time in responding to the survey!

Today’s Epicuriosity 101 column in the SJ-R by Nancy Sweet, director, culinary programs and operations, contains recipes for Chinese New Year.

In connection with Stalking Awareness Month, the Jacksonville Activities Board will be sponsoring a Jeans Day tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 12.  Anyone at any LLCC location can participate.

Donations can be taken to the Student Life Office to participate. See article below for more on Stalking Awareness Month.

Many thanks for the condolences, cards, hugs, and kind words from so many of my colleagues at LLCC, due to my mother’s recent passing. It means more than I can say. Here is a link to her obituary. http://www.dailyregister.com/obituaries/20161220/joan-collins

We are planning a Celebration of Life service for her April birthday.

Gratefully, Deborah

Happy New Year from the Center for Academic Success!  We look forward to working with faculty and students this semester. Feel free to come down and visit us in the lower level of Sangamon Hall and speak with our staff about the many services we offer to help students reach their goals and achieve academic success. Here are some helpful materials:

spring-2017-service-hours This is a great resource to include with your syllabus on the first day of class and to post on bulletin boards in your office. You will notice that hours for some of our services have changed from previous semesters.

smart-start-seminar-flyer-spring-2017 This can be included with your syllabus or posted in your classroom. Our seminars teach students a variety of proven strategies for success in college level courses.  All of the seminars cover the same topics, so students may choose the one day and time that works best with their schedules. Smart Start Seminars are particularly important for first semester students who are new to college courses.

class-visit-form-updated This is a great way to bring effective college level study strategies directly to your students! By completing this form and sending it back to me, you can make arrangements for an Academic Success Professional to come to your class and help your students improve basic skills such as note-taking, test preparation, memorization, and much more. Note: If you are teaching classes at any of the LLCC Outreach Centers, we can bring a class visit webinar to you via Skype!

cas-make-up-testing-form Please use this form to provide our testing proctor with necessary details regarding how you would like your make-up tests to be administered in the Center for Academic Success. Please also include the names of the students who will be allowed to take each make-up test. For your convenience, you may email the completed make-up testing form, along with an electronic copy of your test, to castesting@llcc.edu.

For more detailed information about our services, visit us  at www.llcc.edu/cas. Have a great semester and please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

 Julie Clevenger, Executive Director, Center for Academic Success

This week’s SJ-R Epicuriosity column by Nancy Sweet, director of culinary programs and operations, gives recipes for the Chinese New Year.

Throughout the month of January, advocates for victims and survivors of stalking will recognize National Stalking Awareness Month (SAM) by increasing awareness of the issue and providing information about local and national resources for victims of stalking. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to heighten awareness of this issue and show their solidarity and support of victims by wearing a silver ribbon, available for free in Advising, Counseling & Career Services as well as Student Life.

This year, the SAVE Taskforce is doing a “Stalking Myths vs. Realities” campaign to raise awareness of the danger of stalking and dispel common and harmful misconceptions about this crime. In addition to SAVE’s LincIn posts that will highlight some myths and realities of stalking throughout the month, you can get more information about stalking by looking for table tents and posters around campus or visiting www.llcc.edu/sexual-violence-resources.

In connection with SAM, the Jacksonville Activities Board will be sponsoring a Jeans Day on Thursday, Jan. 12. Money can be given to the Student Life Office to participate. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime’s Stalking Resource Center, 61% of female victims and 44% of male victims of stalking are stalked by a current or former intimate partner. With the strong connection between stalking and domestic or intimate partner violence in mind, all proceeds from the Jeans Day will be given to Sojourn Shelter and Services, a local organization that assists victims of domestic violence and stalking.

Anyone experiencing stalking should reach out to LLCC Police Department (217.786.2278) or their local police department. If you wish to learn more about stalking awareness or help promote Stalking Awareness Month at LLCC, please contact Shelby Bedford at 217-786-4516 or Shelby.bedford@llcc.edu.

Due to the Sangamon County Tournament being held in Cass Gym this week, the Cass Gym locker room will close at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday of this week.