This free 50-minute seminar is an absolute must for students who are new to college or those who are returning to college after a period of absence. The Smart Start Seminar provides students with the necessary tools to achieve academic success in college courses. Topics include: Introduction to Study Skills, Time Management, Reading and Questioning Texts, Taking Effective Notes, Memory and Test Taking. Click  HERE to download a schedule of seminar dates and times.

Condolences to Colette D’Cruz Endeley, professor of economics, whose mother, Philomena Natusch D’Cruz, passed away. Services were held this weekend in Malaysia.

Weight Watchers is once again offering the “At Work Series” on the Lincoln Land campus this fall. Meetings will be held during lunch time beginning the week of Sept. 15. We will offer a 12-week series (with 14 weeks of online tools) for $152. This amount can be set up as a payroll deduction. If you are interested in joining the fall series, please contact Kim Elder in HR at ext. 62214 or kim.elder@llcc.edu to register. Deadline to register is Friday, Sept. 5! Click WWFallPromotion2014  for more details.

Please join us for our first meeting of the A-Team, or Asperger’s/Autism Awareness and Support Group!  Our first meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 1-2 pm in MNRD 1165 and will focus on simply “Getting to Know Asperger’s and Autism at LLCC.” We hope you will join us!

For more information, see article dated Aug. ___ or please contact Linda Chriswell: x 6-2828, linda.chriswell@llcc.edu, or Cara Swafford: x 6-2398, cara.swafford@llcc.edu.

The NEW date for Professional Development Day is Friday, Oct. 10, 2014. Full-time faculty and staff will participate as usual in the daytime program. If daytime adjuncts want to attend this event, they can, or they can attend the evening program on Nov. 4 (Institutional Improvement Day).

The NEW date for Institutional Improvement Day for faculty and staff is Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. The evening development program for both full-time and adjunct faculty will be kept in place on this date. The evening program will start at 6 p.m. (dinner at 5 p.m.).  Participants will be able to hear from the 2014 Pearson Master Teacher, Bill Harmon, Professor of Agronomy.  The Outstanding Adjunct Award will also be announced.

More details on Professional Development Day and Institutional Improvement Day will be announced soon in LincIn.  

Julie Rourke, director of workforce development, and Marnie Record, workforce specialist, were interviewed Aug. 29 by Fox News regarding the value-added local food certificate program. The story aired Monday, Sept. 1 on Good Day Illinois and on WICS news Sept. 1 and 2. Additionally, Julie and Marnie are featured in a front page story today in the State Journal-Register entitled, Food Entrepreneurism: Learning to go local.”

Please join us for our first meeting of the A-Team! The A-Team, or Asperger’s/Autism Awareness and Support Group, is an informal group of students, faculty and staff who are interested in talking and learning about the challenges and successes of students with Asperger’s or Autism in the college setting. Our first meeting will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 1-2 pm in MNRD 1165, and we plan to meet every other Thursday each month throughout the academic year.

The group is open to anyone affiliated with the LLCC campus who is interested in our purpose to create awareness and support for students with Asperger’s or Autism. Team members have included students with or without Asperger’s or Autism, faculty, staff, Academic Success Professionals, education students, campus security, parents, and other individuals who wish to participate. Group meetings will be loosely organized around specific topics or activities that will be determined by members as the discussions develop with the goal of providing opportunities for social development, mentoring and support, diversity awareness, and discussing any other issues put forth by the members.

Our first meeting focus is simply “Getting to Know Asperger’s and Autism at LLCC.” We hope you will join us!

For more information, please contact Linda Chriswell: x 6-2828, linda.chriswell@llcc.edu, or Cara Swafford: x 6-2398, cara.swafford@llcc.edu.

Our sympathy to Karen Riddell, program assistant, Adult Education & Literacy, on the passing of her mother, Catherine Zoeckler, Monday, Aug. 26. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at Curry Funeral Home in Pawnee.

The LLCC Fitness Center will be closed during the morning hours on Tuesday August 26 for the installation of new cardio equipment. It will resume full operation at noon. Fall Semester hours of operation are as follows: Mon – Thur 7am -6pm Friday 7am -5pm Weekends – CLOSED

If you haven’t signed up for the LLCC Connect emergency text/voice/email message system, you can stop by the Police Department in Sangamon Hall South anytime between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. today through Thursday or 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday. Officers will assist you with sign-up, or go to https://forms.llcc.edu/connect/