– Issued Aug. 7 –

It is with deep sadness that I inform you of the passing of Maureen Curry, a longtime member of the LLCC family. Maureen joined LLCC in 1999, working first in the Foundation and moving to Facilities in 2003, where she served as facilities office coordinator. Along the way she made many friends on campus and will be greatly missed. We offer our deepest condolences to Maureen’s family, friends and all who knew and worked with her at LLCC.

Charlotte Warren, Ph.D.
President
Lincoln Land Community College

LLCC is offering select in-person services at its main campus and Outreach Centers for students interested in registering for fall classes. Visitors must comply with all safety provisions in place at LLCC.

Appointments should be scheduled in advance for in-person services at LLCC’s main campus. Services include student success coaching, formerly academic advising, (call 217-786-2224 or text 217-441-2415); financial aid advising and FAFSA completion assistance (call 217-786-2237); testing (call 217-786-2246); student admission and enrollment assistance (call 217-786-2410 or text 217-360-3840); adult education (ESL and HSED) intake/testing (call 217-786-2349); TRIO Student Support Services intake (call 217-786-4986); and accessibility services (call 217-786-2599 or 217-786-2869). Tours of campus are also available for prospective students (call 217-786-2422 or bit.ly/llcctours.)

The LLCC Bookstore on the main campus will provide walk-in service for fall book sales and, beginning tomorrow, for summer book buyback. For remote assistance, contact the LLCC Bookstore at 217-786-2300. Books can also be ordered online through bookstore.llcc.edu.

LLCC Outreach Centers are offering in-person appointments for student success coaching, testing and some bookstore services. Some walk-in services, such as paying tuition and submitting financial aid documents, are also available at these locations. Students are strongly encouraged to call ahead to discuss in-person/walk-in services: Taylorville (call 217-786-2754 or text 217-339-3134), Litchfield (call 217-786-3401 or text 217-388-1207), Jacksonville (call 217-243-6699 or text 217-290-2909), and Beardstown (call 217-323-4103 or text 309-204-8856).

LLCC has announced that four class formats will be offered for the fall 2020 semester. These formats are designed to provide students with safety and flexibility in choosing their preferred learning environments.

“LLCC is committed to serving students in a safe learning environment,” said Dr. Charlotte Warren, president of LLCC. “We have considered guidance from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Illinois Community College Board and Illinois Department of Public Health in designing these four course formats for fall.”

Formats

Classes will be offered in the following formats: face-to-face, online, remote and flex.

Face-to-face

A face-to-face course will be delivered in the traditional classroom setting. Face-to-face courses meet on a regular day and time schedule in an on-campus classroom. Smaller class sizes will allow for compliance with six-foot social distancing guidelines. Health screenings will be required of students coming to campus, face coverings will be worn by students and instructors, and hand sanitizing stations will be located
at building entrances.

Online

An online course allows students to access course content, participate in class discussions, complete assignments and communicate with instructors and classmates entirely online from their homes or elsewhere. Online courses do not have regular or required meeting times. LLCC has greatly expanded its online course offerings for fall and was recently named a top 10 community college in Illinois for online learning.

Remote

A remote course will meet on scheduled days and times via Zoom or other online communication technology. Students and instructors in this type of course will interact online in real time. Students will access the course via the internet to view and participate in live lectures and activities.

Flex

A flex course will combine traditional face-to-face, online and remote learning. These courses will also typically involve some face-to-face (on-campus) hands-on assessments. The specific percentage of each type of learning will be determined by individual faculty for each course. When students are on campus, social distancing guidelines will be followed, with health screenings and face coverings required.

“No matter the class format, all faculty will be prepared to move to distance offerings on very short notice should conditions warrant,” said Dr. Warren. “We are meticulously planning for all scenarios in the event there is a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases. All of our decisions are being carefully evaluated with a focus on safety, published guidelines and student needs. Students should check their student email and watch for communication from college personnel regarding any course changes.”

More information is available at www.llcc.edu/class-formats-fall-2020.

With our region now in “Phase Four,” the operations on our campus and at outreach center facilities are gradually picking up. We still remain cautious in our approach to reopening and must remain vigilant in following guidelines and protocols. Outlined below are some adjustments to our operating protocols now that we are in “Phase Four” and some reminders about other protocols that remain in place:

• While our locations remain closed to public “walk-ins,” we are now available to schedule in-person appointments to meet the various needs of our existing, new and prospective students. Existing, new and prospective students coming on to the main campus for one of these scheduled needs will check in at A. Lincoln Commons. Students/visitors at all locations will need to have a scheduled appointment, wear a face covering at all times and complete a health questionnaire (including a temperature check). Students/visitors will also be expected to only access the service(s) scheduled for the visit. Additionally, students/visitors should maintain social distancing (6 feet apart) whenever feasible and will be expected to follow all directional signage regarding “traffic flow” throughout college buildings. These appointments are for the individual only, so we ask that no additional guests accompany you on your visit to campus.
• Campus tours/visits have resumed in a limited fashion. Again, those visitors must adhere to the same safety guidelines as outlined in the first bullet point.
• Employees may conduct in-person meetings as long as they are done in spaces that still allow for proper social distancing among the participants. Face coverings should still be worn if meetings conducted in-person.
• Entrances and exits on each building will be limited based on building size and number of entry/exit ways. Buildings designated to be “open” will have a primary entrance and a separate exit(s) identified. We have added a couple of “Employee Entrance Only” points at two of the entry/exit doors on the east side of Menard Hall. You will need a key to be able to access these entrances; otherwise, you should continue to enter through A. Lincoln Commons.
• Employees reporting on-campus need to be completing the daily online assessment before coming to work. If you are unable to complete the online assessment or have technical issues, please contact Human Resources.  And again, if you are feeling ill, please stay home.
• With the anticipated gradual increase in “foot traffic” on campus combined with the daily health assessments for faculty and staff and health screenings for visitors, attendance logs for areas are no longer necessary.
• The use of face masks/coverings remain required for both employees, students and visitors. The only time a face mask is not required is if you are sitting in an isolated office without anyone else present. If you are in need of a mask, please let me know. Students/visitors should wear their own face mask or covering when on campus.
• In order to minimize contact with others, we have signage marked throughout identifying a direction in each hallway for foot traffic. While this may mean that you may not be able to take the most direct route to wherever you may be going, we ask that you comply with these directional markings to minimize contact with others. In spaces where one-way directional foot traffic is not feasible, signage has been established on each side of the hallway so one side goes in one direction and the other side the opposite direction to maintain as much distance as possible.
• Please continue to adhere to proper social distancing (staying 6 feet away from others) when possible.

As our operations continue to evolve and as we prepare for the fall semester, many office areas will be bringing more employees back for on-campus operations. Your supervisor will be in contact with you if your work schedule (on-campus vs. remote) in the coming weeks is changing.