I am very happy to announce that Dr. Jason Dockter and Shanda Byer were both approved to drop their interim titles and serve as vice president of academic services and vice president of student services, respectively. Both are familiar faces who have filled multiple positions at the college, and both stepped into interim roles without hesitation when asked to help move the college forward. I know they will continue to be a tremendous asset to the college and play integral roles in the future. Please join me in congratulating both Jason and Shanda!
Funeral arrangements for Dr. Robert Poorman, President Emeritus of LLCC, have been announced. Visitation will be Monday, April 10 from 4-7 p.m. at Staab Funeral Home, 1109 S. Fifth St., Springfield. Funeral Mass will be Tuesday, April 11, 10 a.m. at Christ the King Church, 1930 Barberry Dr., Springfield. Following a luncheon in the church hall, burial will be at 1 p.m. in Calvary Cemetery, 2000 N. First St., Springfield.
Dr. Robert Poorman, President Emeritus of Lincoln Land Community College, passed away Sunday, April 2. Read the obituary.
Visitation will be Monday, April 10, 4-7 p.m. at Staab Funeral Home in Springfield. Funeral Mass will be Tuesday, April 11, 10 a.m. at Christ the King Church in Springfield. Burial in Calvary Cemetery in Springfield. Memorials are suggested to the LLCC Foundation.
Dr. Poorman was the college’s founding president, starting his position on Dec. 1, 1967 and retiring on Aug. 31, 1988. According to “Fifty Forward! The First 50 Years of Lincoln Land Community College,” by Dr. Betty Workman, “One of the first duties of the founding board was to hire a college president who would lead the creation of a comprehensive college with the mission as delineated in the Community College Act. They believed they found the ideal candidate, Dr. Robert L. Poorman, at Bakersfield College, Calif., where he was dean of students. … His vision was that a community college must be true to the comprehensive mission.”
Dr. Poorman oversaw the construction of the interim and permanent LLCC campuses. “In June 1968, a 10-acre site was leased for the interim campus where temporary buildings provided classroom space for several years. While the buildings were being constructed, Dr. Poorman also started searching locally and nationally for faculty and administrators to staff the new college. He said his goal was to ‘find people who are knowledgeable, care about students and are interested in serving their communities.'” Doors of the temporary campus opened Sept. 23, 1968. By December 1974, all on-campus college operations had been moved to the new buildings on the permanent campus site.
Over the years of Dr. Poorman’s presidency, academic and career programs, athletics, fine arts, student groups and services for children through senior citizens expanded. LLCC was one of the first colleges in the nation to be recognized for its coordinated energy conservation program that began in 1975, and in 1978, Dr. Poorman announced a change in summer work hours to conserve energy, which continues today. In 1980, he welcomed President Jimmy Carter to campus to deliver a major address on energy conservation.
At the time of his retirement, Dr. Poorman held the state record as the longest, actively serving community college president in Illinois. He was described at his retirement as a “forward-looking leader and innovator in creating the college and encouraging everyone to think ahead and plan.” He demonstrated a “philosophy of caring and a commitment to his community and family clearly reflected by his actions.”
Dr. Poorman’s legacy lives on at LLCC. We extend our sympathy to his family, friends and associates.
I want to thank all of you for your work that has continued to move this college forward and the work that we do for students, and especially those who contributed to the actual document and participated in meetings with the accreditation team. Finally a super LOUD shout out to Dr. Tricia Kujawa, assistant vice president, institutional research and effectiveness, for her steady hand and guidance in getting us across the finish line! – Dr. Charlotte Warren, LLCC President
The letter of approval is below:
March 3, 2023
Dr. Charlotte Warren
President
Lincoln Land Community College
5250 Shepherd Rd.
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9256
Dear President Warren:
This letter serves as formal notification and official record of action taken concerning Lincoln Land Community College by the Institutional Actions Council of the Higher Learning Commission at its meeting on February 27-28, 2023. The date of this action constitutes the effective date of the institution’s new status with HLC.
Action. IAC concurred with the evaluation findings and voted to affirm the institution’s eligibility to select the Standard or Open Pathway for reaffirmation of accreditation.
In taking this action, the IAC considered materials from the most recent evaluation and the institutional response (if applicable) to the evaluation findings.
Attached to this letter is information on selecting and declaring a pathway within the timeline provided. The materials include links to information on the Standard and Open Pathways. HLC does not make public an institution’s Pathway determination or selection. Institutions’ Pathway designations will not appear on the Institutional Status and Requirements Report.
If you have any questions about the institution’s transition to a pathway, please contact Tom Bordenkircher, the institution’s staff liaison. Thank you for your cooperation.
A reminder that there’s still time to contribute to the LLCC United Way Campaign, which ends today. Make your pledge on the LLCC United Way donation page. (If you would like a paper form, please email lynn.whalen@llcc.edu)
Many individuals are in need here in Central Illinois, and United Way works to support the local programs that provide critically needed assistance. If you have a favorite non-profit, you can designate all or part of your gift to that organization. Or, make an undesignated gift, and you will support more than 30 local programs addressing the basic needs, education, financial stability and health of our friends and neighbors. All decisions on how those funds are allocated are made locally by representatives from the community. Choose easy payroll deduction which spreads your payments out over the entire year, or a one-time gift, and know that you are making a difference. We’ll reward you with a jeans day and chance to win gift cards to local businesses.
Be the one!
Thank you,
Charlotte Warren, Ph.D.
President, Lincoln Land Community College
Every three years the college administers a climate survey to capture perceptions of the college environment and inform us on what we are doing well and what could be improved. We will be conducting such a survey, the PACE Climate Survey for Community Colleges, this fall. The survey will open on Tuesday, Nov. 1, and be available through Wednesday, Nov. 23.
We are committed to a constant process of internal review and analysis to guide our quality improvement efforts. One significant way we can work to enhance our campus climate is to listen to and take action on your views regarding its various factors. The PACE reports position us to better understand our campus environment as it relates to institutional structure, supervisory relationships, teamwork and focus on students. It also provides a way for us to assess the effectiveness of our initiatives and measure growth or change over time.
I understand that honest communication can sometimes feel difficult to provide. That is why we work to ensure your anonymity. The Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research at North Carolina State University will administer the survey and provide the college aggregated results. So please be candid in answering these questions. Honest and constructive communication is critical in our process of identifying priority areas on which to focus.
You will receive an email invite from Belk Center to participate in the PACE survey next week. When the survey is completed and the data compiled, results will be reviewed by various groups and shared with the campus community.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey. Your input is very much appreciated.
Charlotte Warren, Ph.D.
President, Lincoln Land Community College
Dr. Robert Poorman, President Emeritus of Lincoln Land Community College, passed away Sunday, April 2. 
I want to thank all of you for your work that has continued to move this college forward and the work that we do for students, and especially those who contributed to the actual document and participated in meetings with the accreditation team. Finally a super LOUD shout out to Dr. Tricia Kujawa, assistant vice president, institutional research and effectiveness, for her steady hand and guidance in getting us across the finish line! – Dr. Charlotte Warren, LLCC President
