What do accreditation, teamwork and Quiznos have in common?
You!

Accreditation is incredibly important, and so is your input! Please make time to read and comment on all or part of the assurance filing between now and Sept. 26 (see files emailed Sept. 6). The individual who submits the best edit/suggestion for the week will be rewarded with a free Quiznos lunch!

What is the assurance filing? It documents how we are meeting identified criteria (and their subcomponents) to reaffirm our accreditation. The criteria:

1. Mission
2. Integrity: Ethical and Responsible Conduct
3. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources and Support
4. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement
5. Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

We will be hosting a peer review team on campus Dec. 5 and 6. They will be here to confirm the information in our assurance filing — so it is important that it be complete and accurate. It takes all of us working together to have a successful HLC visit!

Accredited higher education institutions must have their accreditation reaffirmed every 10 years. For us, reaffirmation is to take place this academic year.

We will host a peer review team on Dec. 5 and 6, and that team will be on campus to confirm what we have claimed in our assurance filing.

For the past three years, various faculty and staff have dedicated time to preparing LLCC’s assurance filing. We must submit it to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) on Monday, Nov. 7. Before that happens, I want to provide the campus community time to review our assurance filing.

Between now and Sept. 26, I encourage you to read and comment on all or part of the assurance filing. The three files emailed yesterday guide you through the campuswide review process.

Additional preparation activities are planned for October and November. If invited to take part in these events, please make every effort to participate. It takes all of us working together to have a successful HLC visit.

Dr. Charlotte Warren, president

As we all know our state, including our region, moved to Phase Four of the pandemic on Friday, June 26. Guidance for operations from the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Community College Board was completed and approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health and released just three days earlier. Now, of course, comes the question — what does this mean for our college?

I wish I could say it means we are back to normal operations. But we cannot be. Guidance for us still requires six-foot social distancing, limits spaces to gatherings of 50 or less, requires health screenings for all who come on to campus, and the wearing of masks. Unfortunately, we are extremely limited in classrooms that can accommodate the six-foot distance. Staff have meticulously reviewed the possibilities along with the greatest need for use of that limited space. We have courses that must have face-to-face components. We have courses that might better serve students in a face-to-face environment. These considerations, along with many others, led to the decision to offer four different teaching modalities for the fall. There will be our regular face-to-face and online courses. There will be remote courses using Zoom-like delivery, more like the traditional offerings. And finally, there will be flex courses that are some combination of the other three. No matter the modality we start with, all must be ready to move to distance offerings on very short notice. Phase Four could be rescinded at any point pending another spike in the COVID-19 virus. Deans are working with faculty to make decisions on specific modalities and teaching assignments. Students will be hearing from student services staff and/or faculty with more specifics about their course modalities in the very near future.

Our divisions will have some staff returning. Some will be back for the foreseeable future. Some will be rotating — all based on their area of responsibility and maintaining distancing. There will be extremely limited visitor access, and those should be done by appointment.

Supervisors, HR and Administrative Services will all be reaching out with more details on what operations will look like. Please watch for their emails and stay updated through LincIn. Our facilities staff continues to maintain our campus and support us in maintaining a safe environment.

Each decision that is made about operations is being carefully evaluated with focus on safety, published guidelines and student needs. We are all in this for long haul. Pending a vaccine or even more improved treatment regimens, it could be next year before we return to normalcy as we used to know it. In the meantime, LLCC faculty and staff will continue to retain positions and be paid so that we take care of students and each other. I hope each of you and your families are doing well. Remember to reach out to each other to give support and encouragement that we all need to get us through these trying times.

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

Lincoln Land Community College is committed to respect and compassion as we celebrate the differences among people, cultures and ideas. These are included in our stated values and should guide all that we do. As our country and our communities grapple with the senseless death of George Floyd and others before him, it is time for us as a college community to reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion. These have to move well beyond aspirations to practices that are engrained in all that we do.

I cannot begin to comprehend the sadness, sense of loss, or anger that our African American community is experiencing. I do know that it will take all of us working together to continue to build a learning and working environment that is free from all forms of harassment and discrimination.

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

Dear Faculty and Staff,

I had been working on something to send out as we “mostly” tie up this semester. But I watched our Commencement and thought — that says it all. Thanks to all of you, each and every department, that have contributed to help our students get to this point. It hasn’t been easy. In fact, it has been damn hard work. But we are mostly there. I say mostly because we still have some that are awaiting guidance to let us totally finish up. But even so, graduation night was a time to celebrate. The ceremony was great, and students, families, faculty and staff had an opportunity to “be in the moment.”

We still have a way to go. I can’t give you any answers as to the next step. That is dependent on the Governor’s guidance and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Just know that we are ready to move, even incrementally, as we are given the go-ahead. Each step will be taken with concern for the safety of all. But flexibility is still the key to our success.

As we wait for the yellow and green lights, just know that each and every one of you are appreciated. We have kept our eyes on the goal post — and that is getting our students through. We are doing everything imaginable, and I don’t use that term lightly. Your imagination, creativity and dedication made our ceremony tonight possible, and kept the hopes of those to come alive.

For those of you leaving for a summer break, know we are grateful. For those who remain, we still have work to do, but I know you are up to the challenge. I can’t yet tell you what fall will hold, and I can’t tell you when we will all be together again. But I can tell you that the graduation ceremony Friday was just one step in our moving forward to take care of students.

Thanks for just being the heart of what is — Lincoln Land Community College.

Charlotte Warren, Ph.D.
President