04.11.16

Jason Dockter speaks at National Convention

Dr. Jason Dockter recently spoke at the Annual Conference on College Composition and Communication in Houston, Texas.

Jason presented during the session, “Learning Re-abled Twenty Years Later: Re-Strategizing Ourselves, Our Teaching Practices, and Our Learning Spaces for Action.” In this presentation, he explored Dunn’s concerns of student generalization and limited methods of instruction (primarily through writing) increasing the risk for online student frustration and potential for online students to drop out of these courses.

04.11.16

ITDE Workshop this week

Rethinking Diversity by Including Disability
Facilitator: Cara Swafford, Associate Professor, English
Wednesday, April 13 | 1-3 p.m. | Sangamon Hall, 0019
Click here to register for this session.

As instructors, we have learned to be conscientious of the diverse student population we teach and to include materials, assignments, and methods that illustrate and promote cultural awareness. Much of our diversity training and practice has emphasized race, gender, ethnicity, and culture/cultural practice and our understanding of “diversity” often only includes these categories. The disability movement has long stressed that disability be included in our understanding of “diversity.” This workshop will present methods for including disability as a necessary part of our consideration of diversity in our teaching. This will include ideas for classroom topics, assignments, and projects as well as discussion of the different types of disabilities that we encounter in our diverse classrooms. Participants are encouraged to bring examples of any successful and assignments that include and acknowledge disability to discuss and share.

Current online faculty participating in the Online Proficiency Program will receive 2 points for complete attendance and participation in this workshop.*

04.11.16

Facts about Autism: #6

Why is autism now called a spectrum disorder?

The term “spectrum” refers to the wide range of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability in functioning that can occur in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some children and adults with ASD are fully able to perform all activities of daily living while others require substantial support to perform basic activities. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, published in 2013) includes Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) as part of ASD rather than as separate disorders.

Source: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm

04.08.16

Congratulations to LEAGUE Campaign Winners!

Congratulations to Becky Croteau, Professor of Biology, winner of the first $150 cash prize for making a donation to the LEAGUE Campaign.  Winners of Subway coupon cards are:  Trudy Stutzman, Michelle Burger, Peggy Goetsch and Nathanael Herbert.

The annual faculty and staff giving campaign is off to a great start with more than $43,000 in donations and pledges so far!  If you haven’t made your contribution yet, there is still time.  And there is still time to win $150 in cash – donated by LLCC Cabinet Members – if you make a pledge using payroll deduction by April 29.

Don’t forget to purchase 50/50 raffle tickets for another chance to win cash totaling $200 to date or a grill package valued at $300.  Tickets are $1 each, $5 for 6, or $10 for 18 and will be available through today until 5 pm in the Foundation.

Thanks to all who support the LEAGUE Campaign.  Funds go directly to support LLCC students through scholarships, grants and more.  For more information, call the Foundation at 786-2785.

04.08.16

Important Dates regarding End-of-Year Spending

As the end of another fiscal year is rapidly approaching, Dwayne Curry, purchasing manager, is sending a reminder to budget managers to help facilitate end-of-year spending. Please see more detailed information regarding the following dates below in this memo: MEMO 2016 year-end-spending.

Last date for all major purchases–April 22
Last date Purchase Orders will be issued–May 26
Last date to order items on a Blanket Purchase Order–May 26
Last date to process payments on a Blanket Purchase Order–June 13
Grant purchases–above dates apply to grants ending June 30

04.08.16

Road Closure Notice

Woodside Road will be closed beginning Monday, April 11, 2016 at 7 a.m. due to construction that Union Pacific Railroad will be performing to improve the crossing near the Woodside and Iron Bridge Road intersection.  The construction is expected to finish by Friday, April 20, 2016 at 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Please keep this in mind as you plan your travel to and from the college and remind students that they may need to take a different route.

 

04.08.16

Library hosts “Food for Fines”

The LLCC Library will be hosting a Food for Fines fundraiser drive, starting with National Library Week (April 11-15), and continuing until the end of the semester. Food for Fines allows patrons (students, faculty, staff, or community members) to “pay off” any fines or fees on their account by bringing in donations for a local food pantry. Patrons can bring in one non-perishable item to receive $5.00 off their total fines. For instance, if you owe $20 in processing fees and bring in 4 donation items, your account balance will go down to zero. Please note that donations cannot be used to pay for lost books. We have teamed up with the Central Illinois Foodbank to donate everything we collect. View a list of items that the Central IL Food Bank is in need of.  Feel free to contact Mary DiMaggio if you need any more information. Thank you!

04.08.16

Culinary Students send cookies to troops

The Wednesday morning Intro to Bakeshop class in the LLCC Culinary Arts program is sending their school work to troops overseas.  Cookies that these students have been learning to bake are headed to USS Chung-Hoon, currently deployed to the Western Pacific, along with a compilation of recipes and notes to service men and women.

Group-Cookies

IMG_8449 copy

 

04.08.16

More About Morels

Nancy Sweet wrote a wonderful article about morel mushrooms. I can’t wait to try her recipes. Here are some simple things we can do to be good stewards of this precious bounty. Start by being an advocate for the preservation of their habitat. Very little Oak/Hickory woodland remains in Central Illinois, compared to its historic distribution. Speak up for the wild places we still have. I have my own fond memories of gathering morels with my Cherokee grandmother. We never took all of the mushrooms we found. If there was only one, we thanked it, welcomed its future relations, and walked away empty handed. Most of the fungal body is underground in the soil. The part we enjoy eating is actually a reproductive structure. If we take them all, we interfere with the natural cycles that replenish the population for future years. Many woods here in central Illinois have been over-harvested to the point that the mushrooms aren’t nearly as abundant as they once were. Do your part by always leaving a few behind. They will produce the next generation. It is also a good idea to carry your harvest through the woods in an open weave bag. That way, any spores that have already formed have a chance of falling out along the way. I like to use the mesh bags that onions come in. If possible, return your rinse water to a nearby woods. When I was a child, my grandmother always threw the water out in the same spot and we always found morels there. Take care of your “special spot” and you will enjoy a bountiful harvest for many years to come.

– Becky Croteau, professor, biology