Candace Silas, director, Open Door – Workforce Equity Initiative, was interviewed Dec. 11 by WTIM radio. Online information sessions for WEI will be held today at 5 p.m. and tomorrow at 1 p.m. Registration is available at https://forms.gle/HfJjzAA6H1nvur5D6.
Get to know LLCC Art faculty
Get to know LLCC art faculty! “You create your own audience. Your style, it finds you. Don’t rush it … Your art is an extension of your soul.” Thom Whalen, professor of art, shares all that has inspired his artwork through the years.
Board of Trustees to meet Dec. 14
The LLCC Board of Trustees will meet via Zoom on Monday, Dec. 14, at 5:15 p.m. The link to join is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83768666498. Read the agenda.
Holiday party winners announced!
Over 100 LLCC employees attended the virtual “Home for the Holidays” event yesterday! Thanks to Laurie Lewis-Fritz, instructor of music, and student Anna Crumbaugh for providing holiday music.
Holiday trivia winners were: Nicole Ralph, associate vice president of human resources; Dr. Claire Gordon, professor of communication; Jacob Deters, student engagement coordinator and Gary Bach, instructional technology specialist.
Ugly Holiday Sweater winners were: First place: Dr. Carmen Allen, professor of computer science; Second place: Brittany McGowan, building custodian; Third place: Jacob Deters, student engagement coordinator.
Thank you for making our virtual LLCC “Home for the Holidays” party a success! As a reminder, keep an eye out in the mail for your holiday gift from the holiday party committee and President Warren.
Your 2020 Holiday Party Committee: Amy Flynn, chair, Debra Bell, Michelle Burger, Jolene Lamb, Julie Sutfin
In the news
LLCC’s nursing expansion through the Nursing Education Partnership with Memorial Health System was the topic of this story on WICS/WRSP TV and WLDS/WEAI radio yesterday, based on this press release. WICS/WRSP interviewed Dr. Sonja Harvey, associate dean of nursing, and both TV and radio interviewed LLCC nursing student Ellie Whalen.
Karen Sanders, vice president of advancement and executive director of the LLCC Foundation, was interviewed on WTAX and WMAY radio stations along with Neil Williamson, LLCC alum and former Sangamon County Sheriff, regarding the scholarship he has established for criminal justice students.
Save the date for ILLCO Conference
Illinois Community College Online (ILCCO) will host its annual Growing Online Learning Conference on Feb. 16-18, 2021. The theme this year is “TLC: Teaching, Learning, and Caring.” Registration will open in January. This is a free online conference for Illinois community colleges.
Conference Details
Keynote
COVID Fatigue: A Trauma-Sensitive Approach to Moving Forward
Elgin Community College, Heartland Community College, McHenry County College, & Prairie State College
We have been living and working in unprecedented unique circumstances. As students enter our classrooms—in person or virtual—they are bringing with them the sustained trauma of a global pandemic. And guess what? So are we. We will discuss the effects of trauma on the brain and body, how those effects may manifest in ourselves and our students, and how we can help. This presentation will help us frame our own experiences, while we consider the ways we can support our students, our colleagues, and ourselves, as we move forward.
Conference Sessions
Feb. 16, 10 a.m.
COVID Fatigue: A Trauma-Sensitive Approach to Moving Forward
Elgin, Heartland, McHenry & Prairie State
Feb. 16, 2 p.m.
Designing for Kindness
Kona Jones
Richland Community College
Feb. 17, 10 a.m.
How to Encourage Student Interaction in Zoom Meetings
Susan Nugent
Lake Land College
Feb. 17, 2 p.m.
Active Learning through Service Projects in a Digital Learning Environment
Mary Carlson
College of DuPage
Feb. 18. 10 a.m.
Introduction to Universal Design for Learning – UDL
Sarah Goldammer, SIU Edwardsville
Aimee Julian, Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support
Feb. 18, 2 p.m.
Authentic, Meaningful and Engaging Assessments
Anna Catterson
Heartland College
LLCC Holiday Party today
Join us for the virtual LLCC Holiday Party today, Dec. 10, from 2-4 p.m. via Zoom. There will be holiday trivia (music and movies) using Kahoot!, an ugly holiday sweater contest, music from LLCC faculty as well as camaraderie. The link to the Zoom event is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82153797534.
Schedule of Events:
2-2:30 p.m. – Munch and mingle
2:30-3 p.m. – Holiday trivia (The winners will be sent free car wash certificates!)
3-3:15 p.m. – Virtual live performance of music from Laurie Lewis-Fritz, instructor of music, and LLCC students
3:15-3:50 p.m. – Camaraderie and holiday trivia for those that missed the first session.
3:50-4 p.m. – Holiday sweater contest voting and winners announced. (First and second place ugly holiday sweater winners will receive a donated gift package including Car Wash City car wash tokens, a package of blank notecards and stamps, and gift cards from Cracker Barrel and Scoop Du Jour.)
Contractors to work on first floor corridor of Sangamon Hall over winter recess
Over winter recess, contractors will be removing and replacing flooring and painting walls on the first floor of Sangamon Hall in the corridor only. They will be using caution tape to section off areas where they are working that might limit pedestrian traffic to some areas for a day or two at a time. They will not have the entire corridor closed off, but will be working their way around the corridor, so access to spaces shouldn’t be an issue over the break. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please call Tim Ervin at 217-786-9605 or at tim.ervin@llcc.edu.
Former Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson establishes scholarship at LLCC
Former Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson has established a scholarship for students studying criminal justice at LLCC. The scholarship will award $1,000 to a student each academic year.
An LLCC alum, Williamson says, “I don’t think I would have gone to college if I didn’t have the opportunity to attend LLCC. I didn’t feel fully prepared to go away to college and wasn’t sure I would fit in. My experience at LLCC gave me the confidence to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in law enforcement and pursue my dream of becoming a police officer. I want to help give students the same opportunity.”
The importance of education was evident throughout Williamson’s career. As a police officer in Springfield, he was the coordinator of Crime Stoppers and spent much of his time educating the public about crime fighting and prevention. As the Sangamon County sheriff, he increased the minimum education requirements for deputies to at least two years of college and eventually required deputies to have four years of college or an equivalent. Williamson also served on the LLCC Foundation Board from 2015-2018, helping improve educational opportunities for students through tools, technology and resources.
Voucher reminders
I want to thank everyone in being so supportive while we carve out a path to a fully electronic voucher system! Your assistance has been essential in our ability to get bills paid on time.
In an effort to make this process more uniform (and cut down on errors), I would like to offer the following reminders:
- When submitting vouchers, please title your subject line with today’s date and the vendor/person you are paying (i.e., “12/09/20 OFFICE DEPOT”).
- Please be sure to include myself and your budget manager(s) in your original email.
- Be sure you are always responding in the same email chain, especially if you are submitting new documents or updated forms.
- Always use the newest forms available on the accounts payable SharePoint page. If you are having trouble with a form, please contact me.
- If you have multiple invoices to pay to a single vendor, please try to include as many as possible on your voucher form (when possible).
Thank you again for all your support!
Elyse Calhoun, Accounts Payable