Michael J. Kaiser, VALIC sr. financial advisor, will be on campus tomorrow, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the VP Conference Room. He will be on site for 30-minute account reviews to help employees understand options and new enrollments. To register go to my.VALIC.com/seminars and enter registration code 2206SPR11AA.
“Flora & Fauna” on display in Murray Gallery through April 11
If you have not yet had a chance to view the exhibit “Flora & Fauna,” featuring paintings by Amy Denny and Kevin Veara, it is on display in LLCC’s James S. Murray Gallery through April 11. The public is invited to view the exhibit weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A statement by the artists about this exhibit says, “Flora and fauna are a beautiful distraction from our crisis-prone times. The ephemeral makes you stop and notice, or the moment is gone … Beauty of these moments should be treasured, absorbed with the eyes, inhaled deeply.”
Denny was born in Springfield and earned an associate degree from LLCC and a bachelor’s degree from Sangamon State University. She has worked in graphic design in both Illinois and California. Her painting skill has been recognized most recently in the 2018 Illinois State Fair Exhibition and the 2017 Lincoln Memorial Garden Exhibit at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.
Veara is a bird guide for Lincoln Memorial Gardens and has been leading hikes for nearly 20 years. He is currently restoring seven acres of land on the banks of the South Fork of the Sangamon River to create a haven for birds and animals. Living out in the country has allowed him to immerse himself in his subject’s habitat — seeing the arrival of birds in the spring and migration in the fall.
Honors Program selling Krispy Kreme donuts Wednesday
The LLCC Honors Program will be selling Krispy Kreme donuts Wednesday, April 10 in A. Lincoln Commons from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Original glazed donuts will be available at the cost of $6 per dozen.
Games Club hosting bake sale Wednesday
The LLCC Games Club will be hosting a bake sale Wednesday, April 10 in A. Lincoln Commons from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by for some scrumptious treats!
LLCC introduces innovative new method to determine student readiness for college-level coursework
Lincoln Land Community College joins other innovative colleges across the country in introducing a new method of placing students in the correct level of college-level courses. Beginning with the fall 2019 semester, new LLCC students will be placed in appropriate classes based on “multiple measures,” primarily their high school grade point average (GPA).
“LLCC will be using a true multiple measures approach to placement, with cumulative high school GPA as the primary measure, amongst others, to gauge students’ readiness for college-level coursework,” said Dr. Vern Lindquist, vice president of academic services at LLCC. “This innovation is based on nationwide research that indicates high school GPA is the best predictor of success in college-level courses.”
“We are among the first community colleges in Illinois to implement this proven method for course placement and student success,” said Lindquist.
He explained that in contrast to a one-time placement test score, the cumulative high school GPA is a multiple measure that includes a wide array of high school coursework, learning opportunities, an extended timespan, and varied learning modalities to predict a student’s readiness for college-level coursework.
“The use of multiple measures is a welcomed approach for determining college readiness for both math and English placement,” said Jennifer Gill, superintendent of Springfield Public School District 186. “It de-emphasizes one assessment and provides a more holistic viewpoint for LLCC to consider in their college placement decisions.”
“Based on our cutting edge new formula, which is backed up by nationwide studies, more entering students will be placed into college-level English and math classes,” said Lindquist. “Students needing assistance in these classes will have access to additional academic services to ensure their success.”
Research shows that even for “non-traditional” students who have been away from school for a while, the high school GPA is a more effective indicator of college readiness than a standardized test score. Lindquist added that students, in consultation with their LLCC advisors, may still choose to take the Accuplacer test in lieu of using their high school GPA.
More details and frequently asked questions on LLCC’s innovative new multiple measures placement are available at www.llcc.edu/multiple-measures.
Access to FY20 planning and budgeting form closes end of day Friday
The FY20 planning and budgeting process is underway using the new SharePoint form that was developed last year. The form streamlines the submission process, successfully collapsing all the previous forms into one easy-to-use form. Users can access the form for submission of items for the FY20 planning and budgeting year. Access to the form will close at the end of today, April 5.
To aid budget managers in submitting Existing Budget Increase/Decrease (budget maintenance) requests, the budget office has emailed budget baseline worksheets to users. If you are a budget manager of an auxiliary unit and are making budget maintenance adjustments, you are required to attach the baseline worksheets to your forms prior to submission. See direction pdf for more information.
Written directions and instructional videos have been created to assist users with form completion. These items and a link to the Planning & Budgeting SharePoint form are posted to the FY2020 Planning & Budgeting page, which is accessible from the Finance Department’s SharePoint page.
SURS counselors on campus May 7
Schedule your appointment yet today to meet with SURS counselors, who will be on campus May 7. They will be conducting one-on-one counseling appointments with employees who are within four years of retirement eligibility and have not met with SURS in the past 12 months. Please refer to the SURS Counselor Scheduling Sheet for instructions on how to enroll for a one-on-one appointment. Please remember appointments are on a first come, first serve basis and are very limited.
Nominations for 2019 Distinguished Service Award due today (Friday)
Nominations for the 2019 Distinguished Service Award are due today, April 5. The Distinguished Service Award recognizes more than the “employee of the year.” This award, presented at the Employee Recognition and Appreciation Ceremony, is given to LLCC employees who demonstrate exemplary leadership and service to the college community, promote a student-focused environment and exhibit a strong commitment to the college’s core values. Service is a matter of the job. Leadership can be provided in subtle ways. This award recognizes those who provide service and leadership beyond the minimum. Nominations should clearly describe the qualities exhibited by the nominee through his/her performance, attitude, behavior and action that puts them in the elite class of “Distinguished Service Award Recipient.” An informational flyer and nomination form can be found in an email from HR sent on March 19.
Commencement speaker and outstanding graduate nominations due by noon Friday
Nominations for student speaker and outstanding graduate for Commencement 2019 are due today, April 5, by noon. View instructions, applications and graduate listings. All nominations should be returned to Gailyn Draper, Menard Hall 1255. Nominees must have completed graduation requirements at the end of summer term 2018, fall semester 2018, or be candidates for graduation at the end of spring semester 2019 or summer term 2019.
In the News
Michael Phelon, coordinator, Open Door Mentorship Program, and Yves Doumen, Open Door participant, were interviewed April 3 and 4 for an upcoming feature in the State Journal-Register. Yves is participating in a job shadowing experience at HSHS St. John’s Hospital. He is learning about the business side of running a hospital and hospital administration, and had the opportunity yesterday to interview HSHS St. John’s Interim CEO EJ Kuiper.