Last updated on June 29, 2023
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Spoon River College was held on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at 4:30 p.m., at the Spoon River College, Engle Conference Center, Rooms A and B, Campus, Canton, Illinois.
Mr. Cremer, Chair, called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m.
Members Present:
Mr. John Biernbaum
Mrs. Linda Butler
Mr. Jerry Cremer
Mr. Dave Maguire
Mr. Kevin Meade
Mr. Phil Murphy
Mr. Kent Schleich
Ms. Zoey Lane
Present: Dr. Curt Oldfield, President; Ms. Holly Norton, Vice President of Educational and Student Services; Ms. Missy Wilkinson, Dean, Student Services; Mr. Brad O’Brien, Dean, Career and Workforce Education; Mr. Mike Strauman, Chief Operations and Security Officer; Mr. Colin Davis, Foundation Director; Ms. Andrea Thomson, Director, Human Resources; Ms. Sarah Gray, Chief Fiscal Officer; Ms. Sarah Dalpiaz, Mathematics Faculty; and Ms. Julie Hampton, Executive Assistant to the President and Board of Trustees/Recorder.
Also Present: Jennifer Burge.
Mr. Cremer led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Mr. Cremer welcomed those in attendance.
Mr. Cremer asked if any members of the audience wished to address the Board. There were no requests or public comments.
Following a motion by Mr. Meade, seconded by Mr. Murphy, and a roll call vote of unanimous approval, it was,
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees approved the December 14, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes.
Mr. Dave Maguire presented the following report:
There has been a flurry of activity since the start of the year at the legislative level. Several items were passed at the last hour of the Lame Duck session before the 102nd General Assembly adjourned on January 10th. Legislation includes a controversial assault weapons ban, expanded reproductive rights legislation, the Paid Leave For All Workers (PLFAW) Act providing 40 hours paid leave for all employees and a 16% increase in their salaries.
They also approved an FY2023 supplemental appropriation bill. HB 969 as amended, appropriates $530 million GRF, $3.6 billion other state funds, and $78.8 million in federal funds. Included in the appropriation is $71,512 to Spoon River College to administer the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act which was mandated several years ago.
The 103rd General Assembly has sworn in on Wednesday January 11 and the members immediately started introducing new legislation. As of yesterday, there were 1,397 House bills submitted and 143 Senate bills. The Senate came back into session yesterday and the House is not scheduled to return until January 31st.
The Association has already identified several bills that would have affect community colleges. They range from changes in P-Tell, special scholarship awards for some dual credit classes, academic credit for serving as an election judged and fee tuition proposals. ICCTA is working closely with the Presidents Council to address our concerns on pending legislation.
Governor Pritzker will be delivering combined State of the State/Budget Address on Wednesday February 15th. Our community college lobby day is set for Wednesday May 3rd which will be a good opportunity to address pending legislation before the scheduled May 19 early adjournment.
Gov. Pritzker has appointed Parkland College trustee Dr. Maureen Banks to serve on the Illinois Community College Board, filling the unexpired term of James Ayers (also a Parkland trustee). Banks was elected to the Parkland board in April 2021 and currently serves as co-chair of ICCTA’s Future of Work Special Committee. After a 33-year career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she retired in 2022 as Director of Safety and Compliance. Banks also serves on the Quincy University Board of Trustees, the Champaign Rotary Board, and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine Institutional Review Board. She received a Bachelor of Sciences from Western Illinois University, a Master of Sciences from the University of Iowa, and completed her PhD in human resources education at the University of Illinois.
As a reminder, ICCTA has opened nominations for the first round of the 2023 ICCTA awards and scholarships. The deadline for the first round of awards is February 24, 2023. It is a good opportunity to recognize alumni, business, students and faculty from the individual colleges.
Friday March 17, 2023, our college will be hosting the West Central ICCTA Meeting at the Macomb Outreach Center. This is a change from the previously announced date. We anticipate the President and Provost of Western Illinois University to be a major part of the program to talk about partnerships and cooperation with the five community colleges in our region.
The next meeting of the ICCTA Board of Representatives will take place in conjunction with the Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C on February 6, 2023
Included with my report are a list of dates and meetings of interest. Let me know if there are questions.
Upcoming dates and meetings of interest:
JANUARY 2023
January 27 ICCB Meeting, Harry L. Crisp II Community College Center, Springfield
FEBRUARY 2023
February 5-8 Community College National Legislative Summit, Washington, D.C.
February 6 ICCTA Board of Representatives Meeting, Marriott Marquis Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
February 15 Governor’s combined State of the State/Budget Address
February 24 Deadline for First Round of ICCTA Award Nominations
February 24 ICCTA East Central Region meeting, Heartland College, Normal
MARCH 2023
March 10-11 ICCTA Board of Representatives Meeting – Westin Chicago, Lombard
March 17 West Central ICCTA Meeting – Macomb SRC Outreach Center
March 24 ICCB Meeting, Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby
March 31 Deadline for Second Round of ICCTA Award Nominations
APRIL 2023
April 1-4 AACC Annual Conference, Denver, CO
April 4 Illinois Consolidated Election (including community college trustee
elections)
April 27 Phi Theta Kappa Banquet, President Abraham Lincoln Hotel, Springfield
MAY 2023
May 2 ICCTA Board of Representatives & Committee Meetings, Springfield
May 3 ICCTA Lobby Day, Springfield
May 19 Scheduled adjournment of Illinois General Assembly, Springfield
JUNE 2023
June 2 ICCB Meeting – Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, Normal, IL
June 2-3 ICCTA Annual Convention – Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel &
Conference Center, Normal, IL
AUGUST 2023
August 18-19 ICCTA Executive Committee Retreat - Joliet, IL
August 24-25 ICCTA Professional Administrative Assistants Conference, College of DuPage
SEPTEMBER 2023
September 8-9 ICCTA Board of Representatives and committee meetings, Springfield
OCTOBER 2023
October 9-12 ACCT Annual Leadership Congress, Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
NOVEMBER 2023
November 10-11 ICCTA Board of Representatives and committee meetings, Chicago Marriott Schaumburg Hotel, Schaumburg
Ms. Zoey Lane presented the following report:
Congratulations to the students who were named to the academic honor lists for Fall 2022:
President’s list with a grade point average of 3.6 or higher-150 full-time students and 64 part-time students. Dean’s list with a gpa of 3.0-3.59-87 full-time students and 58 part-time students.
The halls are filled with students as we enter week two of the spring semester. To welcome students to the spring semester, free grab ‘n go snacks were available during the first week and a free lunch was offered in Canton and Macomb.
A new student organization has been approved by the Student Government Association and SRC Administration. The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club will be advised by Andrea White (Canton and Havana) and Alex Kellerman (Macomb and Rushville). The goal of GSA is to make the SRC campus community and community at large more inclusive for all. The club is open to all with a focus on education and support of the LGBTQ+ community. During the SP23 semester, Andrea and Alex will be educating and recruiting for a FA23 start date.
Mr. Murphy said because of the lengthy update at the Board Retreat, there would not be an update tonight.
There were no additional comments from the Board Members.
1.11 Regular Board Meeting Schedule. The proposed Regular Board of Trustees Meeting schedule was included in attachment 1.11. Meetings are scheduled for the fourth Wednesday at 6 p.m., except for the following: January and July Board Meeting times are scheduled for 4:30 in order to follow the scheduled Board Retreat. The November meeting date is the third Wednesday because of the Thanksgiving recess; and the December meeting date is the second Wednesday in order to accommodate the holiday schedule.
President Oldfield presented this item and said the Board is required by law to adopt its meeting schedule at the beginning of each calendar year. Mr. Meade asked for clarification on the July 2023 meeting dates. President Oldfield said July 26 is the correct date.
Following a motion by Mrs. Butler, seconded by Mr. Murphy, and a roll call vote of unanimous approval, it was,
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees approved the Regular Board Meeting Schedule. The proposed Regular Board of Trustees Meeting schedule was included in attachment 1.11. Meetings are scheduled for the fourth Wednesday at 6 p.m., except for the following: January and July Board Meeting times are scheduled for 4:30 in order to follow the scheduled Board Retreat. The November meeting date is the third Wednesday because of the Thanksgiving recess; and the December meeting date is the second Wednesday in order to accommodate the holiday schedule.
President Oldfield thanked the Trustees for their time today with the staff for the Retreat. Mrs. Butler thanked everyone for their work today for the Retreat. It was a good day.
| Item | Amount |
| Payroll | $769,289.06 |
| Accounts Payable (excluding travel) | 274,388.10 |
| Accounts Payable Travel Expenses | 11,032.10 |
| Accounts Payable BOT Travel Expenses | 460.70 |
| Electronic Payments (Health/Life Insurance) | -0- |
| Student Refunds – Accounts Payable | -0- |
| Student Refunds – Nelnet (electronic) | 24,007.32 |
| TOTAL: | $1,079,117.28 |
Following a motion by Mr. Biernbaum, seconded by Mr. Schleich, and a roll call vote of unanimous approval, it was,
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees authorized the following payments for the month of January 2023:
| Item | Amount |
| Payroll | $769,289.06 |
| Accounts Payable (excluding travel) | 274,388.10 |
| Accounts Payable Travel Expenses | 11,032.10 |
| Accounts Payable BOT Travel Expenses | 460.70 |
| Electronic Payments (Health/Life Insurance) | -0- |
| Student Refunds – Accounts Payable | -0- |
| Student Refunds – Nelnet (electronic) | 24,007.32 |
| TOTAL: | $1,079,117.28 |
2.3.1 Approve the Agreement and Mortgage for the United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), Chicago Regional Office; grant under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 3121 et seq.) (PWEDA) in the total amount of $1,533,053 (EDA Grant Amount) pursuant to a Financial Assistance Award dated May 13, 2021, and bearing EDA Award No. 06-79-06269 (Award).
President Oldfield said this is our EDA Grant that we applied for in 2020. It was awarded in 2021, and bids have been released. The final step prior to construction is for the Federal Government to place the Mortgage Agreement. This guarantees the property will be used in the format for which we have said it will be used. The mortgage is released after 20 years which is the usable life of the project they fund. The work in VoTec includes a mezzanine for storage, new HVAC including new ventilation, lighting, realignment of welding booths, and geothermal heating and cooling for classrooms. It also includes paint. With Board approval of this agreement, the net step is for us to get the legal description and file with the County Clerk and return the Agreement to the EDA with the filing number. This is standard for EDA grants. Our attorney reviewed this and felt it is in line and will assist us with completing this. Mrs. Butler asked if the Federal Government reviews the project and is it up to them to approve the release of the mortgage. President Oldfield said yes. We always have to pay the filing fees, but we will monitor that timeframe. The mortgage stays on for the twenty years.
Following a motion by Mrs. Butler, seconded by Mr. Maguire, and a roll call vote of unanimous approval, it was,
RESOLVED, That the Board of Trustees approved the Agreement and Mortgage for the United States Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA), Chicago Regional Office; grant under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. § 3121 et seq.) (PWEDA) in the total amount of $1,533,053 (EDA Grant Amount) pursuant to a Financial Assistance Award dated May 13, 2021, and bearing EDA Award No. 06-79-06269 (Award).
3.0 ADDITIONAL ITEMS
President Oldfield said Julie has saved the Presidential Evaluation instrument in the January folder and the Evaluation folder in SharePoint. Dr. Oldfield said he will have his letter to the Board within the timeline for March.
4.0 CLOSED SESSION. In accordance with the Illinois Meetings Act, Section 2 (c), the Board of trustees will adjourn to Closed Session for the purpose of 1). The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; or 2). Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees.
Mr. Cremer said there was not a call for Closed Session.
5.0 ADJOURNMENT
Following a motion by Mr. Biernbaum, second Mrs. Butler, and unanimous approval, the Regular Meeting of the Spoon River College Board of Trustees, January 25, 2023, adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Date
Mr. Jerry Cremer, Chair
Mr. Phillip Murphy, Secretary