Construction of CLC Science Building scheduled to begin this spring
A groundbreaking for the College of Lake County's long-anticipated new Grayslake campus Science Building will occur as scheduled this spring, David Agazzi, vice president for Administrative Affairs, told the CLC board of trustees during a presentation at the Jan. 27 board meeting.
"We had concerns that our project would be delayed, given the hold on state capital projects imposed when Governor Bruce Rauner took office," said Board Chairman Amanda Howland after the meeting. "We are pleased that our administration and local legislators were successful in making the case for the project."
CLC learned this week that the building has been approved to move ahead. The state will pay 75 percent of the building's cost and CLC the rest.
Agazzi delivered the news as part of a status report on projects included in the college's $148 million Sustainable Campus Master Plan, which will improve facilities on all three campuses.
Elements of the plan completed so far are on the Grayslake campus. They consist of a roadway extension, renovation of the atrium for a student gathering place, renovation of Building 7 to create an instructional shop for the Automotive Collision Repair program and creation of classroom prototypes incorporating smart-room technology.
Work on constructing a geothermal field on the Grayslake campus to reduce energy costs will begin in March as will construction of a chemistry laboratory extension at the Southlake Campus in Vernon Hills, Agazzi said.
Plans for constructing a new building and renovations at the Lakeshore Campus are moving through the Waukegan City Council approval process, Agazzi said. Construction of the Lakeshore improvements is scheduled to begin in November 2016.
Fiscal Report
At the end of the second quarter of the fiscal year, revenues are about $3 million behind projections and expenditures are on target, David Agazzi said in providing a fiscal accountability report. Revenues by this point in the fiscal year were projected to reach $60.1 million but have come in at $57.5 million, he said.
Reflecting a statewide enrollment decline at community colleges, tuition revenues are down $1.1 million. State apportionment payments have been late coming in, Agazzi said, and revenue from that source is down $2 million from projections.
Expenditures at the end of the second quarter reached $40.2 million, about on par with the projected figure of $40 million, he said.
Board Policies Actions
The board approved several policy revisions:
Clean Air Smoke-Free Campus policy. A policy prohibiting smoking on CLC campuses went into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. The revision clarifies language to include prohibiting smokeless devices and chewing tobacco. The policy applies to all college property, including buildings, grounds, parking lots and college vehicles owned. The smoking ban does not apply to privately owned vehicles parked on a campus or traveling through a campus.
Admission. The revision, which complies with U.S. Department of Education recertification guidelines, makes clear that students are not eligible for Title IV financial aid without having a high school diploma, GED or equivalent credential.
Employment Practices and Procedures. The revision extends the probationary period for board-appointed classified and specialist employees to 180 days. This change was made so that all employee groups' probationary periods are the same length.
Debt Management. The revision formalizes compliance with Rule 15c2-12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Revisions include the addition of a disclosure officer (vice president for Administrative Affairs) and detailed procedures for disclosing information on college debt.
Purchasing
Under non-biddable purchases, the board approved:
• A contract for $79,976 with United Radio Communications of Bridgeview, Ill., for 24 emergency call boxes for parking lots on the Grayslake campus.
• A contract for $57,375 with NFORMD.NET, LLC, of St. Louis, Mo., for a five-year license to use the Not Anymore Software for sexual assault prevention training. The Federal Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act requires all incoming students to receive prevention training.
Human resources
The board approved a title change for the college's academic vice president, Dr. Richard Haney, from vice president of Educational Affairs to provost, Educational Affairs. Dr. Haney now oversees both the Educational Affairs and Student Development areas of the college. The provost title is frequently used for the administrator with these areas of responsibilities.