College of Lake County master plan construction moves forward
The College of Lake County Board of Trustees approved several purchasing and financial items to help complete construction projects in the Sustainable Campus Master Plan and heard an update on building plans at the Lakeshore Campus in Waukegan. Because of remodeling, the Jan. 24 meeting was held in a conference room in the former C Wing.
"Like many other CLC students, faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees will use temporary spaces in 2017," said Board Chair Dr. William M. Griffin. "However, with each finished project, the college gets closer to completing the Sustainable Campus Master Plan we started in 2012, which will make our campuses more energy efficient, modern, inviting and usable."
Officials from Legat Architects provided an update on the building and remodeling plans for the Lakeshore Campus, an Illinois Capital Development Board project. Planning for the $47.7 million venture, which was put on hold in June 2015 due to state budget issues, was restarted in September 2016, explained Jeffrey Sronkoski, principal, senior vice president and director of higher education at Legat. The firm is currently working on schematic designs and meeting with CLC faculty and staff to reaffirm building usage.
Ted Haug, design principal at Legat, provided a project overview and explained the campus features. Design plans call for creating a vibrant streetscape along Genesee Street, Madison Street and Sheridan Road, site of a new six-story building with sweeping views of Lake Michigan from a top-floor meeting and banquet room, he said.
The project also includes renovating CLC's buildings at 33 and 111 N. Genesee St., creating attractive outdoor spaces and building a second-story bridge from the college's parking garage to the buildings. Construction bids are expected to go out in summer 2018, with construction planned from October 2018 to December 2020, according to Sronkoski.
The new Lakeshore Campus building is being designed to achieve LEED platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, said Vuk Vujovic, vice president and director of sustainability and energy at Legat. "The urban location and proximity to mass transit increase the building's potential for achieving platinum status," he explained.
Financials
The trustees approved transferring $600,000 from the geothermal and cafeteria projects budget to complete the A and B wing remodeling project, which has an estimated total project cost of $38 million. Because the geothermal and cafeteria projects came in under budget, the savings will allow the college to purchase additional equipment to improve the function and use of the remodeled spaces. The revised budget for the A and B wing remodeling is $36.5 million, and the work is about halfway done, with approximately $18.3 million invoiced as of Dec. 1, 2016.
In other Master Plan completion news, the board approved an amendment to the 2013 agreement with Legat Architects to cover reimbursable expenses and a contingency for future design services in the amount of $120,104.
Ken Gotsch, vice president for administrative affairs, provided a mid-year financial report to the board. Revenues are trending ahead of expected by $500,000 and expenses are $10.6 million under projections. "This good news is due to improved Fall Semester enrollment and a deliberate effort to control costs," Gotsch said. The board will discuss the college's financial plans in depth at a finance retreat in February and address how the State of Illinois' financial issues could further impact CLC, President Jerry Weber said.
Accountability report and accreditation
Dr. Sean Hogan, executive director, Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research, reported on the accreditation process the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) uses to evaluate specific CLC programs and processes that are criteria for national accreditation. Hogan said these include assessment of student learning, career program viability, process improvement and student/employee engagement.
"College staff have been documenting processes and demonstrating how we use systematic routines and information to make strategic decisions, justified by data and evidence," Hogan said. "The program's goal is to achieve positive institutional change through a culture of continuous improvement."
The HLC will conduct a Comprehensive Quality Review site visit in March 2017, the first to CLC since 2009. The visits are a normal part of the accreditation process and occur twice during the eight-year accreditation cycle. Trained reviewers ensure that each accredited institution is meeting standards set out in the Criteria for Accreditation. Upon completion, reviewers share their findings with the college and make a recommendation to the HLC's governing body on the college's accreditation status.
President Weber said the college has made great progress working on quality improvement suggestions made by the HLC. "The site visit is a crucial final step of the accreditation process, and I'm looking forward to a successful site visit in March," he said.
Human resources
The board approved replacing three full-time faculty positions for 2017-18 due to retirements. Two faculty positions (nursing and chemistry/pharmacy technician) will be replaced, and an instructor in business and supply chain management will be added, replacing a vacancy in another department. The faculty search process will begin immediately.