CLC board meets with State Comptroller to discuss budget impasse

During the Feb. 23 College of Lake County Board of Trustees meeting, Board Chairman Dr. William M. Griffin introduced Illinois State Comptroller Leslie Geissler Munger, whom he invited to address the board about the state's fiscal and budget issues and how they affect CLC.

"Because Illinois community colleges have not received funding since July 1, 2015, the college has had to use its own reserve funds to cover the $8 million not received from the state, and the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants for 818 students for another $800,000," Dr. Griffin said. "Something must be done to release the budget logjam and provide Illinois with a Fiscal Year 2016 budget."

Munger, a Lincolnshire resident, said that the state is building up a "backlog of debt at a very fast clip. As comptroller, I can only disburse funds from an approved state budget appropriation or law." She explained that the state has $7.2 billion in bills it cannot pay plus $2 billion in unpaid bills due to lack of a state budget and more than $110 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.

Because of the lack of a state budget and the state's tremendous backlog of debt, "Those hurt the most are those who can least afford it, such as social service organizations, MAP grant recipients and community colleges," Munger said.

After the meeting, Dr. Griffin said he appreciated Munger's insightful overview of the state's dire fiscal issues and urged board members and the college community to contact state leaders and legislators and find a solution. "They must all work together with bipartisan support to pass a state budget so we can keep offering high quality education at CLC now and into the future," he said.

Tuition increased

Citing increased uncertainty with the state budget, the board voted to raise tuition and fees effective with Fall Semester 2016. In December 2016, the board will assess the college's financial situation and decide whether a proposed tuition and fees increase will be needed for the Fall Semester 2017.

For the fiscal year that begins July 1, CLC in-district tuition and fees will increase a total of $6 per credit hour, from $129 to $135, a 4.7 percent increase. Tuition will increase $5 from the current $107 per credit hour to $112. The comprehensive fee will be raised $1 per credit hour, from $22 to $23, with the increase earmarked for technology. The board also approved increasing Fiscal Year 2017 out-of-district tuition from $276.50 to $289. Out-of-state credit hour tuition was raised from $372 to $390.

"After careful consideration and in light of the current year's lack of state funding, the board decided the best option would be to raise tuition for next year and then assess our situation again in December," said Dr. Griffin after the meeting.

Workforce opportunities report

Kevin Considine, Lake County Partners' managing director, existing business outreach and strategy, and Eric Kurtz, director of CLC's Client Solutions department, reported on Lake County job growth and the need for workforce training. Over the past year, the two organizations have partnered with the Lake County Workforce Investment Board and other organizations to contact Lake County businesses with under 350 employees about their future growth plans and need for a skilled workforce.

Considine gave several examples of ways that the partnership has matched the needs of local companies searching for maintenance technicians with graduates of CLC's mechatronics program. "If we continue to build this program, the students will have jobs before they graduate."

CLC President Dr. Jerry Weber, who is a Lake County Partners board of governors member, said that great progress is being made. "This partnership brings together CLC's Workforce and Professional Development Institute, Lake County Partners and the Workforce Investment Board in an effort to support and expand the success of businesses in Lake County," Dr. Weber said.

Accountability report

Dr. Sean Hogan, CLC executive director of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research (IEPR), reported on the success of CLC career and certificate graduates in finding jobs in Illinois. Only CLC and the City Colleges of Chicago are tracking alumni job placements using data from Illinois Department of Employee Security (IDES).

"Employment for our alumni who didn't transfer to a four-year institution has gone up from about 67 to 70 percent within the first three months of degree completion," Dr. Hogan said. "The IDES data give CLC a verifiable source of information about employment and earnings for alumni from each of our programs. CLC will further analyze this information and use it to inform prospective students about the financial benefits of a college degree or certificate, and in collaboration with Lake County economic development agencies, meet workforce development needs."

In analyzing the data, IEPR examined only those students one would expect to find in the workforce. Graduates who continued their educations at a four-year college or university were not included. IDES data do not include those workers who started their own small business, are federal employees or work in other states, so the reports slightly understate the success of students in finding employment, according to Dr. Hogan.

Purchasing

The board approved a bid of $267,500 with Valor Technologies of Bolingbrook for Phase III, IV and V asbestos abatement for the A Wing renovations, Grayslake Campus.

Joint agreements and fees

Agreements with Elgin Community College, Gateway Technical College, Harper College, McHenry County College, Oakton Community College, Kankakee Community College and Triton College were approved to allow students to enroll at courses not offered at their own institutions, paying in-district rates.

Effective Fall Semester 2016, course fees will remain unchanged for 453 credit courses. Six college credit courses fees will increase, ten course fees will decrease, two course fees will be eliminated and seven current credit courses have new fees. A $5 per credit hour online course fee will be implemented starting Fall Semester 2016 to support instructional technology and professional development for online instructors. In addition, a facility fee of $2 per ticket to offset equipment and facility replacement will continue for events held in the James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts in Fiscal Year 2017.

Academic calendar

The academic calendar for the 2017-18 year was approved. Fall Semester classes will begin Aug. 21, 2017; Spring Semester, Jan. 16, 2018 and Summer Session, June 4, 2018.

Summer work week and holidays

Continuing previous practices, the board approved a summer work schedule for 2016. The college will be open Monday through Thursday and closed on Fridays from June 10 to Aug. 5, 2016.

The holiday calendar for Fiscal Year 2017, from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017, was approved, granting 13 paid holidays to administrative, professional, specialist and non-bargaining unit classified staff.

Human resources actions

In addition, the board granted tenure, effective Fall Semester 2016, to faculty members Joana Pabedinskas (Biological and Health Sciences); Vara Durbha (Counseling, Advising and Transfer Center) and William Midgley (Libraries and Instructional Services).