College of Lake County begin presidential search process
The CLC Board of Trustees discussed the college's search for a new president at the board's Aug. 22 committee of the whole meeting, held prior to its regular meeting.
The search process formally begins this week with the board discussion and open forums being held on all three campuses to seek input on desired characteristics and qualifications. The 19-member search committee, composed of faculty, staff, students, community members and trustees Barbara D. Oilschlager and Dr. Catherine Finger, will hold its first meeting Aug. 25 with the Pauly Group, an executive search firm. Angela Provart, Pauly Group president, led a discussion with board members about characteristics they desire in a president and explained the timeline and process the firm will use to find the most qualified candidate.
Applications will be collected until Oct. 2, after which the search committee will meet to review candidates and select up to 10 candidates to interview the week of Oct. 23. After the first round of interviews, the committee will select three to five finalists to visit the college for interviews and public forums. The board's goal is to select a president by the end of December and have the candidate start between March and July 1, 2018.
In other news, Board Chair Richard A. Anderson read a special resolution of appreciation to the Facilities, Campus Services and Administrative Affairs departments for their hard work and dedication in quickly cleaning up the Grayslake Campus after the July 11-12 flash floods. Approximately $1.6 million in damage to facilities and equipment was sustained in the lower level A and B Wings. "The hard work and efforts of everyone involved across the campus allowed the college to resume operations with minimal impact on our students, faculty and staff," the resolution said.
"Without the staff's quick action when the flooding began, the damage could have been much worse," said Mike Welch, facilities director.
Most of the repairs have been completed in the affected areas, which include five classrooms, bookstore, offices for Campus Services (mail room and printing) and Facilities and the A011 Conference Room. Prairie, the student-managed restaurant, is undergoing repairs and is expected to reopen for lunch in mid-September. The 250-seat A Wing Auditorium took on three feet of water and served as a holding tank for the flood waters, preventing further damage to the rest of the lower level, Welch said. Repairs to the auditorium have begun and are expected to be complete by the end of October.