Erik Sivertsen: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: McHenryWebsite: http://www.ErikforTrustee.comOffice sought: McHenry County CollegeAge: 21Family: SingleOccupation: I am currently a full-time student, but I am studying to work in agriculture.Education: Associates in Science, McHenry County College, 2010Civic involvement: McHenry Evangelical Free Church , Member.Students Supporting the Right to Life McHenry County College, President and Founding Member.Political Theory and Debate Club McHenry County College, Recorder and Founding Member.McHenry County College Student Senator.Elected offices held: Republican Precinct Committeeman, McHenry Precinct 31 (Appointed)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Fiscal Responsibility.The MCC School board is entrusted with the tax dollars of the hard-working citizens in District 528. As a trustee I would strive to be a wise steward of those resources, by working to best meet the needs of the students without being an excessive burden on the taxpayers. Making the most of each and every tax dollar is one of the biggest responsibilities of a trustee. As a MCC graduate I have seen firsthand a lot of the areas that need to improve, and I would work to correct those. With that I have also had the privilege of seeing where MCC excels, and I would work to continually improve on those areas.Key Issue 2 Curriculum Improvement.As a trustee I would seek to ensure that the courses that are offered each semester are the best possible offerings to meet the needs of MCC's students and the employers of McHenry County. That may come from adjusting the number of sections offered of the current courses, offering courses that are already in the course catalog that are not currently being offered, or working to develop new courses to meet the constantly changing needs of District 528.Key Issue 3 Reputation Revision.I will work to improve MCC's image among students and the community, to the point that it is known as offering the highest-quality higher-education around. You don#146;t need to pay a lot of money to get a first-class education. During my time as a student at MCC, I have had the opportunity to see that there are a lot of great resources and teachers at MCC. Sadly, the school#146;s reputation is brought down by stories of inadequately trained staff and outdated curriculum. These cases are the exception and not the rule, but they are the ones that stick in people#146;s minds. I would seek to weed out these kinds of problems, and improve on the school#146;s many strengths. As residents of District 528, we all want to see MCC as an institution that is worthy of our tax dollars.Questions Answers With enrollment up at my many community colleges, it can be challenging to keep pace as far as available classroom/lab space, the number of qualified teachers and available course work options. How would you manage that?When classes require a lab they can be broken into a separate lab and lecture portions. The lab portion can be held in the lab and the lecture can be held in a regular classroom. Currently a lot of the classes are divided between lab and lecture, but they still meet in the lab during lecture. As regular classroom space becomes an issue I would work to utilize more off campus sites, such as the Shah Center or local high schools.In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice equates into an educational benefit?I would ensure that the students as well as the taxpayers are getting their money#146;s worth, by investing every dollar into providing a higher quality education, not more administrative expenses.There are some areas where students would greatly benefit from a better trained staff. I would work to ensure that all the staff members are of the highest caliber, and have been fully trained to meet the needs of the students.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?Absolutely not! In these slow economic times the people and businesses of McHenry County are having to trim their budgets and so should our government organizations.Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?I think MCC does a great job of working to accommodate a very diverse student body. As a trustee I would work to continue to provide services to any citizen of District 528.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.As a graduate of MCC, I am able to say from personal experience that MCC has greatly impacted my life. Because of that, I realize what a great asset MCC is to McHenry County. I would consider it an honor to serve the citizens of District 528, by improving the opportunities available to them through MCC. The board of trustees must have a strong sense of fiscal responsibility. I would work to bring that conservative voice, by improving the opportunities for the students, and protecting the taxpayers from any unnecessary burden.