Donna Redmer: 2021 candidate for Elgin Community College board

Four candidates for two seats

Bio

City: Dundee

Age: Didn't answer

Occupation: Retired

Civic involvement: Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Open Space Steward

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?

A: I am passionate about Elgin Community College and the opportunities it offers to the 509 Community. As an alum, ECC gave me the opportunity to access a quality education while my 5 children were in school and led me to a 35-year career in education. I have 22 years of experience at the K-12 level as a teacher, principal and administrator. 12 years as a consultant for underperforming schools, and I was instrumental in bringing ECC classes to the Juvenile Justice Center. At this time I think strong leadership and financial experience is needed as we move into the post-pandemic recovery phase. Over my 12 years on the board, ECC has the best financial record and outlook of all time; students are succeeding in unprecedented numbers in-spite of the pandemic. Our Latinx students have closed the learning gap, dual credit student numbers have greatly increased, and the college built a new library, health center, and Emergency Training Center. I want to keep the momentum going by implementing the Master Plan I helped create.

Q: How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?

A: The college's response was exceptional and exemplary. With approval from the board, the college acted swiftly to activate its Incident Command System. A crisis response team was assembled to create a strategy that effectively mitigated the spread of the virus on campus. Processes and procedures were communicated to all employees and put in place throughout campus to ensure the safety of all visitors while continuing to effectively serve students. Plexiglass barriers were installed, temperatures taken at entry points and safety signage installed throughout campus. Labs were adjusted for social distancing, face coverings, gloves and hand sanitizers were purchased and made available. Essential on-campus services such as custodians, police and grounds personnel remained constant. In addition to the CARES Act funding, the board acted promptly to adjust the budget to cover expenses incurred from the pandemic. The college offered tracer training, tested over 500 citizens, and vaccinated over 3200!

Q: Did your district continue to adequately serve students during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to continue providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.

A: The board met the challenge head on by not losing site of our mission to improve people's lives through learning. One critical priority was to equip students with the technology and resources needed to move to remote learning. The board approved the purchase of 800 Chromebooks along with Wi-Fi hotspots so students could keep on learning. The board also approved supplies, materials, equipment and technology for faculty to move to a remote work environment. Because of the abrupt shift in instruction, faculty spent hours developing more than 400 courses for online instruction. And during the summer they received training to assist them with these instructional changes. We were encouraged to learn that the results were positive! A student survey spear-headed by our Student Trustee Taylor Vitacco reported that a 72% majority of students were satisfied with their online experience for fall 2020. We believe continuous tutoring, advising, and health and wellness services available virtually were instrumental in ensuring the success of our students.

Q: Do you have a plan on how to safely and effectively conduct classes in the spring? What have you learned from the fall semester that you would change in the spring?

A: Work has already been done to expand a phased campus reopening during the spring and summer months. Fall classes will be offered in a variety of instructional modalities (synchronous, asynchronous, face-to-face, and online learning). As restrictions lift, more classes will be offered face to face along with an increased number of lab opportunities. We've learned that many students appreciate the flexibility of the virtual learning style; therefore, fall schedules will reflect greater virtual offerings.

Q: 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 results in an educational benefit?

A: During times of economic downturn, students turn to ECC to obtain new skills or to enhance their current skillset so they can expand their career options and boost their earning power. Adjusting to the post pandemic reality new skills will be required as people seek a new career or job. ECC offers an affordable choice to students seeking a new path. In fact, the board froze tuition for the 4th year in a row to make it even more affordable to prepare for the realities of a new work environment.

Q: From the college's point of view, what budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?

A: ECC's current financial position is very strong. The college enjoys a Moody's AAA bond rating, balanced budget, and a surplus of funds. This position has allowed us to freeze the tax levy and return excess tax dollars to the taxpayers, saving them $2.5 million. We are currently in receipt of Federal CRRSAA relief funding that will be partially used to support students and cover institutional expenses related to the pandemic. We don't believe it is necessary to cut programs or expenses but to meet new needs that have surfaced through the pandemic experience. Our focus will be on expending monies on our Master Plan to implement our Manufacturing Center and STEM corridor, as well as Phase 2 of our Emergency Training Center. These developments will provide new opportunities for training that lead to employment and a living wage for our students. The board is not supporting any tax or fee increases.