advertisement

Dale Morton: 2021 candidate for McHenry County College District 528 board

Bio

Town: Bull Valley

Age: 63

Occupation: Food safety, Morton Food Safety Associates, LLC

Civic involvements: McHenry County College Foundation since 2016: vice president since 2018, scholarships and programs committee chair since 2017, and board development committee chair since 2017; and graduate, Leadership Greater McHenry County, 2020

Q&A

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

A: I believe that a community college should serve the whole community - a campus where students of all ages can pursue associate degrees and professional or technical certificates; a resource local business can tap to develop or enhance employee skills; and a place accessible to any community member who wants to learn something new.

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

A: I would give the board an A. MCC quickly pivoted and provided tools for the students who did not have the capability to attend classes online. Laptops and tablets were provided through the MCC Student Success Fund. MCC developed various modes of instruction to accommodate the varied needs of its students and followed up with outreach to all students ensuring their enrollment. The college's ability to adapt translated into MCC being the only community college in the state to see increased enrollment during the pandemic.

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: Every class is assigned an advocate or navigator who tracks student progress and offers assistance. Scholarship money was increased to help. MCC dispensed over $1.1 million to eligible students through CARES act emergency funding.

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: MCC continued with mostly online learning in the spring. However, for students who needed hands-on learning in labs and art studios, in-person learning was an option with masking and social distancing. In-person instruction was also offered for approximately 20 percent of the classes for those students preferring to attend class in person, again with proper social distancing measures taken.

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: McHenry County College offers great value and has one of the lowest tuition rates for community colleges in Illinois (28th lowest out of 33). Last year, MCC awarded $390,000 in scholarships to 380 students. MCC recently upgraded its facilities with a new state-of-the-art science center, plus a state and privately funded technology center (Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation) is in the works.

This technology center will develop much needed trade skill programs within our community. Other facility upgrades have occurred with a focus on student counseling and student success. These upgrades are being made with an eye toward offering students the best training to meet the occupational needs of the community.

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: The MCC board recently voted to not increase tuition. Community giving has increased consistently over the last 5 years which has lowered the need to increase taxes or fees. I believe that community engagement will result in additional funding for college upgrades and scholarship programs. We must continue to build business and community relationships because we cannot rely solely on state and local taxes to run the college.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.