IVCC joins a four-college consortium vying for Central Illinois Manufacturing Academy

The Illinois Valley Community College Board released its January report and announced it has joined a four-college consortium vying for the $7.5 million Central Illinois Manufacturing Academy.

If the consortium’s grant application is one of two chosen by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development Opportunity, the academy would be built in East Peoria near Illinois Central College.

The academy would have satellite sites at IVCC, Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and Spoon River College in Canton.

The academy would significantly enhance IVCC’s ability to meet advanced manufacturing workforce needs, as there are an estimated 45,000 manufacturing jobs in the four-college region.

As a satellite location, IVCC would receive $100,000 to upgrade its manufacturing facilities, and, in return, the college would commit to paying $40,000 per year over three years for operational expenses, such as the employment of a full-time manager and lab assistant at the academy.

IVCC President Jerry Corcoran said this opportunity would provide multiple benefits to its faculty and students.

“In my mind, extraordinary benefits to IVCC include shared curriculum, data collection, instructional materials, apprenticeships, common instructional training and part-time faculty,” Corcoran said in a news release. “The academy will provide students access to credentials that lead to high-paying family sustaining wages.”

Each site would offer welding, manual machining, manufacturing basics and essential skills. DCEO is expected to announce its central and southern Illinois academy sites by early spring so the initiative can be “well underway by fall.”

Other actions the board approved includes:

• A short-term criminal justice certificates in social justice, criminology and forensic science.
• Purchase of 20 multistage welders from Airgas USA for $59,872 for the welding program.
• A two-year contract renewal with Blackboard for $113,423.
• Extension of the leasing agreement for two trucks with Central Truck Leasing for $44,631 for truck driver training.
• Emergency underground pipe repairs by John’s Service and Sales of Oglesby for $37,811.
• The full-time appointment of welding instructor Theresa Molln, who had been a part-time instructor in the program.
• The resignation of agriculture instructor Kathryn Seebruck, effective May 22.
• The retirement of nursing instructor Pam Mammano, who began teaching at IVCC in 1989.
• The retirement of vice president for business services and finance Cheryl Roelfsema, effective July 31.
• Changes to board policies involving alternative credit, chronic communicable diseases and required academic placement testing.
• Closed session meeting minutes from Dec. 10.
• Additional data breach notification and monitoring services with Kroll for $71,551.
• A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the college and American Federation of Teachers Local 1810 entitled “Covid-19 Quarantine Day.”
• An update was made to the student code of conduct.
• The college is contracting with Cumulus Media Chicago on a digital marketing campaign to run February through August.
• Ottawa Center information specialist Vicky Jackson has resigned.
• A $13,673 change order was made in the Building C air handler replacement project.
• There were 160 fall graduates earning 175 degrees and certificates compared to 153 graduates earning 178 degrees in fall 2019.
• Student trustee Naomi Ochuba, of Peru, participated in her first meeting. Ochuba will serve through the May 22 commencement.
• Corcoran credited the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for facilitating a Jan. 13 development presentation by Paul Gorski and Marceline Dubose.
• Overall fall GPA for athletes was 3.09, including a women’s basketball GPA of 3.19.
• Corcoran thanked La Salle County Health Department administrator Julie Kerestes and her staff “for being so responsive to everyone’s needs during the pandemic.”
• The new Illinois Valley Career Guide for 2021-22 will soon be available.
• Corcoran credited director of facilities Scott Curly, Casey Wood and his G4S coworkers, and Oglesby police for their handling of the Dec. 29 campus incident during which shots were fired.
• Spring semester classes have begun, but students still can enroll in second eight-week classes starting March 22.
• Corcoran read a letter from LaSalle-Peru High School superintendent Steve Wrobleski referencing the recently created IVCC Foundation scholarship for L-P students in memory of former IVCC librarian Melva Richards.