Kaskaskia College Board approves accreditation/planning software purchase, compensation analysis

The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees held its monthly meeting on Monday, Mar. 20, 2023. Board members included Bill Hawley (Odin), Linda Stover (Centralia), Bryan Holthaus (Carlyle), Louis Kalert (Centralia), Jim Beasley (Centralia), Laura Wedekemper (Shattuc), and Alyssa Lurkins (Student Trustee). Board member Jeff Brown (Greenville) was absent

The KC Board of Trustees approved the charter and formation of a new student club, the Industrial and Construction Trades Club. The new club looks to introduce members to an industrial work setting and show what it takes to complete tasks and assignments as a team in the skilled trades setting. In his notes to the board, Steven Foutch, Director of Student Retention and Support Services wrote the club is designed to help mold future trade leaders and supervisors.

The KC Board approved the purchase of the HelioCampus Accreditation & Planning and Outcomes system to better help the institution in assessing student learning processes, course evaluations and related instructional design processes. The software system will provide the college with a sustainable and effective management system for several key areas including improving student learning, course evaluation and curriculum mapping, all of which currently require a significant manual burden on staff and would require additional staff to maintain long term. Cost for the system, from HelioCampus of Bethesda, Maryland, is $198,728 and will be paid through the college’s Title III (three) grant.  Funding for the annual license and maintenance will come from institutional funds.

The board also authorized President Evans to enter into an agreement with an outside firm to provide a compensation analysis of the college’s wages and benefits packages. With a number of positions currently open college administration has determined such an analysis could help in the recruitment, retention and engagement of staff.

Trustees also approved the purchase of hydraulic computerized numerical control (CNC) press brake from JPW Industres, Inc of Lavergne, Tennessee in the amount of $88,679. The equipment will be used to train students in the Industrial Technology, Welding and HVAC programs on similar equipment used by local industries. Funds for the purchase come from the college’s Workforce Equity Investment (WEI) grant.

In other action the board:

• Approved a bid from Industrial Mechanical Contractors of Centralia in the amount of $143,000 to replace the sanitary sewer lines in the Administration (AD), Science and Technology (ST), Health and Business (HB) and Library buildings (L). The current sanitary sewer lines have deteriorated to a point where they occasionally leak and have to be repaired. Funds for the project come from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
• Authorized the purchase of a used half-ton truck at a price not to exceed $40,000 with the purchase to be ratified at a subsequent board meeting. The truck will replace two aging vehicles used by campus operations.
• Approved the disposal of a list of equipment such as computers and monitors deemed no longer needed for college purposes.

In personel action Monday evening the board:

• Accepted the resignation of Kendall Kaskie as Retention and Online Student Success Coordinator.
• Approved the employment of Michael Fuqua of Centralia as the college’s full time Food Service Manager.
• Approved the restricting of one part-time (30 hour) Child Care Teacher position to a full-time Infant Room Teacher postion at the Children’s Learning Center.
• Approved increasing the Regional Support Specialist position for the college’s education centers from 30-hours to 40 hours.