Laker Nation News

Tom Caldwell, Effingham, Lake Land College Philosophy and English instructor, received the 2019 Faculty Association Outstanding Service Award at this year’s Employee and Retiree Recognition Banquet.

In Caldwell’s 22 years at Lake Land College, he successfully created and taught a variety of courses across English and Humanities, working with students whenever and wherever possible.

“Basically, wherever students have needed me and supervisors have deemed me qualified, I have gone to do my part,” Caldwell said.

In response to the evolving needs of students, Caldwell developed curriculum for a number of courses ranging from Introduction to Philosophy to Service Learning. Additionally, he assisted with the development of Lake Land College’s World Religions course following the 9/11 attacks.

Caldwell worked in furthering the college’s mission to make campus more eco-friendly by becoming a certified arborist through the International Society of Arboriculture. With his acquired knowledge, he developed a complete tree care plan for the college which brought national recognition to the college as a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for two consecutive years.

Caldwell’s continued efforts toward minimizing Lake Land College’s carbon footprint led him to work with the Lake Land master gardener to design and establish the nature trails on campus, now open to the public and used as a primary cross county course for area high schools.

Caldwell was instrumental in the development of a campus wide recycling plan that allows students, staff and community members to bring recyclables to campus and have them distributed appropriately.

Caldwell volunteered and served as the education coordinator for the Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary in Orr, Minnesota, where he worked to rehabilitate nuisance bears and to preserve the local flora and fauna. This commitment led to the development of Lake Land’s Nature in the Humanities course which demonstrates the importance of volunteerism and stewardship to students as they study local nature-based art, human expression and global human concerns.

His continued involvement in numerous student organizations and Lake Land College activities is evident as he served as a co-coordinator of a successful bid for 10 years of re-accreditation from the NCA/HLC and on the steering committee of a subsequent bid. Other committees he served on include: Curriculum, Diversity, General Education, Communication and Instructional Improvement.

However, Caldwell did not stop there. He also co-advised Phi Theta Kappa for several years and served as faculty sponsor of the student newspaper, The Navigator.

“What I look back on with the most pride was working on a special project coordinating efforts between Phi Theta Kappa, The Navigator and former Lake Land College President Dr. Luther in order to purchase and display a memorial to the Twin Towers that is still prominent in the Student Center,” Caldwell said.

He also contributed to numerous student and campus efforts including assisting with student veterans to create a sitting garden at the Kluthe Center, aiding with the vice president of academic services to establish the Humanities Studio and serving a two-year term as treasurer of the executive committee for the Lake Land College Faculty Association and two 10-year terms as member and chair of the faculty scholarship committee.

Caldwell went above and beyond by completing training and establishing his office as a “safe zone” for students in order to build a bridge of trust between himself and his students.

His contributions to aiding international students with a comfortable adjustment to the peculiarities of English and American culture has played a significant role in both his life and the lives of his students.

“I cherish the cultural insights I have gained from my students of varying countries. One Chinese student asked me for a reading list and then actually came back to discuss the books. I helped her with recommendations for various medical programs and eventually helped with her questions regarding the naturalization process. She is now gainfully employed at a local hospital and resides in Neoga with her family,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell was instrumental in the progression of Lake Land College as a leading community college and he expressed his thanks to his colleagues at the Employee Recognition Banquet for his time at Lake Land.

“Like my father used to say, ‘If you want good things in this life, you need to surround yourself with good people,’ and it appears that is what is happening here today.”

Caldwell earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in English from Eastern Illinois University with 30 additional graduate hours from Illinois State University, Norwich University in Vermont and Southeast Missouri State. He also holds degrees from Illinois Valley Community College and Lake Land College. He is a 1981 graduate of Princeton High School in Princeton, Illinois. He and his wife, fellow Lake Land College instructor Nancy Caldwell, have two daughters, Madeline and Felicia. Caldwell will retire in August and plans to supervise construction of a new home on their farm adjacent to Shawnee National Forest near Jonesboro. After his wife’s retirement in 2020, they will move to their new home where he will operate a pecan orchard and tree nursery.

Several Lake Land College broadcast sales students recently earned certification as broadcast sales professionals from the broadcast training company, P1 Learning, in recognition of outstanding achievement and contribution to the Illinois Broadcasters Associate’s Sales Training Program.

Over the course of four weeks, students completed a variety of online video courses, tests and assignments as part of the broadcast sales class in the Radio/TV program at Lake Land College.

P1 Learning is a nationally recognized training company that administers training for hundreds of broadcast stations, corporations and state broadcaster associations to provide content in the topics of sales, leadership, management, on-air, compliance and more.

Greg Powers, speech communication/broadcasting instructor and station manager of WLKL 89.9 FM, assisted students in preparing for the certification and explained the benefits of receiving the broadcast sales certification.

“This certification is a tremendous asset for students entering the broadcast workforce,” Powers said. “Broadcast employers are searching for employees who are multifaceted. The students who have completed this training are very marketable.”

Each of the professionals will be honored on a plaque displayed alongside those of previous year’s students.

The Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) funded the initiative.

“I am extremely grateful to Dennis Lyle, president and CEO of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and the IBA board for their financial support,” Powers said.

For more information about Lake Land College’s radio and TV broadcasting programs, contact Powers at 217-234-5335 or visit lakelandcollege.edu or 899themax.com.

Lake Land College student and Phi Theta Kappa Treasurer Rhyta Hooks of St. Elmo has been named a 2019 New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar and will receive a $1,250 scholarship. This is a prestigious award as only one scholar is selected from each state.

This scholarship is the first of its kind to support students at associate degree-granting institutions who plan to enter the workforce upon the completion of a degree or certificate on a national scale. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa.

“Education helps ensure that young people can realize their full potential,” said Helen Smith Price, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “The Coca-Cola Foundation places a high priority on supporting education to help build strong communities.”

New Century Workforce Pathway Scholars are selected based on their academic accomplishments, leadership, activities and how they extend their intellectual talents beyond the classroom. More than 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country. Only one New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar was selected from each state.

Hooks is the current treasurer of the Lake Land College Phi Theta Kappa chapter and contributed to the recognition of Phi Theta Kappa as a Five Star Chapter for the first time in the history of Lake Land College. With more than 50 hours of scholarly research, writing and community service, the Lake Land College Phi Theta Kappa chapter took a lead role in assisting with the opening of the Laker Food Pantry in the fall of 2018.

Hooks thanked Phi Theta Kappa Advisor and Academic Counselor Krista Burrell for being a major help throughout the application process.

“When I received the email saying that I had been awarded the scholarship, I was very surprised! I am simply amazed with it all and very grateful! I am honored to represent Lake Land College through this,” Hooks said.

“We congratulate Rhyta for receiving this prestigious scholarship, and we are honored to partner with The Coca-Cola Foundation to recognize her outstanding achievements,” said Phi Theta Kappa’s President and CEO Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner. “Scholarship programs like this are integral for creating opportunities for students to succeed as they prepare to enter the workforce and for putting college completion within reach.”

The New Century Workforce Pathway Scholars will be recognized during the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) Leadership Congress in San Francisco, in October 2019.

Lake Land College will offer a one-day Self-Defense class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 10. The class will be held at Lake Land College in Webb Hall, room 081.

The 6-hour course, taught by Instructor Dwayne Beccue, is designed to educate students on the realities of what can happen to the body and mind in a fight against a violent attacker. It develops the ability to recognize, deter and de-escalate violence and manage fear. It will also train students on how to deal with violent situations should they become unavoidable. Regardless of age, size, strength and ability, students will build confidence while learning natural, simple and practical physical skills for self-defense.

“Using force in defense of yourself or others is a serious subject and should not be left to chance. Proper understanding of the law and how it is applied to self-defense is of utmost importance,” Beccue said. “Should the unthinkable happen and self-defense is necessary, it needs to be done in a manner that will not lead to legal trouble. This seminar is not legal advice, but simply gives the attendees a greater understanding of the law as it pertains to use of force and a practical way to apply and retain the information and knowledge.”

To register, go to lakelandcollege.edu/learn. The 6-hour course is available for registration at $40. The price will increase to $50 beginning July 1. The drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class.

For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College will offer two sections of a two-day Introduction to Concealed Carry class from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2 and Aug. 17 and 18, at Accuracy Firearms in Effingham.

The 16-hour course, taught by Illinois Concealed Carry Instructor Dwayne Beccue, is designed to educate students about handguns best suited for personal defense, how to carry handguns safely and how to deploy and use them efficiently in the context of a dynamic critical incident. The course will also cover the laws pertaining to the appropriate and lawful use of carrying handguns in public.

Enrollment in the class is $150. To register, go to lakelandcollege.edu/learn and choose the preferred class date to enroll. Drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class.

Accuracy Firearms is located at 1300 S. Raney St., Effingham.

For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College will maintain current tuition and fee rates for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year.

“Two major factors play a part in Lake Land’s ability to maintain tuition and fee rates – reliable funding from the state combined with a continued focus on affordability by balancing revenues outside of tuition and fees,” Vice President for Business Services Bryan Gleckler explained.

“Whether you are a transfer student with a goal to transfer to a four year program without a significant financial burden, a student with a goal to receive a certificate in a vocational program or are in the middle of your career and are seeking the needed skill for a promotion or a career change, Lake Land College has programs that meet all of these goals at a highly affordable rate for the communities we serve,” Gleckler said.

Current tuition rates for in-district students will remain at $105.50 per credit hour with one year of tuition and fee rates averaging about $4,000. Lake Land College remains well below the state average for community colleges for both in-district and out-of-district per credit hour costs.

The current activity fee of $2.50 per credit hour will stay the same for the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year, as well as the $18.42 per credit hour dual credit fee. The current service fee of $29 will increase by $0.67 for the 2019-2020 academic year to improve textbook rental services.

“Not only does Lake Land College remain committed to delivering a high quality education to our students, we also remain dedicated to being one of the most affordable educational options in the state of Illinois,” Gleckler said.

To learn more about the value of a Lake Land College education visit lakelandcollege.edu.