Laker Nation News

Over the past decade a crisis has been brewing that has the potential to profoundly impact the very foundation of higher education. The crisis surrounds the precipitous rise of student loan debt. Over the past decade student loan debt in the United States has grown by 150 percent, topping out at $1.4 trillion.  As Forbes magazine notes, “student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category – behind only mortgage debt – and higher than both credit cards and auto loans.”

More than 44 million U.S. residents, roughly 14 percent of the population, are saddled with student loan debt. The data demonstrates that student loan debt is forcing many individuals to delay major life events, like purchasing a home, getting married or having children.

Fortunately, college students in our area have the opportunity to create a future with a much brighter forecast.  By choosing Lake Land College to start, or earn, their college degree their future life plans can include vacations, new cars, a walk down the aisle and mortgage payments. Lake Land College’s tuition and fees for two years are about $7,800, including textbooks. In contrast, the average cost for tuition and fees for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree from a public university is about $28,000. Add on the cost of housing, estimated at $20,000, and the purchasing of textbooks, estimated at $2,600 and the tab for those two years quickly escalates.

In essence, it’s a comparison of $50,000 to $8,000 for the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. That’s an enormous difference when thinking about the potential debt facing a college graduate. The gap grows wider when compared to private colleges or technical schools.

As an institution, we are committed to creating an environment where a student can earn a college education and enter the workforce with minimal debt. Two ways that we assist students are through Lake Land College Foundation scholarships and the Presidential Scholarship. All high school students have the opportunity to qualify for the Presidential Scholarship by graduating in the top 15 percent of their class or earning a 1240 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT. Each year, the Lake Land College Foundation awards nearly $400,000 in scholarships to deserving students. I encourage all who will be attending Lake Land this fall to complete the application by February 1 at 5 p.m. online at lakelandcollege.edu/scholarships/.

While we often hear requests from legislators and commitments from university presidents to minimize the cost of higher education, community colleges in Illinois have been living up to that commitment for more than 50 years. And, students are taking note. In Illinois, two-thirds of the undergraduate students enrolled in public higher education are attending community colleges.  In our own Lake Land College district, community college is the top choice among high school graduates with more than 50 percent of the college-bound class of 2017 starting the fall semester as Lakers.

The higher education landscape continues to evolve with emerging technologies and heightened demands for workforce training. Community colleges are agents of change that readily adapt to the evolving needs of the communities we serve, yet one area we will hold steadfast is in our pledge to maintain opportunities for a quality, affordable college education.

Dr. Josh Bullock

Lake Land College President

Lake Land College is offering three Employerwise seminars designed to instruct employees how to become more successful at work.

The first course, Foundations of Employee Success, will focus on 10 workplace principles that every employer wants their employees to understand. By the end of the seminar, every employee will understand the attitudes, behaviors and practices most desired by an employer. Foundations of Employee Success will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The second course is the Indispensable Employee, which will center on core insights into successful employee behavior. It will help employees recognize the dual roles of jobs, developing a positive attitude about the job and how to become the most reliable employee in an organization. The Indispensable Employee will be offered on Tuesday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

The third course is Professional Development Planning. The objective of this seminar is for each participating employee to have the information necessary to create an initial draft of a personal professional development plan. The seminar will also touch on tough challenges that workplace professionals can potentially encounter and how to approach them in the best way possible. Professional Development Planning will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

All classes will take place at the Workforce Development Center located at 305 Richmond Ave. East, Mattoon, Ill., 61938. The cost is $60 per seminar or $150 for a three seminar package. Supervisor/managers attend free with employee class enrollment.

Register at lakelandcollege.edu/learn.

For more information, contact Sandy Spaulding, professional development support, at 217-254-4250 or email sspaulding@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College’s Adult Education is offering GED classes throughout the Lake Land College district beginning the first week of March.

The class orientation locations and dates are as follows:

• Arthur – Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut St. – March 6 at 4:30 p.m.
• Charleston – Coles County Health Department, 825 18^th St. – March 6 at 4 p.m.
• Effingham – Lake Land College Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Centre Blvd. – March 6 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Marshall – Lake Land College Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6^th St. – March 5 at 4 p.m.
• Mattoon – Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. E – March 7 at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Pana – Lake Land College Western Region Center, 600 E. 1^st St. – March 8 at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Paris – First United Methodist Church, 324 W. Court St. – March 6 at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Shelbyville – Shelby Christian Church, 200 N. Hickory St. – March 5 at 5:30 p.m.

For these GED classes, students’ tuition will be waived and all class materials will be provided. To find a GED class near you, to find more information or to register call 217-238-8292 or email adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College Foundation Scholarship applications for the 2018-2019 academic year are due Feb. 1 by 5 p.m.

Students graduating from high school, adults enrolling at Lake Land College and current students are encouraged to apply. Students who received a Lake Land College Foundation Scholarship for the 2017-2018 school year and wish to be considered for a 2018-2019 award must reapply in order to receive a scholarship again.

The online scholarship application is available at lakelandcollege.edu/scholarships/. There are four questions a student should be prepared to answer with a 100-word response for each. They are the following: 1. Describe your career aspirations and your educational plans to meet these goals; 2. Explain how you have helped your family and/or made your community a better place to live; 3. Describe your financial situation and how a Foundation Scholarship can help you achieve your educational goals; and 4. Describe a significant change or experience that has occurred in your life. How did you respond and what did you learn about yourself?

Applicants will be considered for all Foundation Scholarships for which they qualify and awards will be announced in April.

Last year, the Foundation awarded $380,000 in scholarships to deserving students.

For additional information, contact the Foundation at 217-234-5445 or prosine@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College athletes are excelling in the classroom as well as in competition. Overall, the teams had a combined GPA of 3.1 for the fall semester with 54 out of 89 with a 3.0 or better. Eight student athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.

“Our athletic program develops young men and women to reach their potential both in play and in the classroom. Our focus on academics is reflected in the achievements of our current athletes and we are very proud of them,” Lake Land College Athletic Director Bill Jackson said.

The 2017 NJCAA Academic Teams were baseball, men’s basketball, softball, volleyball and women’s basketball. This year was the first year that all five teams secured All-American status, meaning the teams had a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The softball team had the highest GPA with 3.50, followed by the volleyball team at 3.26.

Each program requires athletes to attend study tables and workout schedules throughout the entire year.

“During the school year there are many demands on our student athletes. They have to be very focused and organized to be successful as a student athlete,” Jackson said.

For more information about Laker athletics, visit lakelandcollege.edu and look for the “Athletics” menu.

“Oh Danny Boy, the pipes are calling”: calling all singers to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!  Preparation for the spring season of the Lake Land College Community Choir begins on Tuesday, Jan. 23.  Rehearsals are held on Tuesday nights in the Lake Land College Theater from 7-9:30 p.m.

All singers age 18 and older are welcome to participate, and no audition is required.  The choir includes college students as well as area residents, forming a group of approximately 45 mixed voices.

Choir members may earn one hour of college credit for singing in the choir.  Interested singers can complete a registration form at the first rehearsal, or register online for MUS-104-11565.

Registration for college credit is not required, however, and participation in the choir is free for those who do not register.

In recognition of St. Patrick’s Day, “Oh Danny Boy,” “Wild Mountain Thyme” and “Shule Aroon,” sung in Gaelic, will be featured.  Selections for the spring season also include a group of traditional black spirituals.  The choir will perform arrangements of the patriotic favorites such as “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful.” 1970s pop hits “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Take a Chance on Me” by ABBA and “Imagine” by John Lennon will round out the program.

“Singing with others is a great antidote for cabin fever.  If you are looking for something to make the cold winter months fly by, you can join the choir for smiles, laughter and great music. And you can bring a friend!” said Nancy Caldwell, director of the choir and Lake Land music instructor.

Caldwell went on to say that the community choir has brought many residents to the Lake Land campus for the first time.  “The College welcomes members of the community to campus to explore all the many opportunities offered for education and personal growth.”

The season will conclude with a concert on Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. in the Theater.

Contact Caldwell at 217-821-6469 with any questions.

Lake Land College Nursing Instructor Tisha Goad, Arcola, recently received a Nurse Educator Fellowship award from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The Nurse Educator Fellowship program is designed to ensure the retention of highly qualified nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning.

Cheryl Beam, nursing instructor/director of nursing programs, nominated Goad, stating, “Tisha Goad demonstrates ongoing initiative, leadership, and dedication to her students, the college, and the nursing profession.  As an instructor, she identified gaps in lesson plans and has developed innovative ways to fill those gaps.  By developing collaborative learning activities she promotes deep learning and the ability of her students to apply nursing concepts in making sound clinical judgments.”

Beam goes on to say that Goad “is highly praised by students, fellow instructors, supervisors and by staff from the clinical sites in which she provides instruction.  She has over 20 years’ experience as a nurse, focusing the last ten years on teaching.”

This program also promotes professional development through a supplement grant to the nursing faculty selected. Goad, who teaches associate degree nursing courses at Lake Land, plans on using the award funds for furthering awareness for higher education and nursing issues. She also plans to attend conferences, purchase instructional materials specific to her teaching content and to acquire professional association memberships and journals.

“She is one of the most passionate instructors I have ever met,” Beam said. “She truly focuses on inspiring students and colleagues to grow and learn which makes her an excellent candidate for this fellowship.”

Visit Lake Land College and find out all the college offers at Laker Visit Day. The event will be held Friday, Feb. 9 in the Luther Student Center starting at 9 a.m. and will run until noon.

The event is for potential students who are interested in learning more about Lake Land College. Parents/guardians and spouses are welcome to come along and attend the Parent and Spouse Session.

Representatives from Admissions & Records, Financial Aid & Veteran Services, Counseling Services, Career Services and Student Life will provide information and answer questions. The event includes campus tours and informational sessions by Lake Land College Student Ambassadors. Participants will also meet with faculty members in their academic area of interest to learn more about program offerings at Lake Land.

“Laker Visit Day is a great way for prospective students and parents to talk to faculty and staff about academic options and programs of study, to talk to current students about student life and to learn about financial aid options and opportunities,” said Lisa Shumard-Shelton, director of new student admissions.

Additional Laker Visit Days are scheduled for March 23 and June 21.

Register online at lakelandcollege.edu/visit or call 217-234-5254.

Certified Fund Raising Executive International has named Lake Land College’s Jacqueline Joines, Brocton, as a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Joines, executive director of college advancement for Lake Land College, joins more than 5,500 professionals from around the world who hold the CFRE designation. She is currently the only active CFRE in Coles County.

Individuals granted the CFRE credential have met a series of standards set by CFRE International which include tenure in the profession, education, demonstrated fundraising achievement and a commitment to service to not-for-profit organizations. They pass a rigorous written examination testing the knowledge, skills and abilities required of a fundraising executive. They also agree to uphold accountability standards and the Donor Bill of Rights.

“The CFRE credential was created to identify for the public and employers those individuals who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to perform fundraising duties in an effective and ethical manner,” states Jim Caldarola, CFRE, past chair of CFRE International. “As the certification is a voluntary achievement, the CFRE credential demonstrates a high level of commitment on the part of Jacqueline Joines to herself, the fundraising profession and the donors who are served.”

CFRE recipients are awarded certification for a three-year period. In order to maintain certification status recipients must demonstrate on-going fundraising employment and fundraising results and continue with their professional education. Employers and donors who work with CFREs know they are getting a professional who is committed to the best outcomes for their organization and has the requisite knowledge and skills. In the fiscal year 2017, Joines and the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors celebrated a record-breaking year of $1.1 million in gifts. CFRE International is an independent organization dedicated to the certification of fundraising executives by setting standards in philanthropic practice.

The Lake Land College Foundation is a nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively for educational, scientific, and cultural purposes to assist in developing and fostering scholarships and charitable activities. The foundation administers general and academic scholarships, which have been made available by contributions, gifts, grants, and bequests.

Lake Land College’s Adult Education will be offering free computer classes in various locations.

Classes begin Monday, Feb. 5 for the Effingham location. Tuesday, Feb. 6 for the Mattoon location and Friday, Feb. 9 for the Pana location.

The four-week classes will include topics of Windows 7 and Word.

The schedule is as follows:

• Mattoon – Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. East. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5-7 p.m.
• Effingham – Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Centre Blvd. Mondays and Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m.
• Pana – Lake Land College Western Region Center, 600 East 1^st. Fridays 4-8 p.m.

Registration is limited to the first 12 applicants. Enroll today!

For more information, contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.