Laker Nation News

Lake Land College is offering a 12-hour course that will prepare students for the Part 107 sUAV Commercial Certification Exam, taught by a certified flight instructor. The Federal Aviation Administration requires drone operators to complete and pass an Unmanned Aerial System aeronautical knowledge test as one of the requirements for flying commercial drones legally.

Students will receive basic ground school training, instruction and practice. The certified flight instructor will present lectures and materials explaining FAA regulations, the National Airspace System, weather, loading and performance, operations and safety procedures.

The 12-hour course will span two dates:

• Feb. 16, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Feb. 17, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Class will be held at the Workforce Development Center located at 305 Richmond Ave. East, Mattoon, IL, 61938. The cost is $349.

Register at www.lakelandcollege.edu/learn.

For more information, contact Sandy Spaulding, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email sspaulding@lakelandcollege.edu.

What happens when you take some of the most brilliant minds from area high schools and put them under one roof? Nothing other than an academic face off, where teams are pitted against each other in eight subject areas in order to take home the WYSE regional championship title.

The regional WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) Academic Challenge will be held at Lake Land College Friday, Feb. 2. Twenty-five high schools will come together to battle in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics.

Each high school will compete against other high schools in the same division, which is based on school enrollment, and awards will be given to both individual competitors and teams. Students advancing at the regional competition will compete at Eastern Illinois University with another round for advancement, which will be held at the University of Illinois.

During the event, students will be tested from 9:20 to 11:10 a.m., with an awards ceremony following at 1:30 p.m.

For more information about WYSE, contact Marki Millsap, academic services specialist of dual credit, at (217) 234-5397 or mmillsap1@lakelandcollege.edu.

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.