STUDENT SERVICES DIVISION SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT January – July 2015

STUDENT SERVICES DIVISION
SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT
January – July 2015
Ms. Susan G. Batchelor
Vice President of Student Services
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Table of Contents
Division of Student Services……………………………...………………….………………3
Academic Advising…………………………………………………………..…….……….…6
Admissions, Registration and Dual Credit……………………………………………….....7
Athletics…………………………………………………………………………….…………..9
Financial Aid………………………………………………………………………….……….11
Fitness Center and Physical Education………………….………………………………...13
Student Life and Activities…………………………………………………………………...15
Student Success………………………………………………………………………………19
Student Success Center…..………………………………………………………………….24
TRiO Support Services Program…………………………………………………………….26
Volunteer Services…………………………………………………………………………….27
Professional Growth and Development……………………………………………………..28
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DIVISION OF STUDENT SERVICES
The Student Services Division continues to implement actions to meet goals of
attracting students to become lifelong learners, guiding students to success, creating a
culture of belonging and caring through service. The reports that follow outline the
specific activities of the departments within Student Services during the second half of
the college’s fiscal year including January 2015 through July 2015.
Many of the actions and accomplishments throughout the academic year are a
continuing implementation of our Student Success Model which was developed in July
2013. Individual completion of each step of the model by students will enhance college
completion and assist in the enrollment management efforts by sustaining program
enrollments. The steps include actions students take to be successful including setting
realistic educational goals, developing an educational plan, developing contingency
plans, enrolling in courses, persisting in good standing, reviewing and updating the plan
and developing a transition plan. Every step of the plan leads the student to successful
completion of a certificate or degree.
The Division team’s dedication to student success, supporting the educational goals of
each student, maintaining the values of the college, and encouraging every individual to
strive for excellence, is evident in daily interactions as well as in the major
accomplishments of the division. A review of the division’s accomplishments illuminates
the number of students whose lives are touched by Student Services Division team
members. Examples of these numbers are as follows.
4,000 credit hours not provided in 2013
4,000 credit hours were added within the past year by the launch of a pharmacy
technician course, expanding distance education and restoration of general education
course offerings at Centralia Correctional Center (CCC), expanding College Now and
expanded programming at Greenville Federal Correctional Institute (GFCI).
1,000 Educational Plans
The first step of the Student Success Model is the development of an educational plan
by the student and their academic advisor. All full time students coming to Kaskaskia
College for the first time must see an academic advisor to receive assistance in
developing an educational plan. Since the implementation of this important initiative,
advisors have documented and distributed over 1,000 educational plans to students and
faculty mentors. Students review the plan with their Faculty Mentor each semester prior
to enrolling in courses for the next term.
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1,000 Exams Administered to Students
1,000 online exams and make up exams in addition to placement tests were
administered in the Testing Center. The number of online proctored exams has
increased as additional online courses and sections are added in the schedule. There
has been an increase in the number of proctored exams from other institutions as well.
850 Jobs Posted on College Central Network
The activities of the Career Services Department focuses on serving KC students,
alumni and community members through job search skill development and employment
coordination. As a result of these efforts, 850 jobs were posted on the College’s
Community Job Board, 350 employers registered on the College’s Community Job
Board, 1,100 students, 1,000 alumni and 500 community members registered with the
system.
340 New Student Prospects Followed For Future Enrollment at KC
Approximately 340 new prospective web-inquiry students began receiving
correspondence through an automated communication management track. This track
provides consistent and ongoing communication through written direct mail, email and
phone follow-up. The information provided is tailored to their particular program
interests and the information is designed to encourage them to apply, complete the
enrollment steps and ultimately enroll for courses.
276 Foundation Scholarship Available to KC Students
In recent years there has been continual growth in number of scholarships available and
applicants for KC Foundation Scholarships. As needs are identified, with the assistance
of the IT Department updates are made to the electronic application process. 276
foundations scholarships are available for the 2015-16 academic year. Student usage
was improved and applications were easier for judges to review and awards for the
2015-16 academic year are being finalized.
226 New Student Orientation Participants
New Student Orientation (NSO) participation continues to be strong at all College
locations with eleven NSO events held in July in preparation for the upcoming fall
semester. There were 226 total participants including students, parents and guests.
90 Students Assisted With Resumes and Mock Interviews
Staff assisted over 90 students, community members, and alumni with individualized
job-skill building, including mock interviews with Office Technology and Automotive
Technology program students, cooperative work study placement for four employers
and numerous students seeking work study positions.
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57 TRiO Students on Dean’s or President’s List
Academic success is at the core of the TRIO/Student Support Services mission and the
TRiO program has consistently exceeded this goal throughout the current grant cycle.
In 2014-15, TRiO students achieved a significant increase in the number achieving
academic honors. A total of 57 students were named to the Dean’s or President’s List
in the previous academic year; an increase from 35 in 2013-14.
50 Individualized Visits to Campus For Prospective Students
Individualized college visits were conducted for 50 prospective high school students and
their parents providing general information about KC, assistance with the successful
steps to enrollment, facilitating meetings with faculty mentors and a campus tour guided
by current Students in Recruitment students (SiRS).
30 Students Degrees Conferred To Students at Centralia Correctional Center
To date, more than 30 students will have completed their degrees at the CCC through
the expansion of educational offerings at the institution.
6 Teams Accomplished Academic Excellence
The Athletic Department concluded another great academic year with six teams earning
a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher; the most in NJCAA Region 24. Those
teams named as 2014-15 NJCAA All-Academic Teams were the Blue Devils Baseball
team and the Blue Angels Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball teams.
3 PBL Students Attend National Leadership Conference in Chicago
Phi Beta Lambda students, Ms. Lorraine Albert, Ms. Theresa Jones and Mr. Bradley
Maschhoff, attended the National Leadership Conference in Chicago in June. More
than 1,700 attendees from across the nation competed in various business and
leadership events and only those students who place in the Top 10 are recognized
during the Awards Ceremony. Ms. Jones placed 4th in the nation in Business
Communications and Ms. Albert and Mr. Maschhoff placed 5th in the nation in Desktop
Publishing, which they earned as a team.
These highlighted numbers are further described in the report which follows.
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Academic Advising
Steve Cox, Coordinator of Academic Advising
Major Accomplishments
From January through June 2015, advisors documented 1,409 face-to-face advising
sessions, returned 1,748 phone calls and replied to 345 emails. This is a total of 3,502
student encounters. Academic advisors completed 225 degree audits for financial aid in
support of satisfactory academic progress appeals.
The group registration process continues to be effective for athletes and engineering
students. Academic advisors, with the assistance of Ms. Jenna Lammers, advised and
enrolled 62 returning student athletes in four days. Advisors also assisted with the
enrollment of 18 engineering program students during one class period.
Advisors continue to focus on retention and completion goals with the creation of
educational plans and assignment of faculty mentors. Since the implementation of this
important initiative, advisors have created and distributed over 1,000 educational plans
to students and faculty mentors.
The Academic Advising Department planned and held the annual Spring Break Advising
Training Workshop. This event was attended by more than 30 faculty and staff from the
main campus and Education Centers and was again a huge success. It provided
invaluable information regarding enrollment and advising practices, as well as
departmental information and program updates.
Advising staff supported efforts to promote the College by volunteering to assist with the
Eighth Grade Career Day in March, the Spring Picnic in April and at Commencement in
May.
The Disability Support Services (DSS) Office continues to see an increase in new
students with documented disabilities and an increase in the different disabilities
requiring accommodations. From February through May 2015, the DSS Coordinator
spent 14 days traveling to 11 high schools and attended 95 IEP meetings during those
visits.
From January through June 2015, the DSS Coordinator and Advising Administrative
Assistant made or responded to 254 phone calls regarding registered students with
disabilities and sent 177 emails to DSS students and faculty to coordinate
accommodations. The DSS Coordinator also had 71 appointments with registered DSS
students during the Spring 2015 semester.
For Spring 2015, there were 151 students registered with the DSS Office representing
36 different disabilities, including an increase in mental or psychological disabilities. Out
of 151 students, 78 attended classes in the spring semester and 38 completed all of the
necessary paperwork to receive accommodations.
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For Summer 2015, 32 DSS students registered for classes and 11 completed all of the
necessary paperwork to receive accommodations.
Admissions, Registration and Dual Credit
Cheryl Boehne, Director of Admissions, Registration and Dual Credit
Major Accomplishments
This past year we have focused on process improvements to maximize use of
technology for both staff and students. One area of improvement was changing the
workflow for documents of high demand. Enrollment specialists worked with IT to
develop new work flow process that will improve time of receipt to completion and ability
to track documents. High school transcripts, Jump Start forms and hard copy transcript
requests were the first documents put into the new system.
Gainful Employment regulations mandated changes in the admissions and registration
processes to include providing students with the required information for certificate
programs. This included documenting their acknowledgment of receipt of such
information. Changes were made to forms to capture this information and also to
Colleague screens where the information is stored. This will assist in providing accurate
data for Gainful Employment reporting purposes.
A need was recognized to improve collection of more detailed data on veterans and
active military students when they complete a new Student Admissions Form. Ellucian
has made available new screens where this information can be stored and reports
generated. A communication management process was developed which will initiate an
email to those students who mark they are either a veteran or active military. This will
allow the Veterans Office to identify those prospective students and begin
communicating with them early in the enrollment process.
Two additional new communication management processes were created that will be
sent to the students’ KC email address. The first is an email to be sent to current
students each semester prior to registration beginning that reminds them to meet with
their Faculty Mentor or Academic Advisor to review their Student Education Plan. This
time is designed for the student to confirm they are on track with their plan and no
changes have been made. This step in the Student Success Model is required in order
for students to be eligible to register for the upcoming semester as a restriction is put on
their student record and is not removed until written verification is provided. The second
new communication is also an email which will notify new students who have a
professional advisor restriction on their record that it is time to meet with an advisor to
set up their student education plan in preparation of the next registration period.
Staff worked with the Recruitment Office to make improvements to the student
acceptance letters and communication students receive based on provided information.
New tracks and letters were created for various student types including new, returning,
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and guest students. Enhancements to the online Student Admissions Form were made
to collect more accurate data on student type, to elicit a response to Perkins questions,
insertion of a new tab for information on the Student Handbook availability and to
provide information about corresponding through the student email.
The Admissions and Registration revitalized the long term project of converting hard
copy transcripts to electronic version. New records are created in Colleague for those
that do not already exist and then the hardcopy transcript is scanned and linked to their
record. Every transcript is being audited to ensure it is in the system. Since February,
16,524 transcript pages have been processed and audited.
For the February Professional Growth and Development Day, all college departments
were given the opportunity to identify in house needs and plan accordingly. This year,
our department designated a part of that day for a community service project. Staff
worked together to prepare fleece blankets and delivered them to Centralia Manor
Nursing Home when they were completed.
Graduation was held on May 15, 2015 with 274 students participating in the ceremony
and 1,188 applying. Jostens was awarded the bid for vendor of graduation regalia and
offered an online ordering system that enhanced the graduation process. In addition,
387 students completed and graduated from certificate or degree programs at the
Centralia Correctional Center.
The Jump Start program allows high school students to enroll in college courses and
receive a 50% tuition waiver on up to 4 credit hours each semester. Enrollment
numbers and savings for students are depicted in the following chart.
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JUMP START
HEADCOUNT CREDIT HOURS
SAVINGS FOR STUDENTS
Summer 2014
166
628
$28,822.50
Fall 2014
30
120.5
$5,433.75
Spring 2015
75
341.5
$13,965
Athletics
Adam Esses, Athletic Director and Head Women’s Basketball Coach
Major Accomplishments
The Athletic Department concluded another great academic year with six teams with a
team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, the most in NJCAA Region 24. Those teams
named as 2014-15 NJCAA All-Academic Teams were the Blue Devils Baseball team
and the Blue Angels Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball and Volleyball teams. In
addition, twelve KC student athletes received the NJCAA Academic Award. Many of
these students also served as peer tutors in the Student Success Center and must
maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.6 in order to serve as student tutors.
Lauren Krebs, Megan Zurliene, Darin Winkleman and Kelby Kujawa
Ms. Megan Maxey from St. Elmo, who is on the Blue Angels Softball team, Ms. Kelby
Kujawa from Mt. Vernon, who plays for the Blue Angels Volleyball team and Mr. Darin
Winkelman of Steeleville and the Blue Devils Basketball team received the Pinnacle
Award for Academic Excellence with a 4.0 grade point average.
Ms. Jana Schammel of Austin, Minnesota and the Blue Angels Basketball team, Ms.
Lauren Krebs of Breese who plays on the Blue Angels Soccer team, Ms. Alissa Hudson
of Shelbyville who is a member of the Blue Angels Volleyball team and two members of
the Blue Angels Softball team, Ms. Maegan Eskew from Waltonville and Ms. Ashley
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Purvis from Mattoon, were named NJCAA Superior Academic Achievement Honorees.
Additonally, Ms. Krebs was named the 2015 KC Female Athlete of the Year.
Blue Angels Cross Country runner, Ms. Julie Waldhoff of Teutopolis, Blue Angel’s
Golfer, Ms. Kaetyln Morris from Nashville, and Blue Angels Volleyball player, Ms. Alicia
Halleman of Pocahontas received the Exemplary Award for Academic Excellence.
KC finished 3rd for the Great Rivers Athletic Conference All Sports Trophy race. In the
five sponsored GRAC sports, the College programs garnered the following placed
finishes in conference: Blue Devils Basketball was 2nd with an 11-5 record, 23-9 overall;
Blue Angels Basketball was 3rd with a 9-7 record, 17-15 overall; Blue Angels Volleyball
was 3rd with a 6-4 record, 17-15 overall; Blue Angels Softball was 3rd with a 17-11
record, 27-23 overall and Blue Devils Baseball was 6th with a 13-11 record, 33-14
overall.
This spring, the Blue Devils Baseball team won the NJCAA Region 24 Championship
after an undefeated finish in the Regional Tournament and resulted in KC earning the
right to host the Northern District Tournament. The Blue Devils made it to the District
Championship game and finished as the Northern District Runner-Up as Iowa Western
Community College defeated KC. Coach Mitch Koester was also named as the NJCAA
Region 24 Coach of the Year.
Ms. Madi May of Nashville, a freshman on the Blue Angels Golf team, qualified for the
NJCAA National Tournament and placed 45th in the Women’s National Tournament held
in Mesa, Arizona. This was the best finish for a Blue Angels Golf player in the history of
the program.
The Athletic Department had two student athletes named as NJCAA All Americans. Ms.
Kierra Graves from Chicago was named to the NJCAA Women’s Basketball All
American Third Team; the second consecutive year Ms. Graves has been named to an
All American team. Ms. Graves graduated in May 2015 and signed to play at the
University of Houston in the fall. Also named to the NJCAA All American Third Team
was Mr. Hunter Hart, a freshman pitcher for the Blue Devils Baseball team. Mr. Hart will
play at the University of Arkansas in the fall.
The Blue Devils and Blue Angels Cheer Squad also had one of their most successful
years. In February, the squad placed 1st in the Elite Co-ed Junior College Division at
JamBash National Cheerleading Competition hosted at America’s Center in St. Louis
and won the overall Sportsmanship Award at the event. Their first place finished
qualified the Blue Devils and Angels for the US Finals Cheerleading Competition.
The Athletic Department has also been active in the community, in addition to their solid
classroom and competition performance, with various fundraising activities and
community service programs including very successful summer youth camps.
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Departmental changes included the welcoming of Mr. Joseph Livesay who took over as
Head Blue Angels Tennis Coach.
Financial Aid
Jill Klostermann, Director
Major Accomplishments
The previous year saw the continued growth and improvement for the Foundation
Scholarship process with an increase in the award amounts available and an in the
number of applicants. The electronic application system is being improved as new
needs are identified with the assistance of the IT Department which were in place for
the January application process. Student usage was improved and applications were
easier for judges to review and awards for the 2015-16 academic year are being
finalized.
The Financial Aid Office is the focal point for the student worker process. 71 student
workers were employed on main campus and at the education centers throughout the
year working a total of 35,277.29 hours.
Since exiting the Direct Loan program in 2014, KC has executed an aggressive Default
Prevention Program. That program is run through the Financial Aid Office and involves
extensive monitoring of our current active loan cohorts that are entering repayment and
reaching out to them if they fall behind. The plan has proven successful at managing
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our current cohorts as the number of students delinquent and defaulted in comparison
to past cohorts have fallen. The following chart is the breakdown of the current cohorts
that are being monitored in compliance with the Default Prevention Plan.
2013 Three Year Cohort Default Rate
Number of Days
Number of
Delinquent
Borrowers
31-89
38
90-149
15
150-209
9
210-269
4
Defaulted (270-359)
Doesn’t count
6
toward KC
Defaulted (360+)
56
Counts toward KC
Total
128
2014 Three Year Cohort Default Rate
Number of Days
Number of
Delinquent
Borrowers
31-89
27
90-149
9
150-209
12
210-269
6
Defaulted (270-359)
Doesn’t count
13
toward KC
Defaulted (360+)
31
Counts toward KC
Total
98
The following chart reflects the financial assistance processed through the Financial Aid
Department year to date.
Students with
Funding Applied
Students with
Funding
Transferred to
Accounts
Total Funding
Transferred to KC
2014-15 ILLINOIS MAP
317
317
269,891.72
2014-15 SEOG Funding
310
310
104,797.00
2014-15 PELL
1868
1588
5,271,091.02
For the 2014-15 academic year, 189 veterans, reservists, national guardsman or
dependent students are attending KC. Of those, 78 receive state benefits including
Illinois Veteran’s Grant (IVG), Illinois National Guard Grant (ING) and MIA/POW
scholarship. As of July 7th, $155,953.20 has been dispersed in state veteran benefits to
KC students for the 2014-15 academic year and 42 students are receiving federal
benefits under Chapter 33; the only federal benefit for veterans paid directly to KC from
the Department of Veteran Affairs. The total amount of Chapter 33 benefits dispersed
as of July 7th is $84,857.68.
The Financial Aid Office has made several changes in the last year that have increased
the ease of service to our students while reducing time needed to perform staff duties.
A significant departmental change is the process of converting all student records to a
completely electronic version utilizing ImageNow. This is the system currently utilized
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by the Admissions and Registration Department and will allow staff members to access
all paperwork turned in by a student on their computer, reducing service time with a
student and decreasing human error. By the end of the academic year most financial
aid documentation will accepted and tracked electronically with scanned copies.
Fitness Center and Physical Education
Kim Rahar, Head Volleyball Coach, Physical Education Coordinator, Fitness
Center Manager
Major Accomplishments
The 2014-15 academic year saw many accomplishments and enhancements in the
Physical Education Department and Fitness Center. The 5th annual racquetball
tournament was held on March 14, 2015 affording the opportunity to showcase the
facility and the different programs offered.
There are currently four ways to access the Fitness Center; enrollment in one of the
following PHED courses (101, 102, 128, 133, 214 or 236), payment of $1 a day to use
the indoor track, securing a daily membership for $5 or utilizing the $20 monthly option.
There is a discounted membership for Alumni and Friends members which cost $15.
The hours for the Fitness Center remain consistent with previous years.
KC was designated as a 2015 American Heart Associating Fit-Friendly Worksite.
Information about the Fitness Center and Physical Education Courses offered at KC
were presented at new employee orientations.
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GO Red for Women was held on February 6, 2015. The Children’s Learning Center
also participated in the Go Red campaign.
Walk-a-Thon
In coordination with the Relay for Life team, the American Heart Association team and
the Blue Devils and Blue Angels Cross Country teams hosted a walk-a-thon on April 30,
2015. The walk-a-thon provides the opportunity to raise money for a good cause, to
introduce community members to campus facilities and the Fitness Trail and provide
goodie bags with health and wellness information.
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Departmental changes for the Fitness Center include giving instructors the additional
area needed to offer courses or increase existing courses that were previously limited
due to space issues. The Fitness Trail is utilized for many classes including walking,
jogging and Physical Fitness 101 and 102. We will continue to add new courses and
additional time offerings to meet the needs of traditional and nontraditional students and
develop programs that are more inclusive to the Education Centers. Programs and
opportunities regarding health and wellness will continue to be promoted to students in
support and encouragement of a healthier lifestyle for everyone in the KC district.
Student Life and Activities
Philipp Leyerer, Coordinator of Student Life and Activities
Major Accomplishments
Student Life is committed to supporting and promoting personal integrity and maturity,
belief in and appreciation of individual worth and accountability as KC prepares students
for their role beyond college. KC student organizations create and deliver opportunities
to develop valuable skills providing more successful and effective student leaders now
and tomorrow. In addition, Student Life promotes intellectual, cultural, social,
recreational and athletic activities and programs for students enhancing and integrating
academic learning and personal growth into their lives in order to support and
complement the learning environment. These activities included leadership
development opportunities to service and community building experiences. Student Life
also offered social opportunities including the annual Spring Picnic, Spirit Days, KC
Homecoming, and a Welcome Back Breakfast catered by Panera Bread.
The annual KC Homecoming was held on January 17, 2015 with the crowning of the
king and queen during halftime of the women’s basketball game. Ms. Courtney Litteken
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and Mr. Hunter Beetley were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. Attendants
included Ms. Lauren Jansen, Ms. Madi May, Ms. Kylee Ledbetter, Mr. Brandon Beaver
and Mr. Matt Mersinger. Ms. Lauren Krebs, Retiring Queen and Mr. Devin Holle,
Retiring King, were present to assist with the crowning.
Members of the Black Student Association (BSA) coordinated with the Choral Music
and Culinary Arts Departments on a program to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in
observance of Black History Month. The program featured guest speaker, Ms. Anita
Brandon, the Director of the East St. Louis Community College Center. The month of
January also marked the launch of the new KC Student Life website and increased
social media presence through the KC Student Life Facebook page.
Additionally, the KC Culinaires, Choral Department and the BSA co-sponsored the
History of African American Music concert held February 19, 2015 and the Culinaires
and BSA hosted a Heritage Soul Food Celebration from February 25-26, 2015.
The Physical Therapy Assistants Club participated in the South Central Illinois Area
Health Education Center (SCI-AHEC) Network grant to expose area youth to the many
rewarding health care career opportunities that are available. The PTA Club
participated in the KC area high school career fair and presented information regarding
health occupations; physical therapy in particular, and collected surveys from
approximately 140 high school students throughout the region. Those surveys were
submitted to SCI-AHEC and the club is projected to receive an estimated $700.00 grant.
The Radiology Club donated $100 to the McGhee family in March of this year, proceeds
from a joint fundraiser organized by the KC Criminal Justice Department.
The Respiratory Care Club participated in the Grade School Career Day on March 13th,
with presentations about Respiratory Care to 8th grade students interested in our
program. During Respiratory Care Week, sophomore students participated in a
respiratory disease poster contest with faculty with prizes and a pizza party afterward.
On Friday February 27, 2015, Student Life hosted the first KC Student Life Bowling
Night at the Junction City Bowling Alley in Sandoval. A total of nine teams signed up for
the event and winners were honored with individual and team plaques.
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The first “KC Student Life Battle of the Bands” was held on March 28, 2015 in the Jane
Knight Auditorium and featured a wide variety of music genres as local bands battled for
the prize and the opportunity to perform at the 2015 Spring Picnic. The trio of Nick
Bifano and the Innocents impressed the judges and an audience of 50 people with their
American Rock style, winning the contest and becoming the featured musical act at the
Spring Picnic.
KC Intramural Sports program provides students, staff and faculty the opportunity to
participate in recreational sports and activities. Intramurals are designed to provide
enjoyment and physical recreation, contribute to physical well-being, improve
recreational skills for leisure time and aid in the development of sound emotional and
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social qualities. Intramural opportunities offered through Student Life include kickball,
softball, basketball, indoor and outdoor soccer, volleyball, and dodgeball.
Community service events and field trips provided opportunities for student involvement
including the Cosmetology Club trip to Chicago for the America’s Beauty Show in
March, the Student Theatre Guild plays throughout the year, the Accounting Club
sponsored AARP Tax Aide group preparing tax returns at no cost to students and
faculty on the KC campus. The Accounting Club also took a field trip to Excel Bottling in
Breese touring the plant where a variety of local specialty soda is manufactured. The
club also learned about the accounting process used by the company. Mr. Andrew
Straughter and Mr. Jonathan Kuberski, of the KC Veteran’s Club, along with club cosponsor, Ms. Carrie Hancock, attended the inaugural Student Veterans Leadership Day
in Springfield, Illinois.
Phi Beta Lambda students, Ms. Lorraine Albert, Ms. Theresa Jones and Mr. Bradley
Maschhoff, attended the National Leadership Conference in Chicago in June. More
than 1,700 attendees from across the nation competed in various business and
leadership events and only those students who place in the Top 10 are recognized
during the Awards Ceremony. Ms. Jones placed 4th in the nation in Business
Communications and Ms. Albert and Mr. Maschhoff placed 5th in the nation in Desktop
Publishing, which they earned as a team.
The Automotive Technology Club hosted a recruiting luncheon for 96 district high school
students at the NHRA drag races at the Gateway International Speedway. Additionally,
the club participated in the Family Reunion and Fall Open House, hosting a program
information booth, and participated in the annual Boy Scout Merit Badge Day, assisting
32 scouts with the requirements for the Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge. Mr.
Cody Manning competed in the state Skills USA competition in Springfield and placed
4th out of 16 contestants.
Student Congress held elections for the 2015-16 Student Trustee, and Ms. Kimberly
Daum was selected.
The Criminal Justice Club hosted their annual December coat drive with all donated
items given to the Centralia Salvation Army for distribution. Additionally, the club
supports other campus and community events including a yearly collection of coats,
scarves and gloves, a food collection for local children who are out of school during the
summer, and hosting the first “Jail-n-Bail” event at the Spring Picnic. A “Country Meats”
fundraiser was used to support club activities including seminars for the Criminal Justice
Program. The club also supported the Veteran’s Memorial and Angel Tree. The focus
of many of the clubs activities emphasize the importance of giving back to our
communities.
The BASIC Club is a service club hosting the annual “Meet You at the Pole” assembly
on the main campus. The club participates in the annual coat drive with the Criminal
Justice Club, the Dental Assisting Club and the Respiratory Therapy Club. Throughout
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the year, the club hosts a variety of displays around campus and support the Veteran’s
Memorial, Angel Tree, and host the National Day of Prayer event on campus.
Student Success
Dr. Scott Crothers, Dean of Student Success
Major Accomplishments
The Student Success Department has made significant progress toward the College
Enrollment Management goal of adding 10,000 credit hours by FY17 that were not
present in FY13. The Enrollment Management Team successfully added nearly 4,000
credit hours for the fall semester through various efforts including the launch of a
pharmacy tech course, expansion of distance learning and restoration of general
education classes at the Centralia Correctional Center, restoration of evening general
education.
The previous year saw the expansion of programming at the Greenville Federal
Correctional Institute (GCFI) including OSHA training, cabinet making, dog training, and
office technologies and expanded dual credit opportunities such as the introduction of
Basic Life Support dual credit through the support of an ICCB grant.
Moreover, the expansion of the College Now program, focused marketing and
recruitment efforts supporting growth in music, agriculture, welding, culinary arts, and
teacher education programs, support of new Business and Industry initiatives such as
the Magna Track and Pinnacle Food Buddy Training program were in direct support of
this initiative.
In addition to the credit hour impact made by these activities, we have also succeeded
in strengthening relationships with community partners such as GFCI and Pinnacle
Foods while providing a pathway for students to complete their associate’s degrees
within the Centralia Correctional Center. To this end, more than 30 students will have
completed their degrees at the Centralia Correctional Center through these efforts by
the end of the Summer 2015 term. Accordingly, these activities have been effective
means to fulfill all aspects of the College’s mission.
The Student Success Department has also been active in all aspects of college life,
serving on multiple fundraising teams and service committees including the marketing
committee, College Council, and multiple grant writing and evaluation teams. These
efforts demonstrate the extent to which the Student Success Department supports the
broad mission of the College.
The Recruitment Department has been highly active and effective over the past six
months. In addition to regular recruiting activities, the department launched several new
recruiting initiatives and has been highly involved in the Nashville and Nursing Capital
Campaigns.
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Approximately 340 new prospective web-inquiry students began receiving
correspondence through an automated communication management track. This track
provides consistent and ongoing communication through written direct mail, email and
phone follow-up. The information provided is tailored to their particular program
interests and the information is designed to encourage them to apply, complete the
enrollment steps and ultimately enroll for courses.
Individualized college visits were conducted for 50 prospective high school students and
their parents providing general information about KC, assistance with the successful
steps to enrollment, facilitating meetings with faculty mentors and a campus tour guided
by current Students in Recruitment students (SiRS).
Staff, along with Ms. Carrie Hancock, KC’s Veteran’s Affairs Representative, attended
an educational fair at Scott Air Force Base in the month of August. At this event there
were over 200 individuals present including active duty military personnel, military
retirees and military family members.
The Adopt-A-Classroom visits are provided to several fifth and sixth grade classes
throughout the district allowing the College to get involved with future students at the
earliest opportunity. It places KC front and center in the thoughts of these students as
an educational option later in their academic lives. In this sessions, students are
presented with very basic information about setting goals for their future, doing well
academically, getting involved, being respectful, being positive and having fun in school.
Classrooms visited included Willow Grove, Centralia, Hoffman and Pocahontas.
ROTC information sessions were held at area fitness facilities as well as on the main
campus during Saturday Registration inviting the general public to hear more
information on ROTC opportunities and benefits. These activities were promoted
through flyers, direct calls and press releases to the community.
Recruitment staff partnered with Business and Industry and representatives from
Nascote Industries to recruit high school seniors for the Magna Track manufacturing
training program. Informational sessions and follow-up were conducted with Nashville,
Okawville, and Carlyle pilot schools. Administration and students responded with
enthusiasm to the collaborative opportunity, which resulted in the building of new
relationships for the college and new enrollments for spring 2015. Ten of these
students are now currently employed full time with Nascote Industries and are actively
pursuing furthering their education with KC for continued advancement.
Open houses were held at each Education Center to highlight opportunities available at
each center bringing educational opportunities into the community. Invitations were
sent directly to the homes of high school parents and public information was distributed
through press releases and was provided to junior high counselors to target 8th grade
parents as well. Families in attendance were given tours of the facilities and provided
dual credit orientation information and opportunities specific to their high school. High
school students and parents were provided with general college recruitment information
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as well as financial aid presentations and follow-up from four year transfer reps
promoting the ease of transfer relationships.
KC was well represented at several regional high school events including a district wide
high school FBLA competition; hundreds of students from region high schools were
present competing in several business-related events. Students were introduced to the
campus through guided tours offered between sessions. Staff assisted with Agriculture
program recruitment serving as a judge for a regional FFA public speaking event; a
well-respected event hosted by KC which provides an opportunity to introduce attending
high school FFA students to campus facilities.
Staff and Students in Recruitment (SiRS) represented KC at several college fairs over
the course of the spring semester, including Flora High School College Fair, Mater Dei
College Night, Woodlawn High School Open House, and Mulberry Grove College Fairs.
These provide opportunities to interact with prospective high school students and their
parents. Information is also gathered for continuous and customized follow-up with the
students throughout the remainder of the academic year and summer.
SiRS liaisons worked with individual high schools identifying clubs and organizations
that would benefit from the VOLT 101, volunteerism opportunity, personally visiting the
club and promoting the opportunity to gain college credit for their service involvement.
This also provides an opportunity to promote the fine and performing arts scholarships
to students with those specific interests.
Information regarding all scholarship offerings through KC was distributed directly to
graduating seniors and to high school guidance counselors for distribution. Addition
recruitment visits to specific fine arts classes and advanced English composition and
speech classrooms were conducted in order to promote KC Fine and Performing Art
Scholarship opportunities.
The Core Values 101 Team successfully completed the training of five new students
with the Institute for Global Ethics Curriculum. Upon completion of training, the team
also presented to Nashville High School and Mulberry Grove Jr High School students.
The continued utilization and expansion of the retention alert process as a part of
retention and enrollment initiatives has been highly successful. There were 6,262
actions completed in support of attendance retention alerts generated by faculty and
staff this year.
New Student Orientation (NSO) participation continues to be strong at all College
locations with eleven NSO events held in July in preparation for the upcoming fall
semester. There were 226 total participants including students, parents and guests.
Due to low enrollment, classes are sometimes cancelled and staff work diligently to
assist those students in finding alternative course offerings. For the spring semester,
129 students were assisted after a class cancellation; represented 379 credit hours that
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would have been lost without this retention effort. Fortunately, the majority of students
were assisted and 74% of the credit hours were retained.
Compliance with Gainful Employment consumer information reporting process required
by the Department of Education is ongoing and has been successful with the
improvements made to the software program created by the IT Department in support of
this process. Success is crucial to the preservation of Title IV funding eligibility for KC
programs.
The activities of the Career Services Department focuses on serving KC students,
alumni and community members through job search skill development and employment
coordination. This includes direct service through AmeriCorps coordination, cooperative
work study coordination, resume assistance, the education of students about job
postings and maintenance of the College’s community job board hosted on the College
Central Network. As a result of these efforts, 850 jobs were posted on the College’s
Community Job Board, 350 employers registered on the College’s Community Job
Board, 1,100 students, 1,000 alumni and 500 community members registered with the
system.
Staff assisted over 90 students, community members, and alumni with individualized
job-skill building, including mock interviews with Office Technology and Automotive
Technology program students, cooperative work study placement for four employers
and numerous students seeking work study positions. Career services was awarded
$9,247 in cooperative work study grant funds for 2015-16, a 5% increase over the prior
year.
Staff recruited, trained and monitored students in the AmeriCorps program placed in
local school to provide tutoring services and oversaw the annual job and resource fair
held at Kaskaskia College’s Life Long Learning Center hosted 50 employers and over
90 job seekers.
The College’s Education Centers continue to be a vital asset for our district. Each
center provides comprehensive student services and educational opportunities that
provide access to higher education for hundreds of students who would otherwise be
unable to pursue their academic goals. Each center maintains a vibrant offering of
general education, career and technical, adult education and community education
courses while serving the community in a myriad of ways. For example, each
Education Center Director is actively involved in their local communities through
organizations such as the local Chambers of Commerce and other civic groups.
The Greenville Education center served 500 community members through open
computer lab, and staff provided community service through participation in the
Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Bicentennial Committee, Autumn ArtWalk, Apple
Days and other community events. Additionally, staff assisted many community
organizations utilizing the Education Center including AmVets, Amateur Radio Club and
the Bicentennial Committee. Several business and industry classes are provided
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including several sessions of customer service workshops and for the benefit of
students that must travel between the education center and main campus, coordinated
public transportation is provided by Bond County Transit.
The Nashville Education Center served over 300 community members through open
computer lab. Staff provided community service through participation in the Okawville
and Nashville Chambers of Commerce and through service at many community events,
and coordinated with community partners to offer additional suitable learning
environments for students including Nashville Community High School, the United
Methodist Church of Nashville and the Nashville Public Library. Several business and
industry classes were offered including several sessions of customer service
workshops.
The Salem Education Center served 500 community members through open computer
lab and staff provided community service through participation in the Salem Chamber of
Commerce as the VP of Community Relations, Home Show, Apple Fest, Golf
Tournament and other community events. Additionally, staff assisted many community
organizations utilizing the Education Center including DORS, Modern Woodmen of
America, Addus Health Care, Midland Area Agency, Caregivers Support Group and
American Red Cross Blood Drives. As a convenience for students traveling between
the education center and main campus, coordinated public transportation is provided by
South Central Transit.
The Trenton Education Center served over 400 community members through open
computer lab and staff provided community service through participation in the Trenton
Chamber of Commerce and other local community groups, as well as assisted
community organizations utilizing the Education Center including Community Link, Extra
Help Inc. and the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. Business and industry classes offered
at the center included QuickBooks, OHSA and Entrepreneurship training. Staff assisted
the SBDC in recruiting the first business incubator client for the Trenton Education
Center, supported the launch of welding and C.N.A. programs at the center including
the planning and implementation of College Now C.N.A. courses for Fall 2015.
The Vandalia Campus served over 400 community members through open computer
lab and staff provided community service through participation in the Vandalia Chamber
of Commerce and Fayette County YMCA by serving on the boards of these
organizations while also volunteering in many community events. Assistance was given
to community organizations utilizing the Vandalia Campus for community meetings
serving over 150 people, and offered business and industry classes including
QuickBooks Pro and Tax Accounting courses. The LPN programs at the Vandalia
campus celebrated 14 graduates this year.
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Student Success Center
Cynthia Webber, Coordinator of Student Success Center
Major Accomplishments
Since the end of the Fall 2014 semester, there have been 3,201 visits to the Student
Success Center. The front area of the Success Center is available as a study and
tutoring area for all students including student athletes who are required to attend study
tables. Mr. Bill Broda, Para-professional Math Tutor and seven peer tutors were
available to provide assistance within a large spectrum of academic areas. This
increase in tutoring staff allowed the center to better serve students.
Three of the four math tutors assisted Mr. Sam Bundy, Math Professor, in the
FastForward Math Lab. One of the tutors assisted with the Tutoring Linked to
Classroom (TLC) initiative pilot for ENGL 100. Distance Learning tutoring is available at
the education centers through the PolyCom system. Ms. Mary Walker, a retired Salem
Dual Credit teacher and adjunct English instructor, joined the Success Center as a
volunteer tutor in June.
In addition to academic study support, staff conducted workshops assisting students in
acquiring essential skills including managing test anxiety, time management, stress
management, discovering learning styles and developing testing strategies.
As in the fall, the Structured Learning Assistance (SLA) lab, located in AD 101, was
utilized by CNA + Accelerated Opportunities as part of the state accelerated
opportunities grant awarded to Adult Education. Currently, one evening class is being
taught through the end of the summer semester. Mr. Chuck DeBernardi, Auto
Technology Program Coordinator, used this specialized classroom in the spring and has
already requested its usage for the fall.
The Success Center creates, builds and maintains academic and soft-skill resources for
the students of the Kaskaskia Early Enrichment Program (KEEP). Videos are available
for all KEEP students and liaisons through a blackboard resource “class.” Ms. Cynthia
Webber monitors activity of blackboard resources.
The Testing Center proctored over 1,000 online exams and make-up exams in
additional to placement tests administered in the Testing Center. This number of online
proctored exams has increased as additional online courses and sections are added to
the schedule. There has been an increase in the number of proctored exams from
other institutions as well.
On June 11, 2015, ACT announced the phasing out of all COMPASS related products
including ACT Asset, Windows Compass and Compass 5.0. A committee has been
formed to investigate the best possible placement options for KC students.
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Fy2014-15 Compass Testing at KC
Locations
298
300
250
240
212 219
200
164
130
150
100
55
117
69
138
115
50
50
0
TOTALS FOR TESTING BY MONTH
July 2014
August 2014
September 2014
October 2014
November 2014
December 2014
January 2015
February 2015
March 2015
April 2015
May 2015
June 2015
NUMBER OF TESTS ADMINISTERED
FY2014-15 COMPASS TESTING AT KC
LOCATIONS
700
660
600
500
400
270
300
156
200
200
176
223
122
100
0
Test Totals Per Center
Success
Center
660
Greenville
Nashville
Trenton
Vandalia
Salem
East STL
156
200
176
270
223
122
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Academic success is at the core of the TRIO/Student Support Services mission and the
TRiO program has consistently exceeded this goal throughout the current grant cycle.
In 2014-15, TRiO students achieved a significant increase in the number achieving
academic honors. A total of 57 students were named to the Dean’s or President’s List
in the previous academic year; an increase from 35 in 2013-14. This following chart
represents the academic performance of TRiO students since the 2010-11 academic
year.
TRiO Student Academic Honors
35
30
25
12
11
20
15
6
10
5
0
7
13
9
15
19
Fall 2013
Spring 2014
Fall 2014
Spring 2015
Dean's List
President's List
TRiO/SSS gathered on May 6, 2015 to celebrate student success at our annual Spring
reception. Program staff recognized supplemental grant aid recipients, graduates and
those achieving academic honors. A total of 21 TRiO students graduated as of May
2015.
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Departmental changes include a second Peer Mentor Training course offered in Fall
2014. Most of the students who completed the first course have graduated but three
continuing students are actively enrolled in the online course. The courses are team
taught by TRiO and Success Center staff. The courses support the Peer Mentoring
Program, a project sponsored jointly by TRiO and the Success Center. In another move
to enhance student engagement, Club TRiO resumed operations this fall with Ms.
Yvonne Hallam serving as club sponsor.
TRiO/SSS introduced two new avenues for students to access our workshops beginning
in September 2014. Project staff added new Tips and Tricks sessions in a longer, less
formal design and focused on a single academic area. In addition, participants can now
access workshops and handouts through the Document Center in CampusNet.
TRiO/Student Support Services achieves exceptional results in helping students
complete their degree or certificate. The project committed to have at least 25% of
participants complete their degree or certificate within four years, an ambitious goal in
light of the 13% four-year graduation rate achieved by TRiO-eligible students at the time
the college applied for SSS. Instead, TRiO/SSS achieved a 54% four year graduation
rate as of the last reporting period. This was better than the reported rate for non-TRiO
students regardless of eligibility.
4-Year Graduation Rate
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
54%
40%
48%
56%
25%
TRiO 1
Eligible
Noneligible
Projected
TRiO 2
Objective
13%
30%
0%
Baseline Baseline
Eligible
NonEilgible
The KC Ambassadors make up a core-group of volunteers comprised of KC community
members who enjoy the opportunity to interact with associates both within the group
and with KC arts patrons as well as enjoying the actual fine arts events. Another group
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of valuable volunteers is comprised of KC staff who provide many hours of volunteer
service. The third group is made up of KC students who also provide services in
volunteer time and energy. This report does not reflect the many service hours that KC
athletes, scholarship recipients, grant recipients and others accumulate.
The Volunteer Coordinator scheduled and organized volunteers for a variety of
functions at the college including the Fine Arts Department instrumental and chorus
concerts and Season of Entertainment events. Volunteers also provided a valuable
service greeting and directing students on the first day of class.
The past year has seen the successful delivery of five day PGD in-services and two
adjunct evening in-services PGD.
The welcome back in-service held last August featured a presentation by Mr. Eddie
Slowikowski, an international motivational speaker, a former USA Gold Medal winner
and inductee into the Loyola Hall of Fame. Both of his keynotes, day and evening,
focused on our inner leader and the impact of attitude on success. Other breakouts
included a variety of presentations selected to serve the needs of faculty, adjunct
faculty, and staff. Topics included Effective Use of Retention Alerts and Gradebook,
Effective Use of PowerPoint, Smoking Cessation Strategies, Colors for Teambuilding/Classroom Icebreakers, Blackboard: the New Touches, Alternatives to
Blackboard, and CampusNet, Outlook and First Day Handout. The August Adjunct
evening served seventy-three Kaskaskia College adjunct faculty.
The theme for the October PGD centered on Healthy Living: Eating and Fitness. The
day also featured sessions on smoking cessation, as well as a walking tour of the
Agriculture Building, a forum led by Dr. Jim Underwood on building campaigns, a
session on Team Teaching (CNA Plus Grant) and an information session which focused
on Kaskaskia College’s new no tobacco/smoking policy. Afternoon sessions included
Health Cooking, Diabetes Risk Management, Reading Labels and Smart Shopping,
Eating Out While Staying Healthy, Smoking Cessation (County Health Department),
Heart-Healthy Eating, Positive Mental Attitude, Chair Massages, BlueCross/Blue Shield,
GIS, Fitness Center Tour, Basketball, Racquetball, Walking the Outdoor Trail and
Health by the Numbers.
The welcome back PGD, held in January, featured both day and evening sessions as
well as a presentation form our keynote speaker. Both groups had the pleasure of
hearing a presentation from Mr. Chris Collins, an international motivational and
leadership speaker. Mr. Collin’s message centered on the fact that all of us are a “Big
Deal.” Day session Breakouts included Blackboard 9, Tips on Creating Surveys, Grants
and Data, Faculty-led discussions on retention, Entrepreneurship, 2015 PQP!, CATs?,
Microsoft Word Q & A and a session offered by the Executive Director of SUAA (State
Universities Annuitants Association). Evening Breakouts featured sessions on Effective
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Use of retention Alerts and Gradebook, Blackboard 9 Q & A, Adjunct Faculty Online
Orientation course, CampusNet, Outlook Web Access, CATs?, Library Services,
Admissions and Registration and Success Center services.
February PGD was designated for departmental travel allowing departments to meet for
the purpose of team building and professional development specific to their needs or for
departments/groups to travel based on interests/needs.
Annually, the April in-service is our Safety and Security day! The morning session
featured a Safety & Security Trivia Contest/Presentation. Afternoon sessions focused
on a variety of Safety & Security topics, such as Tornadoes, Assault with a Deadly
Weapon, Office Safety & Awareness, Identity Theft and Blackboard: the Student View.
The 2014-15 PGD team worked towards a new model for team meetings, team
engagement, delivery of the five (5) day in-services and two (2) adjunct evening inservices. Team restructuring, meetings and engagement are already in the change
mode. We will launch the new delivery model at our August 2015 in-service sessions
for both day and evening attendees.
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