Parkland Trustees Approve New Aviation Program
Board of Trustees General Meeting, Oct. 21
At its regular meeting Wednesday, the Parkland College Board of Trustees heard updates from administration regarding the college's enrollment performance, awarded a faculty member with a statewide honor, and announced a new career program for Aviation students.
After hearing an update from President Tom Ramage, trustees presented Dr. Franklin Gallo with the 2020 Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Member Award by Jon Looney, president of the ICCTA. As director of Parkland's Chamber Singers, Gallo teaches Introduction to American Music and Music Appreciation courses. He has provided professional development for primary and secondary educators, recently presenting sessions at a state choral music conference for pre-service educators at the University of Illinois and attending an international symposium on music education. He has initiated and helped to implement two innovative programs used by the college’s music department for recruitment, ongoing collaboration with local high schools, and as a charity fundraiser.
Afterwards, Dean of Enrollment Management Kristin Smigielski provided the board with enrollment reports detailing the Summer 2020 end-of-semester and Fall 2020 census date enrollment data and trends. Stephanie Stuart, vice president for communications and external affairs, presented an update regarding the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), Workforce Equity Initiative (WEI) and Support for Workforce Training (SWFT), and upcoming Marketing initiatives.
The Board voted to approve the submission of a new project under RAMP (Resource Allocation Management Program) for a new Physical Sciences Training Center. This 27,000 square foot addition would include new classrooms and office spaces, with a majority of the space reserved for Chemistry and Biology laboratories and classrooms. The goal is to supplement the local growth in health and STEM professions to allow for expanding enrollment and the newest technology. The current estimate (FY21) for the College's portion of construction is $5,640,558, or 25 percent of the total estimated cost.
Trustees also voted to approve a new applied-science career degree, Aviation: Flight Technology AAS (V.FLT.AAS). This 61 to 62 credit hour associate program will prepare students for careers in the commercial aviation industry, and is designed as an alternative academic pathway to the existing Associate in Science degree with an aviation concentration.
Flight Technology AAS students will receive certifications in private pilot, private pilot with instrument rating, commercial pilot, and commercial, multiengine offered in a sequential manner. The AAS program differs from the AS program with five additional aviation-related courses and a two-track option, Professional Pilot or Drone Pilot. After completing the AAS degree and with appropriate FAA flight time requirements, graduates can enter the workforce as commercial pilots and/or UAS pilots.
In other business, trustees approved:
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the renewal of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine contract through January 2026, $324,620
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purchase of Knowmia from Techsmith Corporation through 2023, $60,735
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purchase of Agribusiness Library curriculum revision from Cutting Edge Curriculum, $200,000
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purchase of Kaplan Test Prep from Kaplan, Inc. through 2022, $144,000
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purchase of UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) Revitalization Services from CDW-G, $37,000
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purchase of hardware and configuration services from ConvergeOne, $70,000
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consulting fees from Apporto, not to exceed a total cost of $100,000
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the use of Kone, Inc. for elevator service and maintenance through September 2021, $27,807
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the filing of the following grant applications:
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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA): Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program—Education and Workforce Development Program
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Illinois State University (ISU) Mennonite College of Nursing: Academic Progression Partner Schools Subgrant (IBHE funding)
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Junior League of Champaign-Urbana: Community Assistance Fund Grants
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National Science Foundation (NSF): Advanced Technology Education (ATE)—Expanding Precision Agriculture to Secondary Students (EPASS)
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acceptance of funds from external sources:
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personnel appointments:
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Suzanne Jones, Dean of Counseling Services, Counseling Services
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Li Barbee, Administrative Assistant to Vice Presidents, Academic Services
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Thomas Adams, Technical Support Specialist, Campus Technologies
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Robert Bielmeier, Financial Aid Advisor, Student Services
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Ashley Hammock, Assessment Center Assistant, Student Services
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Daniel King, Technical Support Specialist, Campus Technologies
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Logan Musgrove, Infrastructure Specialist, Campus Technologies
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Dalton Neal, Technical Support Specialist, Campus Technologies