JWCC Trustees Validate the College’s Mission, Vision and Core Values for Strategic Planning

Trustees also Hear Enrollment Report from the Illinois Community College Board

The John Wood Community College Board of Trustees validated the College’s mission, vision, strategic goals and core values during its regular meeting Wednesday, October 21.  The meeting was conducted virtually as permitted by the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

JWCC’s mission is to enrich lives through learning by providing accessible educational opportunity and services at an exceptional value.  The Trustees validated JWCC’s mission statement which kicks-off the start of FY21 strategic planning year.  JWCC President Michael Elbe said, “Our Board of Trustees and leadership team continue making decisions that are in the greatest good of JWCC to keep our College healthy, vibrant and growing.”

The Trustees heard a report from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) regarding the annual Fall 2020 enrollment numbers for all community colleges in Illinois.  In summary, the report stated the COVID-19 pandemic has had a historically significant impact on enrollment for Illinois’ community colleges showing a decrease in headcount of -13.7 percent.

Comparatively, JWCC is in a much stronger and financially stable position due to strategic initiatives focusing on enrollment and retention.  The ICCB report ranked JWCC 4^th in headcount and 5^th in credit hours out of the 48 Illinois community colleges. The ICCB report is a key indicator of the health of the College in regard to enrollment stability.   Tuition and fees make up 55 percent of the overall revenues, and faculty, staff and leadership teams are working collectively to focus on what is within control in an ever-changing educational environment.  Elbe stated, “While this is a challenging time, our number one goal is always student success.”

Elbe shared, “JWCC is positioned well for the future and for this I credit the 3 P’s:  People, Planning and Partnerships.  Our staff and faculty continue to work creatively and are dedicated to serving our students.  We are strategically planning and examining all aspects of the College for new opportunities and to fully utilize all course offerings.  Lastly, is our commitment to community partnerships with businesses and district high schools to assure delivery of services; especially in programs that lead to key workforce sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare.”

The Trustees also heard a JWCC market share report from Tracy Orne, JWCC dean of students and enrollment management.  In the JWCC district which is comprised of 15 high schools, one in three 2020 graduating high school students choose to attend JWCC, and in 8 of the 15 district schools the market share is 30-57 percent.  Enrollment is open now for the Spring 2021 semester.

In other business, the board:

• Authorized submission of a $152,690 grant application to AmeriCorps for Adams, Brown, & Pike County RSVP volunteer program.
• Accepted $106,267 in grant funds from the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) for multiple IGEN projects.
• Accepted $3,500 in funds from Illinois Community College Board for an extra COVID relief fund for adult education.
• Authorized submission of a $25,000 second year funding grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education for Grant of Agriculture Science Teachers (GAST).  The funds are used to recruit and support students interested in pursuing AG education careers.
• Authorized and accepted the fiscal year 2020 audit.
• Approved a resolution to abate the 2020 tax levied to pay General Obligation Bonds (Alternative Revenue Sources), Series 2012.
• Approved a resolution to levy the equity adjustment for the 2020 tax year as allowed by Section 3-14.3 of the Illinois Public Community College Act.
• Authorized and accepted a bid of $66,786.85 to SJ Smith Co., for a robotics welding cell.
• Approved a 9 percent increase in premium costs for the College to cover rising costs of services while maintaining the College’s insurance fund balance, effective January 1, 2021.
• Approved six Resource Allocation Management Plan (RAMP) documents and matching funds commitment to the Illinois Community College Board.
• Approved the Memorandum of Understanding for modifications and clarifications to the Collective Bargaining Agreement to changes in delivery method related to COVID-19.
• Approved a resolution and certificate to levy a tax for Protection, Health, and Safety (PHS) projects.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, November 18, 2020, at 7 p.m. at JWCC’s Quincy campus.