In The Know

May, 2026

Message From the President

As we close out another academic year鈥攁nd celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates鈥擨 want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you. Every success story this year reflects your dedication, care, and belief in our students鈥� ability to persevere, even when the path isn鈥檛 always clear.

Saturday was a remarkable day. The weather was perfect, and a record number of students participated in the graduation ceremony. Thank you to everyone who helped us pivot from an on-campus ceremony. It took a lot of work to have a ceremony at Mt. Dew Park, and everyone involved went above and beyond to make the day special for our graduates.

This has been a strong and successful year for 性视界传媒 because of your unwavering commitment to our mission and to one another. I am truly grateful for the professionalism, creativity, and steady effort you bring to this work each day.

As we move into the summer months, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy moments with family and friends. You鈥檝e earned it, and I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the year ahead.

Regards,
Kirk Overstreet, PhD.

President, 性视界传媒

Things You Need to Know from the Cabinet

Dr. Susan LaPanne 鈥� Budget Update

The budget staff is preparing the draft budget for Fiscal Year 27.
性视界传媒 is committed to funding all necessary resources to support student education and the College鈥檚 community mission.
If budget managers believe they can delay certain purchases, travel expenses, etc., we want to assure everyone that this is not a 鈥渦se or lose鈥� situation. When there is a necessary expense, we will dedicate the full fiscal team to finding the funds.

Dr. Stephanie Chaney Hartford, Dr. Rachel Sveda-Webb, Dr. Nathan Arnett 鈥� Academic & Student Affairs

Commencement and Nurse Pinning Ceremonies: 275 students participated in commencement; 87 in the Nurse Pinning Ceremony.
The Surgical Technology Program received initial accreditation from CAAHEP for five years.
New Student Orientation Days in Spring 2026: 264 students from 15 high schools attended.
Upcoming Orientation and Enrollment Events:
- Wednesday, June 17, 9:00 a.m. 鈥� 12:30 p.m.: New Student Orientation
- Wednesday, July 22, 12:30 p.m. 鈥� 4:00 p.m.: New Student Orientation
- Saturday, August 8, 9:00 a.m. 鈥� 12:00 p.m.: Saturday Sign-up Event
- Saturday, August 8, 10:00 a.m. 鈥� 11:00 a.m.: Coffee & College Event

Jeremy Sargent 鈥� Campus Construction Projects

West Lobby Expansion (Logan Hall): Structural design nearing completion; temporary shoring installation underway.
CTC Project: Progress is strong; on track for completion by the end of 2026.
B Wing, 3rd Floor Nursing: Scheduled for completion in late fall 2026.
Other campus construction continues to advance on schedule.

Kara Bevis 鈥� Fiscal Reminders

Submit all outstanding invoices or reimbursement requests promptly to support accurate year-end fiscal projections.
Past-due student bills for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 will be sent in the coming weeks.
Spring 2026 semester: integrated prior-term payment plans now available in the student portal for students with past-due balances.

Scott Elliott 鈥� IT & Technology Updates

IT staff will participate in summer professional development, including EDUCAUSE AI Summit, Jenzabar Annual Meeting, InfoComm, and Pro A/V conference.
Rollout of new classroom technology is underway.
Student Workers will conduct annual technology inventory in the last week of May.
Final installation of exterior security cameras and campus police cruiser technology will be completed soon.

Chief Ron Webb 鈥� Campus Safety

性视界传媒 Police Department renamed to 性视界传媒 Department of Public Safety to better reflect its campus safety mission.

Stephanie Harner 鈥� HR

HR initiatives for FY27 include updates to position descriptions, required training, and policy alignment.
Equity Plan efforts continue.
Juneteenth Celebration: Wednesday, June 17, 4:30 鈥� 7:00 p.m., Conference Center.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in Fall Kick-Off activities.

Staci Shafer 鈥� Foundation Updates

Foundation purchased a $45,355 auto body lift.
Actively identifying donor prospects and securing funding for the Promise Program, CTE building, and nursing renovation.
Upcoming Foundation events:
- Glo Bingo: Friday, September 11, 性视界传媒 Conference Center
- 性视界传媒 Foundation Golf Classic: Friday, October 2, Kokopelli Golf Club

Jennifer Fuller 鈥� Legislative & Policy Updates

Illinois General Assembly spring session nearing conclusion; key bills include community college baccalaureate authority, student safety measures, and workforce training initiatives.
Engagement with local legislators during ICCTA Lobby Day was positive.
Federal updates on Workforce Pell and proposed higher education regulations are ongoing.
Administrative Procedure updates:
- AP 510 (from BP 5250)
- AP 405, 405.A (性视界传媒 Department of Public Safety)
- AP 711 (Grants & Grant Management)

Dr. Steve O鈥橩eefe

Social media growth: 159% increase in followers since 2024, now totaling 34,926.
Marketing department shared 3,256 posts, achieving 11,437,158 impressions and 124,281 reactions.
Training will be conducted for department representatives to update webpages directly.

Greg Starrick

Baseball: 46鈥�13 record; 25鈥�5 in GRAC/Region 24; GRAC and Region 24 regular season champions. Sophomores signed to continue at the next level; national recognition for Kameron Yearsley (37 home runs, school record).
Softball: 52鈥�11 record (most wins in school history); 39鈥�7 in GRAC/Region 24. Coach Taylor Siefert was named GRAC Coach of the Year.
Men鈥檚 Golf: Daymian Rij represented 性视界传媒 at NJCAA Nationals, finishing 46th out of 120 golfers.
Logan Fitness: Tri-Festa Triathlon scheduled for Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. (quarter-mile swim, 14-mile bike ride, 3-mile run). 19th annual event.

Dr. Jordan Mays 鈥� IER

The IER office has focused on increasing access to data for decision-making through the use of dashboards and reports on the IER SharePoint page. In the coming months, additional dashboards focused on registration tracking and enrollment funnel will become available. The department plans to provide training on using these tools starting in Fall 2026.
Course evaluations for Spring 2026 have concluded with a response rate of 28.53%. IER will launch course evaluations for all summer courses. Watch for messaging about the Summer Course Evaluations throughout the summer.
IER is working with ICCB on completing a new required report due by June 15^th for Direct Admissions. 性视界传媒 has become the example of how data should be captured to assist with the Direct Admissions report in the future. ICCB is working closely with us to determine the best way to provide the Direct Admissions data to ISAC for all Illinois Community Colleges.
Summer 2026 Census will be taken during the second week of June. The End-of-Term (SUSR) reporting for Spring 2026 will be completed by the end of June. At that time, we will have the completed figures for the entire FY26. Additional information on these figures and how we compare with prior years will be provided in future installments of 鈥淚n the know鈥�.