Adrienne Dudlo, Student Employee of the Year
April 28, 2006
Colleagues:
Tuition Increase
At the April 20 meeting of the Board of Trustees, a $3 per credit hour tuition increase was approved by the members of the Board. This means that in-district tuition and fees per credit hour at Moraine Valley will be $72, still lower than the state average and markedly lower than most of the Cook County collar community colleges.
As I indicated to you in a previous memo, even with this raise in tuition, the college will still experience a decrease in revenues over expenditures in FY07. Mr. Sterkowitz is reviewing the budget right now to determine budget adjustments that can be made without affecting personnel.
Staff Recognition Awards
I am pleased to announce the winners of our 2006 Staff Recognition Awards. They are as follows:
Professor of the Year Award - Delwyn Jones
Master Teacher Award - Dr. Margaret Lehner and Aileen Donnersberger
Adjunct Professor of the Year Award - Dr. Peter Porter
Student Employee of the Year Award - Adrienne Dudlo
Part-Time Employee Service Award - Annabelle DeDona
Nancy Blane Guerra Service Award - Bill Helmold
Robert E. Turner Service Award - Judy Mack
Dr. Vernon O. Crawley Leadership Award - Robert Sterkowitz
Innovation of the Year Award - “What All Student Development Employees Need to Know”
Dr. Nancy Bentley
Holly Pilarczyk
Jim Polo
Dr. Misha Turner
Congratulations to our winners. Please join us at the Staff Recognition Banquet on Thursday, May 4, at the Oak Lawn Hilton as we honor our colleagues. Tickets are available from the Office of Human Resources at $30 per person. I look forward to seeing you there and to recognizing these outstanding individuals.
Graduation 2006
Our 2006 graduation is fast approaching, and I am pleased to announce that Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. will be our guest speaker this year. Senator Jones, a strong supporter of higher education, has had a positive impact on Moraine Valley. He played a key role in releasing funds for the completion of our library renovation. He was critical in gaining approval of our Campus Services Building and in helping us secure funding for that building (see below).
In addition, Senator Jones is the sponsor of the Chicagoland Regional College Program, a line item appropriation that funds the partnership among Moraine Valley, Chicago State University and UPS. This spring, over 230 students are enrolled at Moraine Valley and funded through CRCP.
Campus Services Building
I am pleased to announce that the college has requested and received $600,000 in escalation funds for the Campus Services Building to help defray the rising costs of construction since the building was approved in 2001. My thanks go to Senator Ed Maloney who, in particular, worked hard on our behalf to secure the money for Moraine Valley, and to Senator Jones and Representative Kevin McCarthy for their role in securing the escalation funds.
Because of the nature of the escalation clause, the money is for restricted use; it can only fund construction costs for the Campus Services Building.
Illinois Community College Trustees Association Award
It is with pride that I announce that the ICCTA has selected Moraine Valley’s nomination of our Daimler/Chrysler partnership for the 2006 Business and Industry Award. Congratulations to Dick Rackow, Ira Siegel, Dr. Sharon Kennedy and others who worked on this partnership and prepared the nomination. The award will be given at the annual ICCTA Awards Banquet on June 9 in Springfield.
College Expansion
This week, an internal group met to begin the process of planning for our new buildings, technology upgrades and our expansion into the southwest sector of the district. We will be guided by our Strategic Plan and will follow and update the Master Facilities Plan, while taking into consideration our vision to become a world-class college serving the local community. I look forward to the involvement of each and every one of you as we continue this work.
My thanks for all that you do to continue our excellent service to students.
Regards,
Vernon O. Crawley