What's New at Illinois Central College?
Every so often, I like to share with you what’s happening at Illinois Central College. Here’s what’s new:
Several years ago, the Illinois Central College Education Foundation developed the means to provide student housing on the campus. This has enhanced the college experience for students, and offered them greater convenience in attending the college. This fall, ICC’s WoodView Commons has reached a 94% occupancy rate.
ICC continues to add classes and programs which leverage today’s technology for tomorrow’s jobs. The College has added Gaming to its Business and Information Systems curriculum, providing students with the fundamental skills to pursue careers in that emerging field. Contrary to popular myth, gaming skills are used not only in video-games, but by business and industry for virtual training programs and scenario planning. In a different vein, ICC now teaches voice-recognition transcription as a new skill for office support staff. While most people type 40-50 words per minute, voice recognition allows one to type at roughly the speed of speech, around 130 words per minute.
Illinois Central College continues to develop relationships with colleges and universities across the nation and the world. ICC will sign another articulation agreement with Western Illinois University, assuring smoother transitions from our campus to Western’s. Several delegates of the ICC Board of Trustees and the administration recently returned from China, where student and faculty exchange programs were explored, particularly in the service and vocational areas. Delegates from China are expected to visit ICC this fall.
The David R. Leitch Career Center is now operational and fully occupied. With the assistance of the Agricultural and Industrial Technologies and the Business and Information Technologies departments, its staff is working with Peoria Public Schools to develop a field trip experience to help eighth graders see how college can fit into their future. After the piloting of this program, it is hoped that it will be expanded to allow middle schools throughout the district to participate.
The Student Service Center continues to make strides in developing responsive customer service. Based on customer demand, the Center extended hours to meet the needs of students at peak times. ICC’s Placement Test Express, which occurs in November, April, and July, allows prospective students to expedite the enrollment process by bundling the required placement test with advisement, financial aid counseling, and career exploration.
ICC continues its Six Sigma journey, with 15 teams currently deployed, but Six Sigma is only one of ICC’s quality-focused programs. An ICC representative recently attended the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN) to learn more about innovation, the creative use of physical space, and how today’s globalized world impacts students today. We are also preparing for our first AQIP Strategy Forum. The Academic Quality Improvement Program is an alternative way for colleges and universities to be accredited. Rather than a once-a-decade visit that reviews academic activities retroactively, AQIP is a continuous monitoring system that thrives on data-driven decisions to help colleges and universities improve.
These are just a few highlights from the last several weeks. We’ll keep you posted as more “breaking news” develops. IBI
Several years ago, the Illinois Central College Education Foundation developed the means to provide student housing on the campus. This has enhanced the college experience for students, and offered them greater convenience in attending the college. This fall, ICC’s WoodView Commons has reached a 94% occupancy rate.
ICC continues to add classes and programs which leverage today’s technology for tomorrow’s jobs. The College has added Gaming to its Business and Information Systems curriculum, providing students with the fundamental skills to pursue careers in that emerging field. Contrary to popular myth, gaming skills are used not only in video-games, but by business and industry for virtual training programs and scenario planning. In a different vein, ICC now teaches voice-recognition transcription as a new skill for office support staff. While most people type 40-50 words per minute, voice recognition allows one to type at roughly the speed of speech, around 130 words per minute.
Illinois Central College continues to develop relationships with colleges and universities across the nation and the world. ICC will sign another articulation agreement with Western Illinois University, assuring smoother transitions from our campus to Western’s. Several delegates of the ICC Board of Trustees and the administration recently returned from China, where student and faculty exchange programs were explored, particularly in the service and vocational areas. Delegates from China are expected to visit ICC this fall.
The David R. Leitch Career Center is now operational and fully occupied. With the assistance of the Agricultural and Industrial Technologies and the Business and Information Technologies departments, its staff is working with Peoria Public Schools to develop a field trip experience to help eighth graders see how college can fit into their future. After the piloting of this program, it is hoped that it will be expanded to allow middle schools throughout the district to participate.
The Student Service Center continues to make strides in developing responsive customer service. Based on customer demand, the Center extended hours to meet the needs of students at peak times. ICC’s Placement Test Express, which occurs in November, April, and July, allows prospective students to expedite the enrollment process by bundling the required placement test with advisement, financial aid counseling, and career exploration.
ICC continues its Six Sigma journey, with 15 teams currently deployed, but Six Sigma is only one of ICC’s quality-focused programs. An ICC representative recently attended the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN) to learn more about innovation, the creative use of physical space, and how today’s globalized world impacts students today. We are also preparing for our first AQIP Strategy Forum. The Academic Quality Improvement Program is an alternative way for colleges and universities to be accredited. Rather than a once-a-decade visit that reviews academic activities retroactively, AQIP is a continuous monitoring system that thrives on data-driven decisions to help colleges and universities improve.
These are just a few highlights from the last several weeks. We’ll keep you posted as more “breaking news” develops. IBI