Galesburg Reporter

The Carl Sandburg College Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting Thursday approved the acceptance of two statewide grants totaling more than $333,000 to support students in the College’s nursing and automotive technology programs.

Trustees accepted an Innovative Bridge and Transitions (IBT) grant worth $235,651.84 from the Illinois Community College Board that will back projects that improve student transitions throughout college and into employment.

Sandburg plans to use funds from the grant to purchase simulation training equipment for its automotive and nursing programs. These will provide students with hands-on training, enable them to receive industry-recognized credentials and assist in their transition from the classroom to the workforce. The College has used IBT grants in past years to create transitional math courses, host the Whatever It Takes Conference (WITcon) for regional educators and purchase virtual reality equipment for its criminal justice program.

The Board also approved a $97,900 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education that will be used to purchase equipment and supplies for Sandburg’s nursing simulation center and provide instructor training on simulation equipment. The simulation center allows students to practice patient-care scenarios in a controlled environment and receive feedback from instructors.

Trustees also approved bids for demolition of the existing automotive technology building as well as plumbing, mechanical/HVAC and electrical work on the new Science & Technology Center that will be built in its place. Accepted bids were $346,400 from NE Finch in Peoria for building demolition, $47,760 from Warner Mechanical in Edwards for plumbing, $99,850 from Warner Mechanical for mechanical work and $173,353 from Mechanical Services Inc. in Galesburg for electrical.

In other business, the Board approved the following:• Appointment of Krista Winters as associate dean of math and natural sciences for the remainder of the 2022-23 academic year, effective Jan. 1.• Employment of Reghan Merry as full-time dental hygiene instructor, effective Jan. 1.• Employment of Tiffany Viggiano as dean of health professions, effective Jan. 1.• Employment of Nicholas Mackey as ground assistant, effective Jan. 1.• Employment of Susan Morgan as administrative computing information manager, effective Jan. 1.• Resignation of Susan Rice as risk management/accounting technician, effective Dec. 31.

The Board’s next scheduled meeting is 7 p.m. Jan. 26 on the Main Campus in Galesburg.

Original source can be found here