REPORT to the COMMUNITY 2012
OUR CORE
VALUES
ACCESSIBILITY — We remove barriers to learning formed by time, geography, education, culture, experience or beliefs to provide a full range of quality educational opportunities for all who can benefit. QUALITY — We constantly redefine what it means to be “the best,” seeking to improve in every area and exceed the expectations of those we serve. VALUE — We focus every resource directly on the search for learning, creating tangible benefits in everything we do. SERVICE — We view the world from the perspective of those we serve — anticipating needs and striving to exceed expectations while demonstrating a caring, knowledgeable, consistent connection with each individual every time they meet us. INNOVATION — We are actively engaged on the frontiers of education, continuously improving the learning environment for our students and communities.
2 | WAUBONSEE Community College
Each year, I develop a Presidential Action Initiative that provides clear direction for the college community on emerging issues. The 2011-2012 initiative, “Excellence through Engagement,” illustrated the college’s commitment to continuing the strong relationships we’ve enjoyed with our community, our students and our employees so that Waubonsee continues to be a place where futures take shape. Waubonsee exists to serve our area residents. Community engagement gives us the critical feedback to continually improve. Once a community member enrolls at Waubonsee, we provide opportunities for the connection with the college to deepen. From the most immediate classroom interaction with faculty to extracurricular activities, we strive to fully engage our student body. Significant projects were launched or expanded in the past year to improve the first-year student experience, college and career readiness, and degree and certificate completion. Serving students and the community well is not possible without dedicated, caring and motivated faculty and staff. We strive to engage our employees and make sure that each and every faculty or staff member has the resources they need to excel. An exciting new Leadership Academy gives employees the opportunity to grow and provide enhanced service. This 2012 Report to the Community highlights how Waubonsee’s pursuit of “Excellence through Engagement” reinforces our core values of Accessibility, Quality, Value, Service and Innovation. Thank you for your continued support of Waubonsee and our mission.
Christine J. Sobek, Ed.D., President
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2012 | 3
MEREDITH M. ADAMSKI Class of 2012
QUALITY 4 | WAUBONSEE Community College
A Complete Success People always say it is important to finish what you start. Lately, that adage has become a rallying cry in educational and political arenas as it relates to college completion. To increase the percentage of its students completing a degree or certificate, Waubonsee launched its Project Graduation initiative in the 2009-10 academic year. “Finishing a certificate or associate degree can be very motivating for students,” said Dean for Counseling and Student Support Kelli Sinclair. “We encourage students to feel good about it and mark that success with their family. Plus, credentials help students earn more in the job market. Employers are often looking for a complete credential rather than a list of courses taken.” Recognizing the importance of completion, President Barack Obama sounded his own call to action in 2009 in the form of the American Graduation Initiative, with a goal of producing an additional five million community college graduates by 2020. This national call was echoed by the State of Illinois as Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon toured the state’s 48 community colleges in 2010-11 and then released her “Illinois Community Colleges: Focus on the Finish” report. That report set the goal of increasing the proportion of working-age adults with meaningful career certificates and degrees from today’s 41 percent to 60 percent by 2025. Over the past three years, Waubonsee has taken several steps to help more students complete. With the opening of new comprehensive campuses in downtown Aurora and Plano, students can now earn a complete degree at three of the college’s four campuses. And those degrees require less time and expense than in the past. After examining all of the transfer and occupational associate degree requirements, the college decided to revise most of them in order to maximize transferability and get students out into the workforce.
Partnerships have also come into play during Project Graduation. To help make sure high school graduates are prepared to jump straight into college-level work, Waubonsee faculty and staff work closely with high school teachers and counselors on curricular alignment and other college readiness projects. Plus, the college has recently entered into “reverse transfer” discussions with Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Roosevelt University and Aurora University in an effort to make it easier for students to mark the associate degree milestone on their path to a four-year degree.
Credentials Earned at Waubonsee 1500
1,378
1350 1200
1,033
1050 900 750 600
722
705
791
774
815
566
450 300 150 0 FY09
Degree
FY10
FY11
FY12
Certificate
All of these efforts are paying off. In the year before Project Graduation launched, Waubonsee’s class of 2009 included 1,271 students who had earned a degree or certificate. Compare that to the class of 2012, which included a total of 2,411 completers. Nearly doubling the number of completers in three years is good progress, but there is more to be done. Waubonsee will continue to prepare its students, and the entire nation, for a brighter future through meaningful college credentials.
The May 2012 graduation ceremony was Waubonsee’s largest ever. Right: Jenna L. Osmond , class of 2012, stands with her husband, Jim.
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Community Engagement Presents Mutually Beneficial Opportunities For Waubonsee, community engagement can take place over the strains of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s guitar at Blues on the Fox in downtown Aurora. It can also take place while reviewing a résumé or cover letter at a career event. It can even take place while students pack food as volunteers at Feed My Starving Children. Serving 22 municipalities throughout its more than 600-square-mile college district, Waubonsee takes advantage of opportunities to engage its community. This engagement demonstrates one of the college’s core values: service. The benefits flow both ways though. This engagement infuses Waubonsee with feedback, fresh ideas and the assurance that it is effectively meeting the needs of the community. Two of Waubonsee’s newest campuses presented additional opportunities to partner with outside organizations to better engage the college’s community. In downtown Aurora, the college hosted forums, business meetings, workshops, conferences, annual gatherings and other high-profile events. After hosting a grand opening ceremony in June 2011, the college opened its doors for an Aurora Campus Community Open House in September 2011 that featured tours of the building, family-oriented activities and a “Taste of Downtown Aurora” with numerous downtown Aurora restaurants providing free samples of their cuisines. Together, more than 2,000 local residents helped celebrate the addition of Waubonsee’s new campus to the fabric of the downtown community (see center spread, pages 15 and 16, for more information on the first year at the new downtown Aurora Campus). Also, Waubonsee’s Plano Campus, which opened in November 2010 and first offered classes in January 2011, provided a venue to better serve the Kendall County, La Salle County and southern DeKalb County communities in Waubonsee’s district. The college partnered with numerous Kendall County economic development organizations and local agencies to launch the inaugural Kendall County Job Resource Fair under the banner of the college’s Brighter Futures Initiative. This innovative, collaborative event featured a job fair, numerous resources for community members and powerful educational sessions. The college also hosted two additional job fairs at its Sugar Grove Campus and helped countless community members through its Career Services Department.
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The Brighter Futures Initiative, which is Waubonsee’s response to the recession/economic downturn, also featured expert speaker Dr. Kristine Cardinale at the college’s Sugar Grove Campus. This free event, sponsored by Waubonsee’s Community Education Department, sought to teach a new way of earning a living called “The Patchwork Principle: A New Employment Strategy for the 21st Century.”
Following on the 2011-2012 engagement theme, the current Presidential Action Initiative is “Excellence through Collaboration.” If you see ways Waubonsee can better collaborate with your community, business or organization, you can email collaborate@waubonsee.edu to make a recommendation. In addition to hosting or co-hosting events, Waubonsee’s community engagement stems from the strong community involvement of its faculty and staff. Waubonsee employees generously give of their time and expertise to serve on a wide variety of community organization’s boards — many in leadership roles. Collectively, college employees are actively involved in more than 50 civic, non-profit and community organizations. Finally, Waubonsee’s academic programs are constantly invigorated through real-world business engagement. Many programs use business and advisory groups to ensure students are learning the skills they need to succeed in the workforce. Business and industry partners then find the skilled labor they need to grow. This positive influence is further enhanced through partnership with the Valley Education for Employment System (VALEES). Whether talking with community members at business expos or delivering desperately needed career advice, community engagement takes many forms at Waubonsee. This outreach is vital to the college’s success and thoroughly infused through the organizational culture. As a community college, the word “community” is present in every aspect of Waubonsee’s daily operations.
FRANCES JERMAN Spring 2012 Job Fair Attendee
SERVICE
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VALUE
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Waubonsee Recognizes the Value of a Solid Start It’s difficult to overestimate just how important a strong foundation is to any endeavor, including a higher education. Recognizing that, Waubonsee recently took a hard look at the experiences of its first-year students as part of its participation in the Foundations of Excellence® (FoE) project. “This is something the college has been interested in doing for a long time,” said Dr. Stacey Randall, Director of Institutional Effectiveness. “We saw the value of participating in Foundations of Excellence and so incorporated the process into our successful Title V grant application.” Over the past nine years, more than 300 two- and four-year colleges and universities nationwide have collaborated with the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education to work through the FoE process. The process breaks down the first-year student experience into nine dimensions, and then asks the college community to rate the institution on those dimensions using survey results and other quantitative and qualitative data as evidence. At Waubonsee, each dimension had a corresponding committee made up of staff, faculty and students, who delved into the questions, criteria and data, while also suggesting action items to improve Waubonsee students’ experiences.
FoE BY THE NUMBERS • 9 committees with more than 100 staff, faculty and student participants • 413 faculty/staff surveyed
“The most exciting thing about this whole project was the interaction and discussion that came about,” Dr. Randall said. “Here were people who may not have ever met or worked together otherwise but who were having conversations about something that everyone knows is important — our students.”
The nine committees suggested a total of 138 action items to improve the first-year experience at • 138 action items generated Waubonsee. A meeting for all FoE participants was held • 7 themes to be addressed in April, with the purpose of grouping and prioritizing these suggestions. The work of that meeting, along with the work of the college’s FoE liaisons to the Gardner Institute — Randall, Vice President of Student Development Melinda James and Professor of Economics/Business Diana Fortier — has led to a list of seven common themes that will be addressed: • 918 students surveyed
• Clearly define the key components of Waubonsee’s first-year experience and how it differs
depending on the type of student.
• Develop a culture of connection between new students and the resources they need to be
successful.
• Enhance communication related to new student initiatives across our four campus network. • Establish new data-tracking systems that will allow the college to improve data-informed
decision making.
• Refine and clarify policies related to student access and success. • Increase staff and faculty professional development related to first-year students. • Evaluate and refine student learning outcomes, curriculum and instructional methods to
ensure first-year student success.
During the 2012-13 academic year, action teams will be formed around these themes so that tangible progress can be made and measured. In addition, the college will once again embark on the same FoE self-study process, but this time with a focus on the transfer student experience. Funding for Waubonsee’s participation in the Foundations of Excellence project is coming from a larger $3.2-million “Removing Barriers to Student Success” Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
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Leading the Way Everyone can be a leader. That belief is at the heart of Waubonsee’s innovative new Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy is designed to promote leadership and vision in all facets of the college and is offered to all faculty and staff at every level. Leadership training, education and practicum are provided, and certificates are awarded upon completion of each level of training. The Leadership Academy Model is a three-tier structure, with each level building on the previous tier. It becomes much more self-directed and experiential as the employees move through the tiers. Since its launch in 2011, the first-tier workshops have been extremely well received, with waiting lists for all of the sessions offered. Topics include Leadership Style, Human Relations, Leading Ethically, Managing Communications and Leading Change. “Enrollment in the spring Leadership Academy workshops was 342 attendees,” reported Diana Fortier, Professor of Economics/Business, “and there are waiting lists for all of the fall workshops.” The popularity of these sessions may be due to the fact that the workshops were shaped by cross-functional content development teams with collaborative input from Waubonsee employees. Once the structure of the Leadership Academy was created, it was presented to 15 college teams and groups for comments. A total of 126 individuals provided feedback that was ultimately used to refine the Leadership Academy model and develop an implementation plan. “The Leadership Academy is built on the vision that it be open to all and offer something for everyone,” explained Renee Tonioni, Waubonsee’s Dean for Distance Learning and Instructional Technology. “It fits with Waubonsee’s culture of service, quality and excellence.” No matter what job they have or what department they work in, individuals are challenged to find new best practices. Plans call for the Tier Two seminars to focus on Community/Service Learning, Organizational/ Governmental, Teaching/ Learning, Financial Stewardship and Innovation/Technology to be led by outside experts. Tier Three is the Leadership Practicum, which is centered on a leadership project. This final phase is designed to give the individual the opportunity to utilize what he or she learned in the first two tiers and demonstrate personal leadership skills to generate professional, institutional and community benefit. Participants will submit a project proposal focused on developing or improving a Waubonsee system, or an approved outside entity’s system. Once completed, these projects may be presented to various internal and/or external audiences.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” –John F. Kennedy
Waubonsee has a long history of developing the leaders of the Fox Valley who attended the college as students. With this innovative Leadership Academy, faculty and staff are now being prepped to become leaders in their fields, at the college and in the communities the college serves.
Diana Fortier, Professor of Economics/Business, left, and Renee Tonioni, Dean for Distance Learning and Instructional Technology, have amassed more than 80 books on the topic of leadership to create the Leadership Academy library. The collection provides an additional comprehensive resource to Leadership Academy participants.
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INNOVATION
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2012 | 11
ACCESSIBILITY
12 | WAUBONSEE Community College
Ready to Succeed If students aren’t ready for college when they begin, their chances for graduation are greatly diminished. That’s why college readiness is a core priority at Waubonsee. We are working internally and collaborating with our external partners to find ways to improve college and career readiness for all of our students, whether they are traditional-age students coming directly from high school, nontraditional-age students returning to school or multi-lingual students. When students enroll at Waubonsee, their ACT or placement test score gauges their individual skill level. When test results indicate students need to complete developmental level coursework prior to entering college-level classes, they can take developmental courses in math, English and reading. Waubonsee also provides numerous tutoring options to help students find success in these classes. “We are working with our high school colleagues in the district so they can align their coursework with the common core standards and create a bridge from high school to college,” explained Teri Fuller, Assistant Professor of English/Learning Enhancement. “We come together as educators who are collectively working towards the same mission of preparing all of our students for postsecondary success, not only aligning curricula but also sharing best practices and methodology.” Waubonsee recently made the developmental English courses shorter and more intense, so that students can move on to regular college coursework without losing momentum. At the same time, Waubonsee is sharing information with local school districts and high schools so that the schools know how their students perform academically once they graduate from high school. This aids in data-informed decision-making that will lead to program improvements. College and career readiness at Waubonsee is continually evolving. Tom Pulver and Amy Del Medico, Assistant Professors of Mathematics, understand and embrace the new national focus on tailoring developmental math to a student’s future academic path. For example, students planning to major in the social sciences need a foundation that will allow them to succeed in statistics, while a student planning to major in engineering needs to focus on calculus. “We are also working to prepare students who choose occupational career paths,” Pulver added. To accomplish this, Pulver and Fuller met with 50 Career and Technical Education faculty during a workshop at the VALEES/Waubonsee professional development day last spring. Clearly Waubonsee is committed to making education accessible to all by staying on the forefront of college and career readiness. The college has now hosted three college readiness events for high school teachers.
Assistant Professor of Mathematics Tom Pulver works to prepare students for college-level math courses and their future academic and career path.
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Waubonsee Marks First Anniversary of New Downtown Aurora Campus In just one year, Waubonsee Community College’s new downtown Aurora Campus has served nearly 9,500 students, hosted numerous events and revitalized a city block. Waubonsee opened its newest campus on June 1, 2011. The 132,000-square-foot campus, which is located at 18 S. River St. in downtown Aurora, replaced the college’s former campus on Stolp Island. The biggest difference between the new location and the former Aurora facility is that the new campus is comprehensive, meaning students can start and finish complete associate degrees and certificates right in downtown Aurora. While the overall year-to-year growth in students served was 20 percent, credit course semester hours showed even larger gains, jumping by 122 percent. Another big change for the new campus is the direct, on-site access to student services. Offering a “one-stop shop” model, new and returning students can now visit with admissions, counseling, financial aid and registration to plan their educational careers at the college. These areas have seen an increase of more than 40 percent in student traffic compared to the former Stolp Island campus. In addition to the increase in credit-seeking students, the college continued to serve the community through Adult Education programming such as GED, English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Education classes. Like Adult Education, Waubonsee’s Workforce Development Department is also based at the Aurora Campus. Community members and local businesses benefited greatly from the workforce development, professional development, small business resources and customized training offered at the Aurora Campus. The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) continued to provide world-class advice, support and resources for local entrepreneurs. The Multipurpose Room, which is available for rent for professional meetings, has become a valuable asset for the downtown community, playing host to numerous business, community and educational meetings. “In terms of economic impact, few things make as much difference to the success of a city as a well-educated population,” Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said. “Waubonsee’s new downtown Aurora Campus not only increases our city’s marketability by increasing the education of our workforce, but the campus itself is also an economic beacon, showing the vitality of downtown Aurora to future investors and entrepreneurs.”
OUR NEW
AURORA CAMPUS
18 S. River St., Aurora, IL
“Waubonsee’s downtown Aurora Campus offers Aurorans a wealth of opportunities. No matter where you’re starting on the ladder to educational success, this campus provides the knowledge and support you need to meet your goals.” — Dr. Christine Sobek, President
2011-2012 Year in Review •
ollege faculty and staff began work C on a cutting-edge data warehouse project, dubbed ADVANCE, which will launch in late 2012. This project will put Waubonsee at the forefront of data-informed decision-making within higher education.
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ummer 2012 saw phase one S of the Facilities Renovation and Maintenance Plan completed with three renovation projects — Building A, Bodie Hall and the Copley Campus second floor.
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e college’s bond rating was Th raised to Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Services as part of two debt refinancing processes that reduced the college’s debt service by $5.1 million, which resulted in significant taxpayer savings. aubonsee completed phase one W engineering work to install a traffic light at the college’s Sugar Grove Campus north entrance, with construction scheduled to begin in 2013. tudent Senate President Meredith S Adamski and Student Trustee Christopher Mortensen were named All-Illinois Academic Team members, with Adamski earning Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Silver Scholar honors.
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e Library Technical Assistant Th Program was awarded full accreditation by the American Library Association–Allied Professional Association, one of only eight community colleges in the nation to achieve this level of accreditation.
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e Illinois Network of Child Care Th Resource and Referral Agencies approved Waubonsee as a “Gateway to Opportunity” entitled institution for the following credentials: Early Childhood Education Credential Levels 2 and 4, Infant Toddler Credential Levels 2 and 4, and Illinois Director Credential Level I.
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aubonsee welcomed Alexi W Giannoulias, the new chairman of the Illinois Community College Board, during his first visit to a community college campus since assuming his new role.
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aubonsee’s Plano Campus, W which began offering classes in January 2011, celebrated its first full academic year in 2011-2012. The comprehensive campus brings complete degrees and certificates to residents of the southwestern portion of the college district. A highlight of the year was the collaborative Kendall County Job Resource Fair, which is featured on pages 6-7.
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I n collaboration with the Equine Dreams Therapeutic Riding Center in Millbrook, the Workforce Development Department offered the first in a series of courses at the Plano Campus that lead to certification as a Therapeutic Riding Instructor.
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t the Illinois Skyway Collegiate A Conference Writers Festival, Nathan Krauz took first place in the drama/screenplay category for his work, “Because Pessimists Die Faster,” while Carolyn Schroeder won the short fiction category with her work, “Yellow Shoes.”
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aubonsee’s newest “green” W technology, a 70-foot tall wind turbine, is now providing partial power to the college’s Sugar Grove Campus Academic and Professional Center while serving as a teaching and learning tool for the Renewable Energy Technologies program.
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ll 10 seniors in Waubonsee’s A Upward Bound program at East Aurora High School were accepted to colleges for fall 2012.
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I ncreasing service and affordability to students, Waubonsee’s college bookstore expanded the number of digital textbooks available, implemented a textbook layaway program and piloted a textbook rental program.
Clockwise, A student takes a break between classes, under a tree on campus; Bodie Hall remodel; ICCB Board Chairman Alexi Giannoulias.
16 | WAUBONSEE Community College
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e college served as a Volunteer Th Income Tax Assistance site for the eighth year, helping local residents receive more than $1.2 million in refunds.
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tudent Matthew Bily received the S Best in Show Award at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Juried Art Exhibition for his photo entitled “Light Distortion.”
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our Waubonsee Community F College students captured awards at the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Poster Contest. Waubonsee swept the biological sciences/ life sciences category thanks to the work of Melissa Walker (first place), Lisa Booker (second place) and Katheryn Billing (third place). Hannah Dorn took first place in the earth science/physical science/ chemistry category.
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aubonsee hosted Dr. Eduardo W Ochoa, Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education, at the Sugar Grove Campus.
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aubonsee’s Illinois Small Business W Development Center was one of 11 micro-entrepreneur advocates honored by micro-lender Accion Chicago.
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.I. Jobs magazine awarded G the college the designation of Military Friendly School, and the Waubonsee Veterans Club hosted a luncheon meeting with Illinois Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, an alumna and veteran, to discuss current issues facing student veterans.
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aubonsee won 28 marketing W and communications awards throughout the year from numerous professional organizations.
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e National Safety Council Th recognized Waubonsee’s Driver Safety program with two awards for Best Performance in the Defensive Driving Course-4 category and one Trend Setter award in the Alive at 25 category.
Clockwise, U.S. Department of Education Official Dr. Eduardo Ochoa with students; Students try out the new Waubonsee mobile website; New wind turbine on campus.
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e college earned its second Tree Th Campus USA designation from The Arbor Day Foundation.
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o serve students and community T members on the go, the college launched a new mobile website.
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e Health Information Technology Th program received a New Look Award for its project, “Limitless Possibilities: Men in Health Information Careers,” from the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Community College Board.
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e Illinois Community College Th Trustees Association awarded Waubonsee the 2012 Equity Award, which recognizes exemplary commitment by an Illinois public community college board and its chief executive officer to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the college’s education programs.
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Waubonsee implemented Smarthinking, a Web-based tutoring system providing four tutoring options, to help students succeed 24/7.
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aubonsee’s new downtown W Aurora Campus marked its first academic year with many milestones, events and achievements. See more on all that happened at the new campus on pages 14-15.
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MAYA TOLAPPA Assistant Professor of Information Systems
OUTSTANDING
FACULTY Information Systems Professor Named Outstanding Faculty Member at Waubonsee
The best teachers are those who never stop learning themselves — about their discipline, about the art of teaching, about their students. For the way she embraces the roles of both teacher and student, Assistant Professor of Information Systems Maya Tolappa was named the college’s Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year for 2012. After starting her career at an IT company in India, Tolappa moved to the United States and spent five years as a systems engineer at IBM. Wanting more flexibility in a job, she took a look at teaching. “It was the beginning of the dot-com era, and so it was very difficult to hire an IT professional to teach,” she said. Eager to give students real-world expertise, Waubonsee hired Tolappa in the spring of 1994, and since that time, she has helped to develop at least 15 new courses. She currently teaches C++ Programming, Introduction to Java, Advanced Java, Game Development and PHP Programming. “I’m not teaching any of the same courses as when I started, and I don’t know that I’ve ever used the same book two years in a row,” Tolappa said. A lot of the programming languages and software taught at Waubonsee are so new that there are no textbooks available. Tolappa and her colleagues often have to teach from technical manuals, creating assignments and tests on their own. “Maya has a proven track record of mentoring and motivating students,” said Dean for Business and Information Systems Suzette Murray. “Her enthusiasm for teaching certainly permeates her classrooms every day.”
18 | WAUBONSEE Community College
Chapa LaVia Named Waubonsee Distinguished Alumna It is said that people can learn more from failure than from success, and State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia points to herself as living proof. For the way she has used her own personal struggles to better serve both the local community and the state, Waubonsee was proud to honor her as the college’s 2012 Distinguished Alumna. Growing up in east Aurora, Rep. Chapa LaVia had difficulty with test taking, which led to her being held back a year in grade school. Undeterred, she went on to graduate from East Aurora High School at the age of 16 and moved on to Northern Illinois University (NIU). In a Latino Studies course, she was introduced to the power of politics. “The professor made us understand that no matter how large your population or community, without political involvement, people have no voice,” she explained. Rep. Chapa LaVia brought her new political awareness back to Waubonsee, where she completed the rest of her general education courses and earned an associate degree in 1988. That same year, she completed Army basic training. Rep. Chapa LaVia served as a commissioned officer until 1993 and stayed in the National Guard until 1998. She also went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her education and military careers have been assets since being elected as a representative to the Illinois House in 2002. Currently in her third term representing the 83rd District, Rep. Chapa LaVia is the highest-ranking member of the elementary and secondary education committee, as well as the vice-chair of the veterans’ affairs committee.
Waubonsee Names Ochsenschlager Distinguished Contributor When Michael Ochsenschlager volunteers for an organization, he takes the commitment seriously, as demonstrated by the nearly 65 years of combined service he has contributed to three local community organizations over the past several decades. Waubonsee was proud to name Ochsenschlager the college’s Distinguished Contributor for 2012. Starting out in the insurance business in Aurora more than 45 years ago, Ochsenschlager joined the Aurora Kiwanis Club and ended up chairing the group’s signature Pancake Day from 1971 to 1986. Near the end of his Pancake Day run, Ochsenschlager became involved with what was then Copley Memorial Hospital, joining their Board of Governors in 1983. It’s a position he still holds, serving as a member of Rush-Copley Medical Center’s professional affairs committee. Only in comparison to his Copley Hospital service does Ochsenschlager’s almost 20 years of service to the Waubonsee Foundation seem short. With his strong educational background and business experience, Ochsenschlager has been invaluable to the Foundation Board since joining in 1993. He has served as the board’s secretary/treasurer since 2003. “I have a background in accounting and financial planning, so I’m pretty comfortable with that stuff,” Ochsenschlager said. “[Mike’s] opinion is truly respected, and his wisdom is valued by his fellow board members,” said Waubonsee Foundation President Penny Cameron. Through the solicitation of donors and the generosity of his company, Wine Sergi Insurance, which has underwritten several Scholarship Fests and sponsored holes in the Foundation’s annual golf outing, Ochsenschlager is responsible for generating nearly $10,000 in scholarship contributions. “It’s amazing how much good these scholarships do,” he said. “They make the difference between someone continuing their education or not. They represent true value.”
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ATHLETICS Year in REVIEW National Qualifiers
Cross country runners Manny Saucedo and Stephen Clark qualified for the NJCAA Division I Meet. Wrestlers Dan Carey and Javier Carbajal represented Waubonsee at the 2012 NJCAA National Wrestling Championships.
Cheer Champions Waubonsee’s Coed Cheerleaders won first place and were crowned Choreography Champions at the Champion Spirit Group Wisconsin Dells Nationals and College Championship. The team was also named Session 2 Grand Champion and U.S. Finals Bid Winner, earning free registration for the Tournament of Champions.
Athletes of the Year Maxzine Rossler was a unanimous choice as Waubonsee’s Female Athlete of the Year. As a soccer player, she became the college’s first two-time NJCAA All-American, was named First Team NJCAA All-Region and First Team All-Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC), was tabbed both the NJCAA National and ISCC Player of the Week, and holds 18 school records. For her efforts on the basketball court, Rossler was named All-ISCC Second Team. Waubonsee’s Male Athlete of the Year was golfer Tim Schofield, who qualified for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament for the second straight year.
Individual Honors Twenty-three student-athletes were named NJCAA All-Region Players with 19 student-athletes named to ISCC AllConference teams. Maxzine Rossler (Women’s Soccer) and Deontray Dorsey (Men’s Basketball) were chosen to be NJCAA Players of the Week. Nine student-athletes from men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s soccer were named ISCC Players of the Week.
Softball Earns Second Straight Title The softball team captured the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) title for the second year in a row, with a 13-1 conference record. Brooke Nelson was tabbed the ISCC Player of the Year and selected to the All-Region First Team, while teammates Alyssa Reimers, Devin Turner, Megan Kuhn and Brittany Davis were all named ISCC First Teamers. Head Coach Perry Clark was honored as the ISCC Softball Coach of the Year.
Hall of Fame Waubonsee’s 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame class included former baseball player, coach and college administrator Dr. John Avendano; basketball player and current Indiana University assistant coach Tim Buckley; longtime area sportscaster and Chiefs’ supporter Jim Teckenbrock; twotime All-American wrestler Stanley Gress; and recordsetting former baseball player Bob Stehman. 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees included Robert Stehman, Tim Buckley, Stanley Gress, Jim Teckenbrock and Dr. John Avendano.
20 | WAUBONSEE Community College
A RECORD
WIN
Baseball Coach Dave Randall achieved his 800th career win — the 50th coach in the history of NJCAA baseball and the 20th active community college coach to reach that mark. From left to right, Athletic Manager David Randall, Executive Vice President of Educational Affairs/Chief Learning Officer Dr. Deborah Lovingood and Vice President of Student Development Melinda James.
One Shot Wonders Golfers Colton Craig and Alex Bremner finished Waubonsee’s conference season strong as each carded holes-in-one, on different holes, during the final ISCC match of the season. The Chiefs finished the season in second place and finished third at the NJCAA Region IV Tournament, with Tim Schofield and Andrew Morreale qualifying for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament.
First Time to the Tourney The women’s soccer team earned the program’s first-ever trip to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament and were the first Region IV women’s soccer team to ever reach the eight-team, double-elimination tournament. Maxzine Rossler was named an NJCAA All-American for the second straight year, while Coach Leslie Ferguson was tabbed the Region IV Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Chiefs to the title for the third time in the last four years.
Combining Academics and Athletics Proving they can excel in the classroom as well as on the field, Waubonsee student-athletes were awarded 29 ISCC AllAcademic Medallions. Six student-athletes were presented an NJCAA Exemplary Academic Achievement Award for achieving at least a 3.6 grade point average: Rebecca Randall (Softball), Mallory Hladik (Volleyball), Rebecca Bartos (Soccer), Kelsey Lenhardt (Tennis), Maxzine Rossler (Soccer/Basketball) and Tim Schofield (Golf ). Steve Colombe (Baseball) was awarded the NJCAA Superior Academic Achievement Award for achieving a 3.89 cumulative GPA while Kelsey VandenBorn (Volleyball) achieved the Pinnacle Academic Excellence All-American Award for her perfect 4.0 GPA.
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“This is where my future took shape.”
–David Jones
FOUNDATIONS Waubonsee scholarships help students find new hope, new careers This past year, Waubonsee Community College Foundation awarded 233 scholarships valued at $146,190 to 192 recipients. One of these recipients was David Jones, of Geneva. His path to higher education was indirect to say the least. As a high school student, David admits to being more focused on his social life than academics. Selfdescribed as “directionless” and feeling disenfranchised, he left Geneva High School one credit short of graduating. Then in the spring of 2009, the company where David was working was bought out, and he used his severance pay to begin taking courses. With his GED in hand, David enrolled at Waubonsee at the age of 26. During his three years here, he immersed himself in campus life, and with a 3.57 GPA, David joined the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was elected to Student Senate his sophomore year. David also received three Foundation scholarships, which allowed him to take more classes; focus more on his studies; and find validation, fulfillment and inspiration. “As I was deciding to serve and care for others, someone cared for me, I was so happy to get these scholarships,” David said, “I realize it’s not some magical money fund, but that these dollars come from real people with heartfelt goals for giving.” After earning an associate degree in general science, David, now 29, is enrolled in the nursing program at Aurora University and is excited to give back through a career involving giving care to others. Gifts to the Foundation change lives in powerful ways and help students achieve their goals. To make a donation, call Waubonsee’s Office of Fund Development at (630) 466-2316 or visit www.waubonsee.edu/foundation.
22 | WAUBONSEE Community College
Waubonsee’s Foundation raises scholarship funds in a number of ways — through appeals targeted at specific segments of the community; through donations from alumni, board members and staff; and through its annual golf outing, which marked its 25th anniversary this year. Held at the Whitetail Ridge Golf Course in Yorkville, the event raised $28,784 for student scholarships, with 108 golfers participating.
2011-2012 Board of Directors Officers: Penelope “Penny” Cameron, President Gerald Palmer, Vice President Michael Ochsenschlager, Secretary/ Treasurer Directors: Dr. Ellen Barnes Dale Berman John Cordogan Gerard Dempsey Terrence Duffy Richard Faltz Andrew Faville Stan Free Eduardo Gil Theodia Gillespie Dr. Sherry Gray Roger Harris Richard Hawks Dr. Diane Homan Dr. Thomas Huberty Angelo Kleronomos Daniel Kramer William Murphy Joseph Pircon Bonnie Proctor James Rhoades William Skoglund Rebecca Oliver Board of Trustees Liaison Dr. Christine Sobek Waubonsee Community College President Dr. Karen Stewart Vice President of Quality and Strategic Development Darla Cardine Assistant Vice President of Finance and Foundation Executive Treasurer Katharine Richards Director of Fund Development
New Scholarship Donors 2011-2012 (Back, left to right) Dr. Lynn Clark, Jennifer Shook, Lee McKenzie, Waubonsee Community College President Dr. Christine Sobek, Linda Vohny-Moehline, Linda McVicker, Dr. Diane Homan, (Bottom, left to right) Waubonsee Foundation Board President Penelope “Penny” Cameron, Herb Steinmetz, Wayne Clement, Peggy Mugavero and Barbara Graham
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2012 | 23
Financials Waubonsee Community College operates under a conservative budgeting model that supports fiscal responsibility while providing a strong financial commitment to the college’s teaching and learning focus. For fiscal year 2012, the college again received a clean, unqualified audit opinion from its external auditing firm. This confirms the accuracy, professional competence and transparency exhibited by Waubonsee’s financial reporting. The college’s financial position continues to remain strong.
4.2% Auxiliary
2.4% Other Operating
17.6% Tuition & Fees
1.0% Other Non-Operating 0.6% Investment Income
2012 Operating and Non-Operating Revenues by Source
45.3% Property Taxes
13.7% Federal Grants & Contracts
15.1% State Grants & Contracts
0.1% Local Grants & Contracts
Revenues for the Years Ended June 30 (in millions) Operating revenue
2012
2011
2010
Tuition and fees
$ 16.2
$ 16.0
$ 15.2
Auxiliary
3.8
4.0
4.2
Other
2.2
2.1
2.0
22.2
22.1
21.4
Property taxes
41.6
41.2
41.7
State grants and contracts
13.9
12.5
10.9
Federal grants and contracts
12.6
10.6
8.3
.5
.5
.8
Total operating revenue
Non-operating revenue
Investment income
1.0
4.9
1.0
Total non-operating revenue
Other income
69.6
69.7
62.7
Total revenues
91.8
91.8
84.1
24 | WAUBONSEE Community College
5.9% Depreciation
18.7% Institutional Support
31.3% Instruction
2012 Operating Expenses 11.7% Operations & Maintenance of Plant
4.2% Academic Support
7.4% Auxiliary Services
5.0% Public Services
15.8% Student Services
Expenses for the Years Ended June 30 (in millions) Operating expenses Instruction Academic support
2012
2011
2010
24.4
$24.7
$21.6
3.3
3.6
2.9
12.3
10.6
9.1
Public services
3.9
3.8
3.6
Auxiliary services
5.8
5.6
5.2
Operations and maintenance of plant
9.1
8.2
7.6
14.6
14.4
14.2
4.6
4.1
3.4
78.0
75.0
67.6
Student services
Institutional support Depreciation Total operating expenses Interest expense Total expenses
4.0
4.4
4.4
82.0
79.4
72.0
Recognized for Excellence for the 13th Consecutive Year Waubonsee Community College received the “Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting� from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This was the 13th consecutive year the college has received this award.
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2012 | 25
BOARD of TRUSTEES
Back Row (left to right): Daniel Jaquez, CISA; James E. Pilmer; ‘11-’12 Student Trustee Christopher Mortenson; James K. Michels, P.E.; Richard C. Bodie, M.D. Front Row (left to right): Rebecca D. Oliver; Richard “Shorty” W. Dickson; President Christine J. Sobek, Ed.D.; and Karen L. Cotter. Not pictured: ‘12-’13 Student Trustee KC Vogt. Richard C. Bodie, M.D.
Daniel Jaquez, CISA
Karen L. Cotter
James K. Michels, P.E.
Aurora Board Member 1998-2013 Retired Physician Plano Secretary Board Member 1999-2017 Retired Business Executive
Richard “Shorty” W. Dickson Bristol Chair Board Member 1972-1987, 1989-2013 Retired Insurance Executive
26 | WAUBONSEE Community College
Oswego Board Member 2009-2015 Business Professional Elburn Board Member 1987-2017 Consulting Engineer
Rebecca D. Oliver
Plano Vice Chair Board Member 1997-2015 Business Executive
James E. Pilmer
Aurora Board Member 1993-2017 Higher Education Administrator
Christopher Mortenson Batavia Student Trustee 2011-2012
KC Vogt
Aurora Student Trustee 2012-2013
FACTS
AND FIGURES OUR DISTRICT
OUR OFFERINGS
• Encompasses 624 square miles
• Transfer Programs
• Includes southern Kane County and portions of Kendall, DeKalb, LaSalle and Will counties
• Occupational Programs
• Serves 22 municipalities, 12 public high school districts and eight private high schools
• Workforce Development
• Current population: 428,000 • Projected population in 2020: 510,000
• Developmental Education • Community Education • Student Services
OUR STUDENTS
1
• 31,158 students enrolled at Waubonsee. • Students took a total of 197,852 semester hours. • 33 percent enrolled full-time. • 67 percent enrolled part-time. • Average age of a credit student is 27. • Average age of a noncredit student is 40. • 42 percent are male and 58 percent are female. • 20 percent enrolled in occupational programs.
OUR STAFF Waubonsee is one of the area’s largest employers. The college’s staff includes:
• 24:1 is the student-faculty ratio.
• 118 full-time faculty
• Average class size is 17.3.
• 550 adjunct faculty
• 34,976 people have graduated from Waubonsee since the college was established, earning 16,502 certificates and 18,484 degrees.
• 35 administrators • 483 support staff
Our faculty members are experts in their fields —
92% of them hold a master’s or doctoral degree.
Data from summer 2011, fall 2011 and spring 2012. Waubonsee Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran’s status, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs and activities. For more information on the college’s nondiscrimination policies, contact the Executive Director of Human Resources at (630) 466-7900, ext. 2367; Waubonsee Community College, Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove, IL 60554-9454. 1
• 27.3 percent of area high school graduates enroll the following fall.
• 7.7 percent of students attending already possess a bachelor’s degree or higher.
55% are enrolled in transfer programs.
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 2012 | 27
Sugar Grove Campus Route 47 at Waubonsee Drive Sugar Grove, IL 60554 (630) 466-7900
www.waubonsee.edu
Aurora Campus 18 S. River St. Aurora, IL 60506 (630) 801-7900
Copley Campus 2060 Ogden Ave. Aurora, IL 60504 (630) 585-7900
Plano Campus 100 Waubonsee Drive Plano, IL 60545 (630) 552-7900