June/July IMAIL

RICHLAND

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JUNE-JULY2012

SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS Ben Newton, bnewton@richland.edu

Renewable Energy Classes

coming to the C E N T E R F O R S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y A N D I N N OVAT I O N

Clay Sterling of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association will be the instructor for the Introduction to Residential Scale Wind Systems and Introduction to Photovoltaic Systems on Friday, July 20 and Saturday, July 21.

The classes are being offered for FREE thanks to support from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Clay is the first instructor in the nation to hold a Small Wind Affiliated Instructor Certification. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Institute for Sustainable Power Quality (ISPQ) Accreditation & Certification Program awarded Clay the Affiliated Instructor Certification in both small wind and photovoltaic technologies, recognizing his accomplishment and commitment to excellence in renewable energy training.

This certification recognizes instructors who have a high level of professional instruction and installation experience, as well as a commitment to quality and professionalism in training. Currently, Clay is the only ISPQ-certified instructor in the country to hold certifications in both small wind and photovoltaics. Call extension 265 to register for this great opportunity.

Introduction to Residential Scale Wind Systems Sect. 01: Fri., July 20 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Instructor: Clay Sterling-Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Location: Richland Campus; Room: Center for Sustainability and Innovation Cost: Free Course Description This one-day workshop is the introductory workshop to MREA wind systems training and is a prerequisite for all other MREA wind workshops. It is designed as the first step in a professional track or for people who have an interest in residential size wind systems for their home or business.

The workshop will define wind energy, describe how residential wind energy systems work, and provide a basis for making informed decisions about the design, sizing, and siting of wind energy systems. As part of the workshop, participants receive the MREA Introduction to Wind Systems Training Manual.

Introduction to Photovoltaic (Solar) Systems Sect. 01: Sat., July 21 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Instructor: Clay SterlingMidwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Location: Richland Campus; Room: Center for Sustainability and Innovation (CSI) Cost: Free Course Description This 8-hour course uses a combination of lecture and classroom activities to teach the basics of photovoltaic (PV) systems. Participants will learn how PV systems work, diagram the four PV system types, describe and identify components, understand the best application and limitations of each system type, define the solar window, make energy efficiency recommendations, estimate system loads, and understand the basics of PV site assessment.

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HEALTH PROFESSIONS Ellen Colbeck, ecolbeck @richland.edu

CONGRATULATIONS, KATHY LEE Kathy Lee, Surgical Technology Program Director, was recognized by the Board of Directors of the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (ARC/STSA) in June for her seven years of service to the Board. During her seven year tenure, Kathy served as Director in 2005 and again from 20112012, as Secretary-Treasurer in 2006, as Vice-Chair from 2006-2010, and as Commissioner from 2009-2012. In a letter from the Board, Kathy was praised for her exceptional service and leadership in guiding the growth and development of specialized programmatic accreditation services offered by ARC/STA in collaboration with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) to 475 surgical technology and surgical assisting programs in postsecondary institutions throughout the nation. Kathy retired this year from the Board, but will continue to be active in programmatic accreditation. Please congratulate Kathy on her accomplishments and contributions to ARC/STA, CAAHEP, and the field of surgical technology!

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES Kathy Lee, Brooke Oliver, and Jessica Dooley (2012 Surgical Technology graduate) attended the Association of Surgical Technologists 43rd National Conference in Washington, D.C. during the month of May. Kathy and Brooke attended the two-day Instructors Workshop on May 23-24, and then all three participated in the conference May 24-27. Kathy and Brooke heard from a number of surgical experts and also served as Illinois delegates for all business sessions.

Virginia Ostermeier attended the 11th Annual International Nursing Simulation/Learning Resource Centers Conference on June 21-23 in San Antonio. The conference is a leading forum for nurse educators, researchers, nurse managers, and staff development professionals.

Participants have an opportunity to disseminate and gain current knowledge in the area of skills/ simulation lab management and simulation enhanced education.

Kathy Lee and Brooke Oliver

ALPHA DELTA NU Judy Maloney and Karen Vercellino, faculty advisors for Richland’s chapter of Alpha Delta Nu attended a state-wide meeting in May. Alpha Delta Nu is a nursing honor society established by the Illinois Organization of Associate Degree Nursing, to promote scholarship and academic excellence in the profession of nursing. Judy and Karen presented the certificate and logo used to recognize inductees during Richland’s 2012 pinning ceremony. The state chapters made a motion to recommend to the National Organization of Associate Degree Nursing the adoption of the certificate and the logo. Judy and Karen also presented the video the Alpha Delta Nu students worked on as part of a service learning project. The video was well received and will be posted on the National Organization’s and Richland’s websites. The Health Profession’s division would like to express their immense appreciation to Joe Tury and Amy Rankin for their creativity and hard work on these projects.

THANK YOU!!

Richland’s Health Professions division has received a donation from Macon County Health Department of 135 boxes of syringes. The Health Department could no longer use the syringes since they were expired or near their expiration dates.

However, the health profession programs often use items such as these for educational purposes during lab practice. This kind donation will save the division nearly $10,000.

ACTIVITIES WITH PTR INSTITUTE Jessica Pickel served as co-facilitator for the Office of Community College Research and Leadership Pathways to Results (PTR) Institute on June 28-29. The Institute was designed to provide an intensive learning experience for state leaders positioned to advance implementation of the PTR grant. PTR is an outcomes-focused, equity guided process to improve student transition to postsecondary education and employment. During the two day meeting, attendants participated in a simulated PTR project that guided them through the five phases of process.

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BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY Jack Adwell, jadwell@richland.edu

Working Connections 2012 In May, Faith Brenner and David Kirby, Information Technology Professors, attended the Working Connections IT Faculty Development Institute in Springfield, Illinois. The mission of this faculty institute is “to provide high quality, timely, affordable professional development for faculty in emergent technologies with opportunities for peer networking and industry/business interaction”. This was the 10th year for the institute and several different topic tracks are offered each year. This year, Faith and David attended the “Intro to Developing Droid Applications” course. In this course, they learned how to develop mobile apps (mini programming applications) for the Android operating system. These apps can be launched on any mobile device using the Android operating system (smart phones, Kindle Fire, etc.). The course was completely “hands-on”, giving them lots of practice in creating Android mobile apps. The week-long institute was very informative. Faith plans to incorporate Android mobile apps in her CS 281 Advanced Object-Oriented Programming course in the Fall 2012 term.

Richland’s Horticulture 2012 April and May were extremely busy months for Richland’s Horticulture program as they prepared for this year’s Plant Sale. All of their hard work was rewarded when the sale began on Thursday night, May 10, with a “Sneak-Preview” for Richland students and staff. Customers were lined up at 6 a.m. Friday morning as a huge variety of annual and perennial plants were made available to the public. By closing time that day, Richland horticulture students had sold nearly $14,000 in plants. Saturday proved to be even a better day as again customers arrived early for the best buys.

Under the guidance of Professor David McLaughlin, displays were consolidated and refreshed as selections were reduced. By the end of the afternoon most of the plants were gone and a very tired group of students and faculty added up the final receipts. The total sales for this year’s two-day event raised $21,097.

It has been eight years since David McLaughlin started Richland’s Horticulture Plant Sale. This year’s event brings the total sales for those eight years to $172,943. Besides raising money for this program, the annual plant sale has built strong relationships with many members of the community. Each year there is a larger number of “friends” who contribute their time to work in this event. Some even take the time off from their regular jobs to support Richland’s Horticulture program. We offer our heartfelt thanks to all of those that made this another successful Richland/community event.

Commitment | Respect | E xcellence | Accountabilit y | Diversit y

Commitment | Respect | E xcellence | Accountabilit y | Diversit y

CAREER SERVICES Michael Diggs, mdiggs@richland.edu

StudentEmployment 2012-2013

Student Employment is still in the process of updating a new system and is always looking to improve! Students who are looking for employment as a student employee need to apply online by filling out the student application form. They will need to designate what type of employment they are interested in: Federal Work Study, Institutional Work Study, Internship, and/or Cooperative Work Study and also designate what area of the school they want to work in. Everything is automatically checked on their eligibility to include grade point average, financial aid status, etc. As a student employee supervisor, you will need to fill out an Employment Information for All Personnel form if you want to hire a student employee; also, don’t forget a new/updated form is required for the start of the new fiscal year July1, 2012, for any and all student employees.

We are looking to improve the learning curve of the student to better prepare them to enter into the job market. Any suggestions or comments are always welcome. Contact Michael Diggs, mdiggs@richland.edu, ext. 205 or Jill Jenkins, jjenkins@richland.edu, ext. 307 for any questions on the process.

MARKETING Lisa Gregory, lgregory@richland.edu

PLAY BALL!!

The Peoria Chiefs are hosting a College and University group night on Saturday, August 4. The Chiefs host a 6:30 p.m. game against the Clinton Lumber Kings with a post-game fireworks show. There is a special offer code for Richland Community College faculty, staff, and students for $6 club box seats. Just go to the Chiefs website and enter the special offer code: RICHLAND (all capital letters) to receive $6 tickets for the night. Tickets may be ordered by visiting www. peoriachiefs.com and clicking on the TicketReturn link or by visiting https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/Buy. asp?EventID=71925 Tickets are regularly $11 each. There is a $1.75 online service charge that goes to our ticketing provider for the first six tickets purchased, which is applied regardless of the promo code.

MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE DIVISION Dr. John Cordulack, jcordula@richland.edu

Chris Merli has passed his National Tournament Director test. This is the highest level of tournament director certification offered by the United States Chess Federation. Fewer than 100 individuals have ever reached this level of certification. It requires a combination of rigorous testing and experience in a number of local and national level tournaments.

RICHLAND BOOKSTORE Patty Bailey, pbailey@richland.edu

Richland Community College Bookstore is supporting Relay for Life by selling T-shirts. For every T-shirt sold, the Bookstore will donate $1.00 to Relay for Life. The T-shirts are purple with “Richland” across the front and “We Support Relay for Life” on the left sleeve. They are sold only at the Richland Bookstore.

For more information, contact Patty Bailey, Richland Bookstore Manager, at extension 233.

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HUMAN RESOURCES Rick Gschwend, rgschwen@richland.edu

Reducing Stress from Work and Family Demands

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WELCOMING

Trying to meet your own needs as well as the needs of work and the demands (both welcome and unwelcome) that other people put upon you can be stressful. Being both a parent and an employee can be Kristen Bilyeu quite a challenge. And the challenge is even greater if Employment and Training Specialist you happen to be a single parent or have additional responsibilities for other family members. And don’t assume that single employees don’t have a lot of outside demands on their time, from paying attention to extended family needs to caring for pets, and from trying to build or maintain a social life to making ends meet on one paycheck.

While some work/life stress may be inevitable, there are things you can do to increase your resilience and make your life easier. Here are just a few suggestions: • Don’t try to be superhuman. No one else is and you don’t have to be either. Identify what is most important to youyour priorities-and focus on doing the best you can in areas that matter the most.

• Try to spread some of the work around – learn to delegate, ask for help.

• Learn how to say “no” to tasks and activities that you don’t have the time for and/or do not fit within your current priorities. Taking on one more volunteer activity may seem noble, but it may also greatly contribute to your stress if you are stretched too thin.

• Get organized. One of the biggest time wasters is lack of organization (both at work and at home). Make a personal and family “to do” list, file or put things away you are currently not using, shop for a week – not for a day; and set expectations for other family members.

• Practice being proactive rather than reactive; focus on prevention rather than cure.

• Take care of your health-both physical and emotional. Exercise, eat sensibly, and get enough sleep. You won’t be helpful to others or yourself, if you aren’t functioning at your personal best.

Reprinted with permission from “Frontline Employee” Newsletter, Chestnut Global Partners, our Employee Assistance Provider.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER Mary Atkins, matkins@richland.edu

Becoming Familiar with the Woodcock Johnson Assessment The Woodcock Johnson is a standardized educational assessment that measures both achievement and cognitive levels. It can be used as a diagnostic tool to develop an individual education plan for success.

The cognitive assessment includes comprehension/knowledge, short-term memory, visual processing, auditory processing, long-term memory, critical thinking, and processing speed. The achievement part measures broad reading, comprehension, broad math, and broad written language.

Once the test scores have been entered into the program, a thorough report is generated. This report can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in academic areas and cognitive skills that need to be improved. The test comes with a handbook that has lists of suggestions for both students and instructors on how to improve weak areas.

The Director of the Academic Success Center administers the assessment at the student’s request. The test is given in two sessions; each session is around an hour and a half. Results are then given to the student and explained. By the end of the second session, students can have a good idea of how to study more effectively. Quite often when students understand why they’re having trouble, it relieves some of the anxiety and they then can concentrate on learning more effectively. There is no cost for the test.

Academic Success Center

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Academic Success Center continued from page 6

Anxiety can be a Disability Did you know it is possible for a person to have more than 100 signs of anxiety? Some signs are associated with the body, including uncontrollable profuse sweating, blushing, body aches, chest pain/tightness, choking, exhaustion, flushed or red face/skin, muscles that vibrate, jitter, tremor or shake, nausea, weakness, or weight loss.

Anxiety symptoms associated with the chest area include feeling like one’s chest is vibrating, pain or discomfort, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, or rib cage tightness, pressure or feeling like a tight band around the rib cage.

Anxiety can be linked to a variety of fears; fear of what others think of you, fear of being trapped in a place with no exits, fear of being overwhelmed, fear of dying, of losing control, of impending doom, of passing out or losing your mind. One may have a heightened selfconsciousness.

Symptoms commonly associated with the head include brain fog, burning, itchy tight scalp, hair loss (thinning or falling out), head, neck or shoulder pain, shooting pains and odd pressures in the neck, head or face, or TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint) problems.

Anxiety symptoms associated with the mind and thinking include being afraid of everything, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss,

frequently feeling overwhelmed, difficulty concentrating, difficult time learning new material or feeling spaced out.

Moods associated with anxiety include feeling angry, lack of patience, depression, being on edge, being grouchy, or feeling under pressure all the time.

Mouth and stomach anxiety symptoms include constant craving for sugar or sweets, constipation or diarrhea, difficulty swallowing or talking, dry mouth, lack of appetite, lump in throat, nausea, frequent urination, or vomiting.

Sleep issues associated with anxiety include difficulty falling or staying asleep, bizarre, bad or crazy dreams, hearing sounds in your head that jolt you awake, insomnia or waking up in the middle of the night, waking up with a panic attack, or feeling worse in the morning upon waking.

In addition, there are sight and touch symptoms associated with anxiety.

If you have a student in class who exhibits several of these behaviors, you can refer the student to the Academic Success Center. Anxiety is a disability that students can receive accommodations for with appropriate documentation from a medical professional. Mary Atkins is the Director of the Academic Success Center in C148 or call her at Ext. 362 for additional information.

Captain’s Log Program The Academic Success Center has a program on one of their computers called “Captain’s Log” which can be used by anyone to learn/improve many of the cognitive skills needed for learning and real life.

These cognitive skills include attention, impulse control, memory, reasoning, and visual and auditory processing. The program accommodates ability levels from the very low to very high.

Each individual who uses the Captain’s Log completes an assessment which will prescribe which parts to use. The program saves and monitors progress. Best results occur when an individual spends 20 – 30 minutes at a time, 2-3 days a week. There is no charge; appointments can be made by calling extension 379.

Captain’s Log works quite nicely with the Woodcock Johnson assessment to identify weak cognitive areas and to learn or improve weak cognitive areas.

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OFFICE OF CAMPUS SECURITY

SAFETY TIP OF OF THE THE Aarron Cook, acook@richland.edu

MONTH car break-ins Security Alert:

It takes less than one minute for a thief to break your car window and snatch the iPod, laptop or purse on the front seat. It will likely take you more than one minute to read this article. Think about that the next time you dash in to pick up a cup of coffee or return a DVD. According to Nationwide Insurance, each year, $1.26 billion in personal items and accessories are stolen from vehicles in about 1.85 million thefts. For every theft, experts estimate there are several break-ins and attempted breakins.

Don’t become a statistic. Here are some tips to make your car more secure: 1. Keep your car visible. Park in well-lit areas, near people. Avoid having your car concealed by larger vehicles, fences or foliage; thieves like to work in private.

2. Don’t make it easy. Keep windows and sunroofs closed and doors locked. Almost one-fourth of thefts from vehicles are from unlocked cars.

3. Activate your vehicle’s alarm. Don’t have one? Factory-installed anti-theft systems are best, but a professionally installed alarm can discourage a car break-in thief who likes to work in silence.

4. Hide your valuables. Many smash-and-grab thieves act on impulse. So keep your stuff out of sight – either with you or in a locked trunk. Don’t count on the glove box; thieves know to look there, and they’re easy to break into.

5. Hide your valuables. If you have a wagon or SUV that leaves your cargo area open, get a retractable fitted cover to keep shopping bags or other belongings hidden.

6. Don’t hand a thief your keys. Take your keys with you. If you think you have a great hiding place for a spare key, keep in mind car break-in thieves know to look above the visor, in the center console, under the floor mat, in the trunk well, etc.

7. Stow your stuff before arrival. Experienced thieves often stake out parking lots to watch for people putting items in their trunk. Help prevent car break-ins by putting valuables, like laptops, messenger bags and electronic devices, into your trunk before you get to the parking lot.

8. Stash the evidence. After you’ve put your stuff in the trunk, don’t forget such telltale evidence as power plugs, MP3 adapters and navigation system windshield suction-cup mounts. Thieves know what they’re looking for, so hide the electronic accessories, too.

9. Take it one more step. Many vehicles are broken into with the intent of stealing the vehicle itself. Visible anti-theft devices, like steering wheel locks, steering column collars or brake pedal locks, may discourage the would-be thief from breaking in and trying.

The aftermath of a car break-in can be expensive, both in repair costs and replacement of your valuables, as well as making you feel vulnerable.

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CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Summer Field Trip Fun

By Amanda Rooney and Melissa Lane

What fun we have had so far this summer in the Child Development Center (CDC)! Thanks to Richland faculty and staff, the children in the CDC have been able to enjoy many field trips to several departments in the college.

Children enjoyed visiting the Horticulture department where they became engaged in learning about chickens, plants and fish. First the children took a tour of the gardens and learned how to properly take care of plants, and crops. Next children were introduced to several types of chickens and learned how to interact so not to scare them, and what types of different foods they enjoy eating.

The children concluded their visit with the coy fish. They learned how fish breathe under water and how they help the environment. Thank you Mâire!

A big thank you to Dr. Siu for taking time to meet the children in the pottery lab! (see related story) Thanks to Mr. Jim for showing the children around the Richland semi-truck! The children loved being able to explore the semi. A favorite activity was sitting in the cab of the truck and seeing how a trucker lives on the road.

Children were also surprised to see how large the back of the semi truck was. This experience gave them firsthand knowledge on how a truck is run and operated.

The school age children visited the Creative Media Center where they were able to make Eco Boy ID’s using a camera and computer graphics program. The children were mesmerized by all of the “umbrellas” used for taking pictures and had a lot of questions on why they were used. At the end of their tour, children got to take home “Tangled” and “The Muppet Movie” posters. The children spent the rest of the day playing with the goodies they received. Thank you Joe! Another favorite field trip was taken to the Duplication Center. Children were amazed by all of the machines surrounding them. While on their tour children got to push a lot of green buttons to make the machines work (a favorite part of the tour!). The children were very engaged with learning about each machine and how it functioned.

A favorite machine was the shrink wrap machine. The children loved seeing how it worked and were in awe of its abilities. Thank you for the tour, coloring books, and magnets Debbie and Kathy!

Thank you to all who have taken the time out of your busy schedules to show the children in the CDC what you do!

These educational fieldtrips meet the Illinois Early Learning Standards in the areas of Science and Fine Arts.

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Child Development Center continued from page 9

Emerging Artists

On June 14, the students of the Child Development Center had the opportunity to view a pottery demonstration in the ceramics lab. Dr Siu showed the children how to press the sides of the bowl to make it appear square, and she also made the bowl look like a flower. The children were shown how to produce plates, glasses, vases, and a pitcher with clay.

When the children arrived they were given moist clay to feel. Many children rolled the clay into a worm. By the end of the demonstration several children commented that their clay was dry.

Upon returning to the classroom, the children made a salt dough thank you plaque for Dr Siu. The next day the children were provided moistened pottery clay. The children have spent the last few weeks molding and painting their masterpieces.

This summer, the children have also mixed colors using plastic color paddles and painted water color pictures. They worked, as a group, to create one large painting on a canvas. Children also painted individually on water color paper, which provided more color mixing practice. The children signed their paintings, or repeated the letters of their name, while the teacher wrote their name.

These creations will be displayed in the David Erlanson Art Gallery July 16 - 27. These experiences meet Illinois Early Learning Standards in the areas of: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Physical Development and Health, and Fine Arts. article by Wendy Filchak

CEHFA

Communications, Education, Humanities, and Fine Arts

Dr. Lily Siu, lsiu @richland.edu

Division Activities!

Alice Huebner is helping children with the Children’s Summer Reading Program, “Reading Is Soooooooooooooo Delicious!” at the Decatur Public Library. She reported a fun time signing up new readers, talking with children about books they have read, setting a goal for next week, and giving out prizes for goals reached.

what's new in

Kris Kuebling, adjunct in English and tutor at the Student Success Center, attended the Transitional Studies (developmental education) Conference in Kaskaskia College on May 14-18.

Education Coalition is being reformatted, with groups of 8-10 working on smaller initiatives targeting specialized areas in education with more emphasis on research. Jeanne Helm has been invited to serve on the Birth to Three Parent Mentoring group initiative sponsored by Baby Talk.

T heatre?2012-13 season

Fairytales of the Future (Discovery Theatre Production) | Performances: Fri. & Sat., August 3, 4, 10, and 11: 7:00 p.m., Aug. 5 & 12: 2:00 p.m.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) | Performances September 14, 15, 21, and 22 at 7:30, September 16 and 23 at 3:00 p.m.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead | Auditions September 19 and 20 | Performances November 9, 10, 16, and 17 at 7:30, November 11 and 18 at 3:00 p.m.

Santaland Diaries | Performances December 13, 14, 15 at 7:30 | December 16 at 3:00 p.m.

Fundraiser for the Emerging Theatre Professional Scholarship Proof | Auditions February 26 and 27 | Performances April 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7:30, April 14 and 21 at 3:00 p.m.

CEHFA continued on page 11

Michelle Stephen’s play, “In Real Life,” recently received good press in a Herald Review article about local playwrights. http://herald-review.com/ news/local/decatur-native-swork-chosen-for-heartlandtheatre-s-annual/ article_47765234-af92-11e1bf07-001a4bcf887a.html

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CEHFA continued from page 10

DAVID ERLANSON G A L L E R Y

Walking By... this summer at the Erlanson The Erlanson is featuring some of our very own this summer. In mid to late June, Derek Clem, adjunct faculty and Champaign artist showed some of his mixed media paintings. Derek received his MFA degree in Painting and Drawing from Illinois State University in 2010, his MA degree in Painting and Metalsmithing in 2007 from Eastern Illinois University, and also his BA degree in Sculpture from Eastern Illinois University. In addition to keeping an active studio practice and teaching at Richland, Derek is a counselor for the Summer Art School for High School Students at Eastern Illinois University.

Miranda Horve, Richland and Illinois State Alumni, will show her artist books during the first half of July. Miranda received an AFA from Richland and a bachelor’s degree in photography and graphic design. During her time at Richland, she fell in love with photography while majoring in graphic arts and began using the two media together. In her last year at Illinois State, she found a new love: books. She began using photography, graphic design, writing, and bookmaking skills to make artistic flag books.

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