Story and photos by Steven Stilt
Representatives from the Illinois Community College Board paid a visit to Kaskaskia College on Thursday, touring the school’s main campus accompanied by KC President George Evans and other school officials. The ICCB works alongside the governor’s office and state legislature, and Evans says the tour gave board members valuable insight about the importance of KC that they can then relay to state officials.
“They’re huge champions for us, and I think having that evidence and seeing stuff firsthand, seeing what we’re doing firsthand, when they do have those conversations with the governor’s office, not only are they able to speak on the information that we provide them, they can speak to their individual experiences. So having them here is part of that.”
For ICCB Executive Director Brian Durham, it was his first visit to KC since recent renovations have taken place on the main campus, and he says he is impressed by the school’s new look.
Thursday’s tour also included a stop at the Crisp Technology Center, where students can learn various trades such as welding, carpentry and HVAC. Durham says he appreciates that the instructors at Crisp are open to feedback and are mindful of how industries are evolving.
“(We’re) really excited to see how they’re looking forward and thinking about what they need to change. We talked a lot at welding about what they’ve got to change, so they are adapting to their partners and listening to their employers, which is so important and really such a strength of community colleges.”
Evans, who is a member of the ICCB, says he was honored to invite other board officials to see what KC has to offer.
“I’ll put this institution up against any in the state as far as affordability but also comfortability and cleanliness. That’s something I think we should all be very proud of, and the only way we can do that is to ensure that we get this information to the right people and the influencers, which is the Illinois Community College Board.”
The ICCB visit coincides with Career and Technical Education Month, which is aimed at raising awareness about the technical fields and how they prepare students for future employment.
Illinois Community College Board and Kaskaskia College officials pose for a group photo at the end of Thursday’s tour of KC’s main campus. Photo by Steven Stilt.
