by: Andrew Waner
According to the Board of Trustees meeting that was held on Wednesday, Oct. 23 Parkland College will be using a $643,000 Carl D. Perkins grant they received for the academic year of 2020. The grant is used to strengthen its career and technical programs and support students in underrepresented groups. Through the Strengthening and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V), the U.S. Department of Education is providing over $1.2 billion in federal aid this year to aid CTE programs around the country.
Executive Vice President, Pamela Lau, reported that the Perkins funds will be used in several important manners. One of these manners, is with the development of an apprenticeship office that will accelerate apprenticeships offered at Parkland. The funding will also provide career exploration software along with other work–based learning tools for students. Parkland will also make lab and software upgrades that boost CTE program technology.
In addition to the Perkins grant, the college has received high marks for financial soundness from external auditors. The Board of Trustees has accepted the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report from Martin Hood, LLC, at the meeting Wednesday. The report presented the college with an unqualified “clean” opinion of its Financial Year 2019 financial statements, which is the best kind to receive from independent review.
The board also introduced and welcomed Susie Jones, the new Director of Counseling and Advising. With this a new advising model will be rolled out next year which will allow students and advisors to become more familiar with each other to benefit both parties further.
In other business, the board approved the following items:
- The purchase of body-worn cameras and associated hardware and software from WatchGuard, Inc. In Allen, Texas for $22,355
- Purchase of a 15-passenger commercial bus from Midwest Transit Equipment of Kankakee for $50,628
- Retaining Henneman Engineering, Inc. of Champaign for the development and design of the campus electronic door lock upgrade for $509,850
- Purchase of the pre-exposure rabies vaccine administration from McKinley Health Center in Urbana for veterinary tech students for $21,420
- Receipt of funds from the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) Workforce Equity Initiative. College officials publicly announced the grant award on Thursday, Oct. 24, in the Student Union atrium.
