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Governor JB Pritzker announced that 15 Illinois community colleges will receive more than $103.5 million from the State of Illinois to expand existing facilities and construct new buildings. Lincoln Trail College and Olney Central College are among the schools selected to receive funding. Lincoln Trail College will receive $8,370,000 for the construction of a Technology Center, and Olney Central College will receive $2,307,300 for the construction of an Applied Technology Center.
“It is hard to overstate the impact that these projects will have on these two colleges,” said Dr. Ryan Gower, Chancellor, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges. “At Lincoln Trail College, some of our technical programs are still being taught in buildings constructed in 1969 that were intended to be temporary structures.” Gower says those temporary buildings lack the physical space and infrastructure to allow faculty to use modern instructional technology.
The Applied Technology Center at Olney Central College will house classrooms and laboratory facilities for the Associate Degree in Nursing, Associate in Applied Sciences- Radiography, Phlebotomy, and the Basic Nurse Assistant training programs.
“The faculty and staff at OCC greatly appreciate the State of Illinois supporting our Allied Health programs and working to ensure we can train healthcare workers in the most up to date technology and curriculum for our rural area,” said Rodney Ranes, President, Olney Central College. “The enhanced experiences this will provide to our students cannot be measured and will have a direct impact on our area healthcare agencies who are looking for skilled, career prepared employees.”
The newly designed space will allow the faculty to incorporate simulation technology into the program that Ranes says will significantly enhance the experience for the Nursing students at Olney Central College and Allied Health students from across the IECC District.
The Technology Center at Lincoln Trail College will house several technical programs including Process Technology, Construction Technology, Welding, Broadband Telecommunications, and Computer Security and Forensics. The center will also house a new University Partnership Center that will allow area residents to earn degrees from select four-year colleges without leaving home.
“The cost of earning a four-year degree is becoming a real barrier for students,” says Gower. “Much of the cost is related to relocation and housing in a new community. Our University Partnership Center will eliminate the need for area students to leave our community to earn a four-year degree. With the classroom technology that is available today, it is possible for LTC students to remotely join instruction at participating institutions from across the country.”
The decision to release this funding in a time when state budgets are tight has been met with questions. “As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the economy of every state in the nation, it is more critical than ever that we continue to invest in the state’s educational institutions so they can continue to provide resources that advance livelihoods and spur the economy,” said Governor JB Pritzker.
This is a sentiment shared by Dr. Gower. “Our colleges should be regional magnets recruiting students from a wide area to live in our communities while they study. IECC students eat in our restaurants, they shop in our local stores, and hopefully, they stay to work with area employers after graduation. As colleges close to the Indiana border, there is a role for us to play in reversing the trend of outmigration from our communities. Investing in our colleges is one of the best ways to strengthen our local economies. I’m deeply appreciative of the support we have received from Senator Dale Righter and the State of Illinois.”