August/September 2021 Newsletter
Message from The President
Good evening, Colleagues:
A few Cabinet members and I were featured in a welcome back video for PSC employees. If you haven't already viewed it, please take a moment to watch -- there’s some excellent information included. If you have any questions, please email the Office of the President at pscpresident@prairiestate.edu.
As many of you know, the Governor Pritzker has announced a vaccination and testing mandate. A message was sent out earlier this week with an update about the college's plans and upcoming protocols that will be put in place to manage the vaccination reporting. Plans for how the college will conduct testing on campus are underway. More information is forthcoming.
The updated Building Access Guidelines will be published on the website next week, along with a page dedicated to information about vaccination verifications, testing, FAQs, and more. The deadline to get vaccinated or consent to testing was extended to Sept. 19. However, it will take time to implement weekly testing regulations and reporting. We ask for your patience as we work through these details. For those who would like to get vaccinated, PSC will host a pop-up clinic on campus Monday, Sept. 20, from noon to 4:30 p.m. You can find more on this under upcoming events below.
We encourage you all to stay safe and take proactive steps to protect yourself and others so we can continue to provide in-person and hybrid classes and services moving forward.
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The marketing department has started a campaign with South Suburban News and is working on advertising in the Southland Journal this year. These two publications cover the entire south suburban area, and I feel this is an excellent opportunity to get the word out about our outstanding programs at the college and registration. Additional updates about our marketing outreach are available under Marketing Updates below.
This week, students enjoyed the annual Involvement Fest, which was held on campus this year. Thanks to Helen Manley and Student Affairs for bringing this event together for our students.
Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Georges Sanon did a tremendous job at yesterday’s memorial ceremony honoring those killed and directly impacted by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001. Let us never forget.
Below you'll find college updates, announcements, and more.
Have a great weekend,
Dr. Thomas Saban
Welcome Back, Employees
In case you missed it, Cabinet members were featured in a welcome back video for PSC employees. If you have any questions, please email the Office of the President at pscpresident@prairiestate.edu.
Thanks to Communications and Marketing and Support Services for providing PSC employees with giveaways and snacks at the beginning of the semester. It was well received and we hope to continue similar opportunities throughout the fall.
College Updates
Congratulations to our Newly Tenured Faculty:
Gail S. Szewezyk
Assistant Professor of Dental Hygiene
William J. Condon
Instruction and Reference Librarian and Assistant Professor
Employee Dress Code:
Prairie State College strives to maintain the highest quality of professional service to our constituents. Our appearance and attitude affect how we are viewed by our students, colleagues, and community members. As such, PSC has returned to a business casual dress code in which employees may wear business casual or formal business wear to the office.
Please Note:
Employees whose jobs require them to wear uniforms or whose attire must meet safety standards are not covered by this procedure – check with your supervisor to verify.
Friday and other declared Jeans Days are available to those who opt to donate to the PSC Foundation. Be on the lookout for more information.
Flexible Start Dates:
The fall semester is off to a great start! It is nice to see students, staff, and faculty back on campus. Please keep in mind that registration is still open with flexible start dates listed below. Keep spreading the word about our great institution and encourage our community to register at PSC this fall!
12-week | Sept. 17
Second eight-week | Oct. 18
New Hours for Support Services:
Institutional Support Services has new business hours that align with the Division of Student Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, and to meet the needs of our faculty who teach in the evening as expressed in a recent survey.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Book Vouchers Update:
Approximately 900 students have received their $200 textbook vouchers totaling $116,582.20 worth of books from Barnes and Noble. The process has been relatively simple. This initiative also provides the Business Office staff the opportunity to engage with the students in person and opens up a conversation about payment arrangements. Hopefully, this helps in fewer dropped students for nonpayment.
ACEN Nursing Accreditation:
The accreditation body for the PSC Nursing program will be on campus completing the re-accreditation of the program. Please feel free to come and talk about the program and its influence on the community.
ACEN Site Visit - Public Forum
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
2:15 - 2:45 p.m.
Barnes & Noble Auditorium
Communications and Marketing
New Commercial on Comcast
Communications and Marketing released a new commercial welcoming students back to campus using the slogan, “We’re Here for You," and encouraging the community to register for classes this fall. The commercial is currently running in English and Spanish, airing on 22 networks, including multiple Chicago White Sox games on NBC Sports Chicago, during numerous sporting events on CNBC, NBC Sports, and USA networks, and during the first College Gameday of the NCAA season on ESPN. The campaign also includes 80,000 Effectv Streaming impressions reaching all homes that stream content in the target zone. Gala and ESPN Deportes are also part of the campaign.
PhotoShelter:
PhotoShelter is a digital asset management system that creates an easily searchable library of college imagery including marketing photos, event photos and more. This searchable library is available to PSC employees so you can quickly and easily identify and download the images you need. PhotoShelter link >> https://prairiestatecollege.photoshelter.com/.
Virtual Department Tours: PSC Library
The PSC Library is featured in a video produced by our videographer in the Communications and Marketing Department, as part of our Virtual Tours Series.
If you want your area/department to be included, please reach out to Kristin Carrera, Marketing Manager at kcarrera@prairiestate.edu. Click the link below for all request forms for Communications and Marketing.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion
TRIO Educational Talent Search:
Prairie State College has been selected to receive funding under the Talent Search Program. This grant will be for $277,375.00 (09/01/2021 through 08/31/2022) and each year thereafter, for a total of 5 years.
The PSC Talent Search Program is led by Program Director Lisa Pickens and supported by advisors Keisha Daniel, and Whitney Waller. The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. Talent Search aims to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education. The program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to and complete their postsecondary education. The program publicizes the availability of financial aid and assists participants with the postsecondary application process. Talent Search also encourages persons who have not completed education programs at the secondary or postsecondary level to enter or reenter and complete postsecondary education.
Workforce Equity Initiative:
The PSC Workforce Equity Initiative, a program aimed at eliminating disparities in degree and certificate attainment for African Americans in Illinois, has been extended to March 30, 2022. The Illinois Community College Board sponsors this initiative with funds from the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. The PSC program has served 689 participants in its two years of operation and enjoys the honor of supporting 471 students in completing their degree and certificate programs.
Office of Institutional Advancement and PSC Foundation
Fall 2021 Scholarship Update:
Scholarship applications for fall opened on July 19, and the Foundation has received 135 applications. The committee has reviewed 123 applications to date and has awarded nearly $49,000 to 93 students. At this time, 16 applicants are fully funded with financial aid, and 14 applications are pending student action. As of today, 57 textbooks valued at $6,912 have been loaned to students through the BookSHARE program.
Board Development:
The Foundation has contracted with Empowered Nonprofits for board development training. They will guide the board to define member roles and responsibilities more clearly, build leadership potential, develop onboarding protocol, and provide board members the opportunity to play a crucial role in membership recruitment and fundraising. Empowered Nonprofit has met with the Foundation’s Executive Committee twice and developed a questionnaire sent to the full board. Empowered Nonprofits leadership will facilitate a training session at the Foundation’s Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 21.
Based on the training outcomes, the Foundation may engage the organization to further support fundraising campaigns, including development and implementation, and donor engagement, including cultivation and stewardship.
Foundation Video Project:
The Office of Institutional Advancement and the Foundation has been working with Anne Colton Video on promotional videos that highlight the Foundation’s role in and the College’s commitment to student success. The featured video was highlighted at faculty convocation and shared at the August Board of Trustees meeting.
Special thanks to all the College employees and affiliates who took the time to be interviewed for this project.
Upcoming Dates
September 14: Executive Committee Meeting, 12:30 p.m. via Zoom
September 21: Annual Meeting, PSC Conference Center, Proven IT Room, 5 p.m., dinner
October 19: Investment & Finance Committee Meeting, 12:30 p.m. via Zoom
Save the Date
COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic
Cook County Health has partnered with Prairie State College to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations. The pop-up clinics will be held from noon to 4:30, on Monday, Sept. 20, and Monday, Oct. 18, in the PSC Conference Center, located at 202 S. Halsted St., in Chicago Heights. (Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer)
Walk-ins are welcome. No appointments required.
Eighth Annual Mental Health Conference
You are invited to join us for a powerful two-day special event. Our Eighth Annual Mental Health Conference -- "Children, Adolescents, Young Adults, and Mental Health" -- is an excellent, timely opportunity to learn from respected experts as well as to support advances in mental health when it comes to our young population. Whether you work in the industry or live with/care for a child or teen, this conference has real potential to change outlooks and improve lives.
Physical Therapy Info Session
The PSC Community is invited to come out and meet the faculty of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program at Prairie State College and learn more about the program and career opportunities as a PTA! September 28, 2021, at 1 p.m., in room 4280, Main Campus
Or join us via Google Meet or call in at +1 484-416-5972 PIN: 341 505 863#
Career Services and the library will be hosting a virtual event, “Name your adventure: From College to Career,” where students will get help from Career Services on picking a career, and then the library will show them what their daily schoolwork will look like on that journey.
Wednesday, September 29 from 2-4 p.m.
For questions, email Valerie Moore at vmoore@prairiestate.edu
New Employees:
Help welcome our newest faculty member to the team!
Nichelle Manuel, Assistant Professor, Information Technology
The division of Career and Technical Education is happy to welcome Dr. Nichelle Manuel in her new role as Assistant Professor, Information Technology at PSC.
Dr. Manuel has a 20-year history in higher education and has taught both traditional and online courses. She has been an adjunct instructor in the Information Technology program at Prairie State College since 2014. Along with teaching experience, Dr. Manuel comes to the College with a strong background of serving as a professional consultant and analyst in information technology. She specializes in systems analysis, software, training, course development, system design, and cyber security. Dr. Manuel’s focus is on building student capacity and providing an optimum learning environment for her students. She is a welcome addition to our team.
Contact Information:
(708) 709-3649
nmanuel2@prairiestate.edu
Employee Updates:
Congratulations to Dr. Jessica Nastal, Associate Professor, English on being named Interim Dean of Learning Resources and Assessment.
Carina Lowe has moved over to the Academic Advising team as the new CTE advisor, whose focus will be Allied Health and Emergency Services. Her skill set and commitment to our students make her a great addition to the team!
With over ten years of higher education experience Carina is knowledgeable in student support services, a proven contributor to the success of programs, and is an effective collaborative professional. She has a proven track record in project management with a focus on student services. As a CTE Advisor, Carina is accountable for ensuring that CTE program students receive career guidance and academic counseling. Carina holds an undergraduate degree in Management from SIU (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale) and a Master’s degree in Instructional Leadership from UIC (the University of Illinois at Chicago). She is a skilled PSC employee focused on student success. She brings her expertise, high energy, and passion for education to PSC Academic Advising Center.
Congratulations to William Condon and his wife on the birth of their son, Leo John Condon, who was born on August 7.
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees held it's regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. To view information from the Board of Trustees, including meeting agendas, minutes and audio/video recordings, visit Board Meetings. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 28 at 5 p.m.
The Prairie State College Presidential Search is underway. More information about the process here.
Request Intranet updates
Please take a look at your page(s) on the intranet and complete the Intranet Request Form below. Once received, the communications team will review your request and follow-up.
If you have any questions, please contact Crystal Alston-Nobles at calston@prairiestate.edu.
Have an Announcement?
We love good news! If you have an announcement you want to share, submit the form below, and we'll publish it in the upcoming Newsletter.
Request Website Updates
The college intranet and website fall under the Communications and Marketing Department. Please complete the Website Request Form below for updates, changes, or to request a new page on the PSC website.
Once submitted, Mike Saldaña, content/website specialist, will review your request and follow up. Small changes, such as grammatical errors, can be sent directly to msaldana4@prairiestate.edu or calston@prairiestate.edu.