College Closures for Fall 2022:

The college will be closed on the following dates this fall:

Thanksgiving: Wednesday, Nov. 23 through Friday, Nov. 25 (reopen to the public, Monday, Nov. 28)

Winter Break: Friday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Jan. 2, 2023 (reopen Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023)

Congratulations to our President, Dr. Michael Anthony, who continues to make his mark in higher education. He was honored by his alma mater the University of Louisville during its Alumni Awards.

Student Rooms are Now Open in the Library

The library has opened up its study rooms to students. Keys can be checked out either from the circulation desk, or reserved online at https://prairiestate.libcal.com/booking/studyrooms in 2-hour blocks. We have a quiet study room open to anyone at any time, and one dedicated to nursing students.

In Case You Missed It!

Fall 2022 Open House

Prairie State College hosted its fall Open House on Saturday, October 29. The event was a success as potential students came to learn about all of our programs, tour labs, get PSC swag, meet faculty, take pictures with our new mascot Parker and much more. Prizes were given away and the library helped individuals make creepy crafts as pictured below.

Increased Enrollment in Icaps Program this Fall

The Adult Education and Literacy Department offered a Forklift Icaps class consisting of three sections and 25 students for the fall semester. The Adult Education department partnered with Illiana Financial Credit Union and the Workforce Equity Initiative grant to help cover tuition costs for the Forklift 20-hour course. This fall semester was the highest number of students enrolled in our Icaps program.

Adult Education Registration for Fall 2022

The Adult Education and Literacy Department successfully completed their fall 2022 registration for the Adult Basic, Adult Secondary, English-as-a-Second-Language, and Spanish HSE programs. Due to a very busy fall semester, over 400 students are registered for the fall 2022 semester.

Partnership with TRIO EOC

Congratulations to the Adult Education and Literacy Department! The Adult Education and Literacy Department has partnered with the TRIO EOC grant from Governor State University that can assist with GED testing payments for the students enrolled in our GED prep classes. THE TRIO EOC grant also offers other services to get students into post-secondary education.

Fall 2022 Scholarship Update

As of October 24, 317 scholarship applications have been submitted to the Foundation. $75,754.73 in tuition and textbook scholarships have been awarded. Additionally, 90 textbooks have been loaned to students as part of the BookSHARE program at a $13,527.82 value.

• 497 applications have been attempted

• 317 applications have been successfully submitted and reviewed

• 157 applicants were offered tuition and/or textbook awards

• 134 applicants were not eligible for awards (funded / high EFC)

• 26 applications are pending student action (update essays, textbook info)

• The Foundation purchased the following at the PSC Barnes & Noble Bookstore:

• 39 textbooks (to be added to the BookSHARE program)

• 51 one-time-use lab books and access codes

• 15 nursing bundles @ $671.55

• 71 selective admissions books (DH, NURS, PTA, SURG)

• 71% of submitted applicants requested textbook assistance

• 3.14 is the average GPA of qualified applicants

• 54% of submitted applicants have a $0 EFC or no EFC reported (no EFC could be DACA, international, reporting issues)

• 68% of submitted applicants are first-generation students

• 77% of submitted applicants were female, and 23% of applicants were male

• Black 56%, Hispanic 16%, White 20%, Asian <1%, Native American <1%, unidentified 27%

Save the Date – Economic Forecast Breakfast

The Economic Forecast Breakfast will be held on Friday, February 24, 2023, at Olympia Fields Country Club at 7:30 a.m. A speaker will be presenting from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Spring 2023 Scholarship Application

The spring 2023 scholarship application opened on Monday, November 14.

Prairie State College uses a college-wide work order system for all the staff and faculty. This system allows you to generate a work order request for facility services in the most effective way.

Facilities will receive your request and assign it accordingly to personnel. Our department staff handles many work order requests daily. Please allow 3-5 working days for scheduling and completion. Be specific in your request, i.e., room number, when the work is to occur, and what is to be completed.

Event Set Up:

• Be specific in your event request. The setup date and time and when it needs to be removed.

• The actual location of the event with a diagram of the setup.

• The number and the type of tables and chairs needed. Please call the Conference Center to schedule your event, as they our responsible for the Master Calendar.

• If your requests are put through Schooldude, we have a way to track your request. If changes need to be made to your work request, call x3700 or email pstjacques@prairiestate.edu with those changes.

Facilities personnel are not responsible for entering your work orders as we handle over 10,000 work orders a year. Facilities can better manage your requests through the work order system. Verbal requests directly to staff cannot be honored, as it conflicts with their assigned duties.

The Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. To view information from the Board of Trustees, including meeting agendas, minutes and audio/video recordings, visit Board Meetings.