Book Voucher Update:

As of Oct. 12, 2021, approximately 1,200 students have received $200 book vouchers. $165,000 worth of free books through the HEERF III grant has been redeemed. Since the budget for this project was $300,000, the college has funds available for spring 2022 semester.

Flexible Start Dates:

Please keep in mind that registration is still open with our final flexible start date listed below. Please keep spreading the word about our great institution and encourage our community to register at PSC this fall!

Second eight-week | Oct. 18

Congratulations on the Re-accreditation of the Nursing Program:

The ACEN site visit concluded with a recommendation of continued accreditation for our nursing program.

Thinking of You Letters:

Support Services would like to thank everyone who participated in Thinking of You Week. Due to the positive response, we will leave supplies on the counter for those who wish to continue sending notes to family, friends, and community members, especially as we near the holiday season. If you would like to write to veterans or active duty servicemen and women, Georges Sanon will help facilitate delivery to Manteno, Prince Home, or the local guard/reserve units.

Calling for photos for the 2022 Calendar

Support Services invites you to submit photos for the 2022 calendar that embody the This is My PSC theme. Only photos taken at or associated with Prairie State College will be considered. Seasonal, event and holiday-themed images are encouraged. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m. Refer to the email sent on Oct. 1 for more information.

Update your voicemail:

Since being back on campus full-time, many of us may have forgotten to update our voicemail messages. Some voicemails still reflect that the college is operating virtually. Please be sure your message is up-to-date.

Suggestion for standardized message:

Hello, you have reached FIRST AND LAST NAME. Please leave a message detailing the reason for your call, including your name and email address, or email me at username@prairiestate.edu, and I will get back to you at my earliest convenience.

Feel free to add that Spring Registration opens on Oct. 28.

Here are instructions on how to update your voicemail:

Access mailbox from your campus phone Dial 3740 Enter your passcode

Change greeting, name or passcode (After accessing your mailbox)

Press 8 to access user options

Press: 4 to change your greeting

Press: 6 to rerecord your name

Press: 7 to change your passcode

Lake County Billboards:

The billboards below are strategically placed in or near Lake County to target Merrillville High School, Munster High School, and Lake Central. Communications and Marketing will continue to assess the impact by tracking the click-rate and enrollment of Lake County residents through our vanity URL used specifically for this marketing campaign.

Virtual Bienvenida:

Jennica Rodriguez, Coordinator of Latinx Student Outreach and Retention, Equity and Inclusion, hosted about 40 PSC students (primarily first-year students) for a virtual presentation to explain essential processes such as email etiquette, withdrawals from courses and its impact on financial aid. Guests also engaged with an alumni panel. Participants were then invited on campus for to-go lunches and to visit Jennica's new office.

Interview with Robin Kelly:

On Friday, October 8, Robin Kelly interviewed Jennica as the first honoree to be highlighted as someone who works in her congressional district and serves the Latinx community.

All Latin Alliance Officer Elections October 19 (Virtually):

All Latin Alliance will meet for the first time this year and will host elections for ALA officers on that day. Interested candidates will give speeches, and the group will vote after the meeting. These students will begin working officially to help promote upcoming Latinx Outreach events, such as making sure we have candidates available to compete in the La Catrina costume event featured at the Coco Movie Showing.

Dia de Los Muertos Ofrenda (Altar) in the atrium:

(To be set up in the atrium in anticipation of Dia de Los Muertos (Nov. 2). Miguel Murillo and Esther Pacheco have volunteered to assist me in creating an altar to show the significance of this important holiday to Mexican families. Showing Coco Movie in Auditorium and hosting Catrina Costume Competition

Movie Showing in the Auditorium: Coco (November 2):

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de Los Muertos, PSC will host a movie showing of the film Coco. More information is forthcoming. Students are invited to bring their siblings or children to this event. Spots will be limited due to COVID restrictions, and masks are required. During the event, we will also have ALA members/PSC students showcasing their face painting in La Catrina contest so that we can vote for a winner and the kids get to see La Catrina in person as they learn about Day of the Dead.

MSAC/TRIO SSS and Financial Aid:

On October 19, our office is partnering with Financial Aid and TRIO to present the Financial Management Virtual Seminar.

Fall 2021 Scholarship Update

Scholarship applications for fall opened on July 19, and the Foundation has received and reviewed 168 applications. The committee awarded:

• 129 applicants with $64,508.12 in tuition and/or textbook awards

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

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

As of today, 64 textbooks have been loaned to students as part of the BookSHARE program for a savings of $8,283.64. The $200.00 CARES Act book voucher has been obtained by every Foundation applicant and has freed $33,600.00 in book award offers that could be used instead toward tuition.

The following facts represent this semester’s applicants:

• 3.28 is the average GPA of qualified applicants

• 61% of submitted applicants have a $0 EFC or no EFC reported

• 68% of submitted applicants are first generation college students

• 76% of reviewed applicants were female, and 24% of applicants were male

• 51% Black, 19% Latinx, 22% White, 8% other/unidentified

Annual Meeting

The Foundation held its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 21, on the patio at Olympia Fields Country Club and elected the following executive officers for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2021 and ending September 30, 2022:

President: Andre’ B. Ashmore, Ice Miller LLP

Vice President: Rebecca Nagle, Old Plank Trail Community Bank

Secretary: Marisela Zambrano, Illiana Financial Credit Union

As Immediate Past President, Kathryn Humecki of Kathryn Humecki & Associates will continue to serve on the Executive Committee. Additionally, Dr. Thomas D. Saban will continue to serve on the Executive Committee as the Foundation’s Treasurer.

Trustee Monica Gordon represents the Board of Trustees, Professor Thomas Nicholas represents the faculty union, and Dr. Michael Anthony represents the College as Foundation directors.

The directors approved the Foundation’s budget for FY2022, including scholarships for $123,000. They have also approved a budget of $7,000 for Special Funding Requests. Information on how to apply for available funds for projects that support the Foundation’s mission will be sent to college employees soon.

As planned, the Foundation had its first board development session with Empowered Nonprofits at the Annual Meeting. Seventeen directors and three Foundation employees took a survey (attached) before the meeting. Empowered Nonprofits led a discussion about the results of the survey as well as their recommendations to improve and grow the Foundation. Suggestions included ways to improve meetings, committee and subcommittee structures, onboarding materials and onboarding process, creation of an updated annual fundraising and cultivation/stewardship plan, and increased website and social media presence and name recognition in the community. The next action is for directors to set priorities for the Foundation for three time intervals: immediate (zero – 12 months), 1 – 2 years, and 3 – 5 years +.

Upcoming Dates

October 19 Tuesday Investment & Finance Committee Meeting, 12:30 p.m. via Zoom

October 28 Thursday Alumni Engagement Committee Meeting, 10 a.m., room 2266

November 3 Wednesday Executive Committee Meeting, 12:30 p.m. via Zoom

November 9 Tuesday Full Board Meeting, 5 p.m., location TBD

January 27 Thursday Executive Committee Meeting, 12:30 p.m. via Zoom

February 2 Wednesday Full Board Meeting, 5 p.m., location TBD

The Board of Trustees held it's regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 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, Oct. 26, at 5:30 p.m.