Laker Nation News

Lake Land College is pleased to announce the students who graduated following completion of the Fall 2020 semester. The graduates are:

Lake Land College will host a Nursing Virtual Information Week Jan. 25 through Jan. 28. Attendees will learn why Lake Land’s Nursing programs are ranked third in the state, as well as the various options for a nursing career.

The informational sessions are customized to meet the interests of those considering a career in healthcare to those who have been working in the nursing field for years and would like to advance in their careers.

The first session gives associate degree nursing students and associate degree nurses the opportunity to hear from nursing faculty members on options for completing a Bachelor of Science Nursing through completion and dual enrollment programs. The ADN to BSN session will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 25.

By attending the second session, current licensed practical nurses (LPN) can hear from nursing faculty members on the admissions process for the Associate Degree Nurse program. This PN to ADN Admissions Process session will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 26.

Those who attend the third event will hear from nursing faculty members on the admissions process and learn why Nursing Explorer ranked Lake Land College’s nursing programs third in the state. This event is intended for prospective students. The event will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 27.

The final session will be a chance for high school students who have applied through the Partnership for College and Career Success program to hear from Lake Land College nursing faculty members on the admissions process for the Associate Degree Nurse program. Students eligible for the program have received invitation letters for the event and are encouraged to attend. This event will be at 6 p.m. Jan. 28.

To register for one of the sessions, visit lakelandcollege.edu/visit.

Lake Land College now has a new way to connect interests to careers and majors. Career Coach is a new online resource that is free and open to all students and community members. The program is available from the college’s home page and features several easy-to-use tools to help users get started.

Users have the options of a brief six-question assessment or an extended 60-question assessment to match skills and interests to academic majors and career paths. The program shows career options with salary and employment rate information from the Lake Land College district in real time, so one can see how each career stands in terms of employment.

When the assessment is complete, the user can download the results or easily type in an email and create a password. The user will then have an account which unlocks the workplace resources.

If a user has taken the assessment and is logged in, the Areas of Study and Career categories will be arranged according to compatibility with the assessment outcomes. This allows users to browse paths that align with their interests and abilities without excluding any options. There is also an option for veterans who wish to apply their knowledge and skill sets to a career.

“Career Coach is a great way for those who are undecided to narrow down their options,” Tina Moore, director of career services, said. “It’s a great tool for career exploration.“

The Résumé Builder tool is used to construct a résumé using preset structure and phrasing suggestions. Because the site allows users to create a login, one has the option to create and save a résumé within the site that can be used or modified at any time.

Not only will the tool be a great asset to the Lake Land College community, it will be useful in classes as well.

“Career Coach is taking the place of more than 10 tools that students used in my classes previously,” Andrea Bright, academic counselor and instructor, said. “This will be so much easier and more valuable to have all the information in one place.”

Lake Land College students graduating from the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program took part in a pinning ceremony Dec. 15. Each student received a nursing pin and a keepsake card.

When the students pass their NCLEX licensure exam, they will become Registered Nurses (RNs).

“We are all very proud of these students’ accomplishments,” Director of Nursing/Nursing Instructor Cheryl Beam said. “They worked so hard to get here, and we know they will continue to do great things in their futures.”

Students who received their pins at the ceremony include Carli Bridgeforth from Paris, Kelly Cook from Montrose, Madison Dane from Casey, Betsy Daugherty from Altamont, Sierra Duvall from Casey, Nicole Febus from Champaign, Chelsie Gast from Charleston, Merideth Goodwin from Mattoon, Lauren Haskins from Mattoon, Rachel Hunter from Charleston, Kayla Jones from Charleston, Lana Keigley from Charleston, Kristin Pearcy from Mattoon, Destiony Phillips from Shelbyville, Julie Rose from Mattoon, Rhonda Ruff from Shelbyville, Emily Smith from Shelbyville, Olivia Telgmann from Strasburg, Spencer Tinder from Sullivan, Klair Vogt from Effingham, Candace Washburn from Ramsey, Rachel Weber from Teutopolis and Brett Wilhelm from Sullivan.

Several students were also presented with awards at the ceremony. Telgmann received the Marilyn Fuqua-Thompson Award, Keigley received the Patient Advocate Award and Duvall received the Clinical Excellence Award.

These graduates completed the PN to ADN program at Lake Land College. To learn more about this process, attend a virtual information session at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26. To register, visit lakelandcollege.edu/visit.

“All of these students have done an incredible job getting to this point,” Division Chair Allied Health/Nursing Instructor Erin Swingler said. “We are so excited to be able to celebrate these students, and we look forward to what their futures will hold.”

Lake Land College Dental Hygiene students will now have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly to Eastern Illinois University. A new agreement will allow students who earn an associate degree in dental hygiene from Lake Land to go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in public health community health at Eastern Illinois University.

“I am thrilled that students have this opportunity,” Lake Land College Division Chair Allied Health/Nursing Instructor Erin Swingler said. “This option is just one of the many ways we are demonstrating the mission, vision and values of Lake Land College within our community.”

The agreement will create more options for students or those in the community who wish to pursue higher education. Any student who has completed an associate degree consistent with the Illinois Articulation Initiative, submits the required application and supporting documentation and meets program admissions requirements will be eligible to be admitted to EIU at the junior level.

Chair of the EIU Department of Public Health Julie Dietz said completing a bachelor’s degree in Public Health enhances the professional education and training dental hygienists receive by layering an understanding of the larger context which affects an individual patient’s dental health status, and provides additional tools focused on reducing barriers between individuals and better dental health.

“This agreement will provide for a seamless transition for Lake Land College’s dental hygiene students into the Public Health program, including regular contact with our academic advisor prior to coming to EIU,” Dietz said. “It’s a win-win situation for students, for Lake Land and for EIU.”

The agreement will be effective from 2020 to 2024 and is subject to renewal quadrennially.

Ellucian selected Lake Land College as one of 25 schools to receive a 2020 PATH Scholarship from more than 160 community college applicants. PATH (Progress, Accomplishment, Thriving and Hope) awards scholarship funds to institutions which, in turn, deliver the financial support to students experiencing economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Early in the semester, we identified students with a dire need for financial assistance, but due to federal guidelines and the fact that our internal scholarship opportunities had already been awarded, funding was an issue,” Scholarship Coordinator Hannah Crnkovich said. “Thanks to Ellucian’s generosity, we were able to assist these students financially to relieve at least some of the COVID-19 hardship they’re experiencing.”

Lake Land College received $20,000 which will be distributed to 12 students. These funds will help to cover items such as housing costs, tuition expenses, technology needs, childcare and food. Each student received $1,670 to assist with their COVID- related expenses. These students were selected to receive PATH because their application for CARES relief was denied and they were not eligible to receive federal grant funds.

“COVID-19 has placed immense pressure on students financially, academically and personally making it even more difficult for some to achieve their educational dreams,” said Laura Ipsen, CEO and president of Ellucian. “As a partner to higher education institutions around the world, we have been humbled to see how the community responded in the wake of COVID and are committed to do our part to help students succeed.”

Ellucian, the leading provider of software and services built to power higher education, has pledged an initial $1 million to the scholarship fund and distributed $500,000 to community and technical colleges across the United States in November. The program aims to continue its growth with the support of partners to reach a $10 million goal in 2021. For more information or to get involved, visit: www.ellucian.com/path.

Lake Land College is pleased to announce it will be honoring graduates at the first-ever Lake Land College Winter Virtual Commencement Ceremony on Dec. 21, 2020 at 6 p.m.

“Completing a college degree or certificate is a milestone worthy of great celebration in the best of circumstances, but succeeding during these unprecedented times is remarkable and very worthy of celebration,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “We are thrilled to be able to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of the Laker Nation Class of 2020 at the college’s first-ever Winter Virtual Commencement Ceremony.”

The virtual ceremony will include many aspects of the traditional commencement ceremony, such as speakers and the reading of graduates’ names along with a slide.

The ceremony will premiere on the college’s YouTube channel at 6 p.m. on Dec. 21. A link to the ceremony will be available from the college’s home page and then available on the graduation webpage at lakelandcollege.edu/admissions/graduation.

In recent years, colleges across America have developed comprehensive services for students that go beyond academic support. In addition to tutoring, study skills courses and individualized office hours to ensure classroom success, colleges are creating resources and services that support students’ well-being and mental health.

Educational leaders realize students have trouble reaching their full potential when they are under pressure to succeed academically, have trouble selecting a major or career, are not sure how to afford college and face constant feedback from social media use.

A 2019 article published on the National Academic Advising Association Academic Advising Today cited several studies that found a direct correlation between mental health and academic performance. Independent research conducted by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) revealed that “one in four [college] students has a diagnosable [mental] illness” and “50% become so anxious that they struggle in school.”

Our Lake Land College students are having similar experiences. In 2019, Phi Theta Kappa, the college’s honor society, conducted a survey asking students for feedback on their mental health. The results mirrored the ACCT study. Of the 557 participants, 54% said their mental health has affected their academic potential. In addition, more than one-third said they felt sadness for longer than a month.

For many college students, the pandemic has created additional stress and negatively impacted their mental health. Active Minds, a student advocacy group, surveyed 2,051 students regarding the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health in September 2020. The survey revealed that “almost 75% of respondents reported their mental health has worsened since the beginning of the pandemic, with nearly 90% reporting they have experienced stress or anxiety.”

Last year, the state of Illinois recognized the mental health crisis colleges were facing and passed the Illinois Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act to increase mental health services and awareness among students. While statewide implementation and funding has been delayed due to the pandemic, Lake Land College believes in the intention of the Act and is in the process of implementing a comprehensive plan for our students.

Earlier this year, the college created two stipend faculty positions for academic counselors to implement our plan. One position focuses on student outreach and awareness while the second position acts as a compliance coordinator to identify, develop, and monitor internal and external formal mental health supports for students.

To date, the work of this team has resulted in the establishment of a new student club, Active Minds, a peer training and support program; secured linkage agreements with area mental health agencies for referral and crisis intervention support; evaluated mental health assessment resources for adoption; and identified potential training in mental health first aid for faculty and staff. Expanded implementation of these initiatives is slated for the Spring 2021 semester.

At the November meeting, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees approved a contract with BetterMynd to provide online mental health counseling services to students. BetterMynd ensures that counselors are available at times that work for students and it also provides the opportunity for students to work with a consistent counselor over multiple counseling appointments.

In addition, a Lake Land College academic counselor is devoting a sabbatical to updating her clinical counseling skills and knowledge in areas such as suicide prevention and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) to assist her and the other academic counselors to better assess, assist and refer students in the future.

We are pleased to share our progress in creating a comprehensive mental health services plan that demonstrates our concern for our students. Historically, higher education has focused its efforts on providing opportunities to enhance the physical health of students. However, in considering the holistic health needs of our students, we now have an opportunity to openly discuss the need for mental health services, in a similar manner to how we discuss the need for physical health services. I welcome the opportunity to engage in a conversation about how we are assisting the mental health needs of our students, our employees and our communities. Together, we can share resources and build partnerships that contribute to the well-being of all.