Laker Nation News

February is the month to celebrate assessment at Lake Land College. Students and staff members are encouraged to participate in this year’s activities to learn about the importance of assessment.

According to Lisa Madlem, director of academic support and assessment for the college, the assessment process at Lake Land is essential in order to make informed decisions that ultimately improve the teaching-learning process.

“Assessment seems fairly straightforward, but in reality, it is an involved process that systematically measures student performance in order to improve the quality of educational programs, courses and the institution overall,” said Madlem. “Essentially, assessment is what students should know, value, or be able to do upon the completion of a course, program, or interaction with a department.”

Lake Land College uses institution-wide measures and program- and course-specific measures to assess student outcomes. Learner outcomes have been established for each of the college’s associate degree and certificate programs, as well as all courses.

During Assessment Week, Feb.4-8, Madlem will set up a student booth in the Luther Student Center with assessment information and prizes for students. On Jan. 29, Madlem will also have a student booth set up at the Kluthe Center in Effingham. Additionally, a student quiz will be posted on the student portal, the Laker Hub, where students can enter to win $10 Subway gift cards and a grand prize $50 gas gift card.

“Overall, the college is actively assessing courses, programs and institutional departments,” said Madlem. “Each component of assessment is working toward assessing the student experience and we are continuously learning from the assessment process in order to make necessary changes and plans of action to ensure that every student at Lake Land College is provided with a continuous learning environment.”

Assessment is an important step in developing Lake Land College’s programs to best suit its students and their growing skills in order to prepare them to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year university. It is thanks to a previous DACUM (developing a curriculum) assessment that the Agriculture Division has focused on integrating more precision agriculture information leading from a recommendation from the Lake Land College Agriculture Advisory Council.  In addition the Allied Health Division recently celebrated assessment efforts for the new Medical Assistant Program (MAP).  In its first year, Medical Assistant Program students received a 100 percent pass rate on the first attempt on their certification exam!  In addition to passing the certification exam, all MAP students passed 142 skills on their skill check off assessment.

For more information about assessment at Lake Land College, contact Madlem at 217-234-5088 or lmadlem@lakelandcollege.edu or visit: lakelandcollege.edu/assessment/.

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Prospective college students and their parents are invited to learn more about Lake Land College at Laker Visit Day on Feb. 8.

Beginning at 9 a.m. in the Field House Lobby and running until noon, Laker Visit Day provides an opportunity for students to tour campus, visit a class, meet current students, and talk with faculty. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend and learn more about the college during a parent session.

This event will feature informational sessions by current Lake Land College Student Ambassadors and college staff. Representatives from Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, Counseling Services, Career Services, Student Life and other departments will provide information and be available to answer questions. Participants will also meet with faculty members in their academic area of interest.

“Laker Visit Day is a great way for prospective students and parents to talk to faculty and staff about academic options and majors, to talk to current students about their experiences at the college and to learn about various services and opportunities we offer,” Michelle Zumbahlen, coordinator for strategic student communication & initiatives, said.

Guests should be prepared to walk the beautiful campus. To get to the Field House take Entrance 1 from Route 45, proceed straight after the curve and park in Lot A. The Field House will be on west side of Parking Lot A and has a white, circular roof. Enter the lobby from the south side of the building.

Student Ambassadors will greet guests and help with directions. In case of inclement weather on the day of the event, please check the college’s homepage at lakelandcollege.edu for closures.

For more information, or to reserve a space for Laker Visit Day, register online at lakelandcollege.edu/visit or call 217-234-5377.

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What happens when you take some of the most brilliant minds from area high schools and put them under one roof? Nothing other than an academic face off, where teams are pitted against each other in eight subject areas in order to take home the WYSE regional championship title.

The regional WYSE (Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering) Academic Challenge will be held at Lake Land College Friday, Feb. 1. Twenty-five high schools will come together to battle in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics.

Each high school will compete against other high schools in the same division, which is based on school enrollment, and awards will be given to both individual competitors and teams. Students advancing at the regional competition will compete at Eastern Illinois University with another round for advancement, which will be held at the University of Illinois.

During the event, students will be tested from 9:20-11:10 a.m., with an awards ceremony following at 1:30 p.m.

For more information about WYSE, contact Lisa Shumard-Shelton, director of Dual Credit and the Honors Experience at (217) 234-5044 or lshumard-shelton@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College Community Learning is offering a Painting with Oils or Acrylics class at the Kluthe Center, 1204 Network Centre Blvd., Effingham. The eight-session class is open for registration and will be held on Wednesdays beginning Feb. 13 through April 3 from 10-11:30 a.m. The class will be taught by Vera Keplar, who has a master’s degree in art from Eastern Illinois University and has taught art in the K-12 schools and adult level for many years. In addition, Vera has been a judge for art competitions.

The class is for the beginner to the experienced painter. Students will paint on canvas using oil or acrylic paints and will be able to choose their own subject matter. Students will need to bring their own paint supplies. The supply list includes: basic colors of oil or acrylic tubes of paint, variety of sizes of oil or acrylic paint brushes, and 16” x 20” minimum size canvas panels or stretch panels. The cost is $40 for the class. To register, go to www.lakelandcollege.edu/learn. The drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class. For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College Foundation scholarship applications for the 2019-2020 academic year are due Feb. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Students graduating from high school, adults who are enrolling at Lake Land College and current students are encouraged to apply.  Those students who received a Lake Land College Foundation Scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year and wish to be considered for a 2019-2020 award must reapply.

The online scholarship application process has changed for 2019-2020. In order to apply, students will have to complete a Laker profile and Intent to Enroll at lakelandcollege.edu/enroll. A welcome packet will then arrive in the mail containing a student ID number and password, which is needed to access the Laker Hub. Once logged into the Laker Hub, students can then locate the scholarship application button to access and complete the application. New students are advised to allow two weeks for this process.

There are four questions a student should be prepared to answer with a 100-word response for each. They are: 1. Describe your career aspirations and your educational plans to meet these goals; 2. Explain how you have helped your family and/or made your community a better place to live; 3. Describe your financial situation and how a Foundation Scholarship can help you achieve your educational goals; and 4. Describe a significant change or experience that has occurred in your life. How did you respond and what did you learn about yourself?

Applicants will be considered for all foundation scholarships for which they qualify by submitting just one application. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline.

This academic year the foundation awarded 648 scholarships, ranging from $300 to $5,000 each. Since 1992, the foundation has awarded more than $6 million to 10,000 deserving students attending Lake Land College.

For additional information, contact the foundation at 217-234-5445 or foundation@lakelandcollege.edu.

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