Laker Nation News

The Lake Land College community fondly remembered President Scott Lensink following news of his passing on Monday.

Lensink served for six years as the college’s sixth president, retiring in 2013. His career in higher education spanned 30 years, starting with a teaching position at Eastern Illinois University. He joined Lake Land College in 1993 as a business instructor and head coach for the Laker women’s basketball team. He went on to hold several positions at Lake Land College prior to retiring as president.

Current Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said Lensink’s leadership positioned the college for the success it continues to experience today.

“Scott’s focus on students, and jovial spirit in collaborating for the greater good, live on in our Lake Land College family and culture today,” Bullock said.

During Lensink’s tenure, Lake Land College emerged as a national leader in the sustainability field, attracting grants and attention from public officials from coast to coast. In addition, the college received prestigious Aspen Institute recognition, which named Lake Land among the top 10 percent of community colleges in the nation. The college also was named the safest campus in Illinois.

Internally, he led the college community in the creation of a new vision and values and a strategic plan.

While his accomplishments were many, colleagues said Lensink will be remembered most for his caring personality and dedication to students.

Robert K. Luther, former Lake Land College president and current member of the board of trustees, said Lensink had a wonderful way of working with people.

“I appointed Scott both as the business division chair and the vice president because of his people skills. He had an ability to bring people together and to help people resolve conflict. I think he will be most remembered for what a warm and caring person he was,” Luther said.

Colleagues said Lensink always put students first.

“In discussions, Scott was always asking about students and whether a decision would have a positive or negative effect on them,” Luther added.

Kathy Black, division chair business/business instructor, who worked with Lensink for 16 years, said Lensink was wonderful to work with.

“Scott was always positive, kind and outgoing. He looked out for the best interests of others, especially students. He was a selfless educator,” Black said.

Black said Lensink always took time to talk with coworkers and students. “He always had a smile on his face, always a kind word, always a joke and always an encouraging word to anyone who needed it.”

Lensink was very active in the higher education community and local area. He served on numerous task forces and committees for the Illinois Board of Higher Education and Illinois Community College Board.

Lensink served as president of the Eastern Illinois Business Education Association, received the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers Award, American Marketing Association Faculty Appreciation Award, Eastern Illinois University Management/Marketing Department Teacher of the Year Award and the Outstanding Young Men of America Award.

Locally, he served as a member of the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Systems Health Center Board of Directors, the Coles County Historical Society Depot Restoration committee and Mattoon Foundation Board. He hosted international exchange students and volunteered as a coach for youth league baseball and football programs.

His previous experience included consulting, working in the insurance industry and owning and operating his own business. Lensink had a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College and a master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University.

The Broadcasting Club at Lake Land College recently collected 1,050 pounds of non-perishable food items and donated it to the Mattoon Community Food Center.

“There are a lot of families in the area who are having difficulty putting food on the table,” said Greg Powers, WLKL-FM station manager and broadcasting instructor. “So this is the club’s way of helping others during the holiday season.”

The food drive is a month-long event put on every year by the club. To learn more about clubs and organizations at Lake Land College, visit www.lakelandcollege.edu/ss/sl/clubdetail.cfm?id=64.

– 30 –

Lake Land College will be offering free GED classes in several locations, with orientation beginning January 2.

Classes will be available in Arthur, Effingham, Marshall, Mattoon, Pana, Paris and Shelbyville and will continue all semester.

The schedule for orientation is as follows:

• Arthur- Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut – Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 4:30 p.m.
• Effingham – Kluthe Center for Higher Education, 1204 Network Center Blvd. – Jan. 3, Tuesday, at 4 p.m.
• Marshall – Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6 St. – Monday, Jan. 2, at 4 p.m.
• Mattoon – Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. E. – Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 8 a.m. or 4 p.m.
• Pana – Western Region Ctr., 600 E. First St. – Thursday, Jan. 5, at 5 p.m.
• Paris – First United Methodist Church, 324 W Court St. –Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 4 p.m.
• Shelbyville – Shelby Christian Church, 200 N. Hickory St. – Monday, Jan 2, at 5:30 p.m.

For more information visit  www.lakelandcollege.edu/adult-education/ or contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or email adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

-30-

Two Lake Land College students were among six students who were recognized recently at the annual Teaching and Learning Excellence Conference sponsored jointly by the Illinois Community College Faculty Association, the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

Melanie M. Adams, Sullivan, received the Dr. Stephen W. Charry Memorial Scholarship, the highest award at $1,500. Tiffani K. McCormick, Dennison, received a $1,000 scholarship.

Each year, the Illinois Community College Faculty Association awards scholarships to deserving students currently enrolled in an Illinois community college. Students are selected for the scholarships based on their record of academic achievement and volunteer community service. Additional scholarship recipients were Rebekah A. Kaeb, Heartland Community College; Katie A. Kuska, Parkland College; Liesl LaDuke, Parkland College; and Suzanne R. Peterson, Parkland College.

The scholarships were presented by Gregory Clemons, professor of music and chair of the department of music at Harper College in Palatine, who serves as director of the ICCFA Scholarship Program.

Adams is majoring in psychology and McCormick is majoring in nursing.

The state of Illinois legislature has established periods for accepting board of trustee nomination petitions and objections.

The 2017 trustee election dates and times for accepting petitions are as follows:

• Monday, Dec. 12 – Monday, Dec. 19 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. each business day

The five dates for filing objections to petitions are as follows:

• Tuesday, Dec. 20 to Friday Dec. 23 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. each business day
• Tuesday, Dec. 27 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

File all materials at the office of Jean Anne Grunloh, senior executive to the president at Lake Land College, which is located in the administrative wing of the Luther Student Center on campus in Mattoon. Please note Lake Land College will be closed from December 23, 2016 through January 2, 2017, but the office of the president will be open during the above mentioned dates for election-related purposes.

Three seats on the seven-member board will be filled at the April 4, 2017 consolidated election. They are six-year terms for the seats currently held by Robert Luther, Mattoon, Doris Reynolds, Mattoon and Mike Sullivan, Mattoon. Persons elected on April 4 will begin their terms of office by May 2, 2017.

Nominating petitions require the signatures of at least 50 registered voters and should be filed with the office of the senior executive to the president. The candidate may file in person, by mail or by a representative. Each board candidate must also submit a statement of candidacy and a receipt indicating he or she has filed a statement of economic interest with the Coles County Clerk.

For more information, contact Grunloh at 217-234-5329.

-30-

Lake Land College’s Adult Education is offering free welding classes in Marshall and Sullivan. The classes will be held in the spring, and orientation will begin in January.

The orientation schedule is as follows:

• Eastern Region Center at the Forsythe Center, 224 S. Sixth St., Marshall – Monday, Jan. 2 at 4 p.m.
• Sullivan High School, 725 N. Main St. – Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m.

For more information contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or email adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College’s Adult Education is offering free Basic Nursing Assistant (BNA) training in the spring semester, 2017.

Orientation for the training is scheduled for Monday, Jan 2 at 5 p.m. at the Eastern Region Center (Forsythe Center) in Marshall.

The eight-credit-hour BNA course is approved by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). This program provides instruction in basic nursing skills in theory, laboratory, and clinical settings including basic anatomy, medical terminology, communication skills, safety, infection control and patient rights.

Upon completion of the BNA training, graduates of the program are eligible to take the state certification exam to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). CNAs provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Employment of CNAs projected to grow 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Because of the growing elderly population, many CNAs will be needed in long-term care facilities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For more information contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

-30-

Lake Land College Adult Education is offering free English Language Acquisition classes beginning in February.

In Effingham, the class will meet at the Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Blvd. Classes begin January 9 at 5 p.m.

In Mattoon, classes will be held at the Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave E. Classes begin January 9 at 9 a.m.

In Arthur, classes will be held at Arthur Lovington Atwood Hammond High School, 301 E. Columbia St. Classes begin January 10 at 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

-30-