South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium Quarterly Newsletter, Issue 11, October 1, 2020
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A Message from the Executive Director |
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Convening like-minded individuals “to leverage resources, enhance programs, and execute projects that address institutional priorities” is the heart of SMHEC. Now, more than ever, as we face a global pandemic and civil unrest, our collaboration and ability to navigate uncharted territory together is what sets us apart and continues to strengthen our membership.
Over the past several months, our committees have worked tirelessly to adapt to the changing academic climate. We have supported each other as we’ve moved away from physical work spaces and classrooms to remote offices and online learning. We’ve shared our expertise in online platforms, lessons learned in remote working, and favorite parts of working and teaching virtually. And, we will continue to do so.
In response to these operational changes, SMHEC has developed a new faculty webinar series to assist faculty adjust to the “new norm.” Additionally, SMHEC is preparing to host two large-scale virtual events later this month; the 3rd annual SMHEC Faculty Development Conference and the 10th Student Sustainability Summit.
A number of new programs and initiatives are being planned and developed for late-2020 and early-2021 for faculty, staff and students of our Member Institutions.
Please enjoy this quarter's newsletter and stay tuned to see what we have in store for the remainder of 2020 and beyond!
Stay safe and be well,
Allessandra A. Kummelehne
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Chairs Committee
Who They Are
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The purpose of the SMHEC Chairs Committee is to aid SMHEC Committees operate more efficiently by meeting regularly and sharing progress across Committees.
Members of the Chairs Committee are:
- Dr. Chris Sindt, Lewis University (LU), Provost - CAO Chair
- Ms. Mary Myers, Lewis University (LU), Executive Director of Career Services - Career Services Co-Chair
- Ms. Lakeshia Buckner-Smith, South Suburban College (SSC), Career Service Assistant - The Career and Development & Job Center - Career Services Co-Chair
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Mr. John McCormack, South Suburban College (SSC), Executive Director of Information Technology - CIO Chair
- Mr. Jack Touhy, Saint Xavier University (SXU) - Director & Chief of Police - Crisis Management Chair
- Ms. Carolyn Ciesla, Prairie State College (PSC), Dean of Learning Resources - Library Chair
- Ms. Clare Briner, Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), Director of Marketing and Creative Services - Marketing Chair
- Ms. Deb Rapacz, Saint Xavier University (SXU), AVP for Strategic Marketing & Communications - Marketing Co-Chair
- Dr. David Livingston, Lewis University (LU), President - Presidents' Council Chair
- Ms. Stephenie Presseller, Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC), Sustainability Manager - Sustainability Co-Chair
- Ms. Janine Hicks, University of St. Francis (USF), Sustainability Coordinator - Sustainability Co-Chair
Getting To Know The Team:
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In this issue of SMHEC Today!, Marta Borys, SMHEC Administrative Assistant, interviewed Janine Hicks, Sustainability Co-Chair from University of St. Francis.
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SMHEC: How long have you been in your current position and how long do you belong to SMHEC?
Janine: The position I am currently in evolved. In August of 2016, the person that was managing sustainability part time left the University. I was asked if I would take this on along with my current position of Director of Accreditation and Compliance. I did this for four years while we were preparing for an HLC Accreditation visit. Once we got through that, I was offered the position as the first full time Sustainability Coordinator. I was a part of SMHEC since 2016. In the late 90’s, as Director of Institutional Research, I was also on a SMHEC Committee until it went inactive.
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SMHEC: In what way being a part of the Consortium helps your institution?
Janine: There are several ways that the Consortium has helped the University. The first and most important is the networking with your colleagues. Secondly, we have worked together to get better rates on electricity among other utilities. We have worked on solar issues. The committees do a fabulous job of sharing ideas and with the support of our director and her assistant, we are making inroads in several areas.
SMHEC: What are the biggest challenges of your position and how does belonging to SMHEC help you deal with them?
Janine: The biggest challenges are time and funding. Being a nonprofit university, tuition is our main revenue generator. We have wonderful ideas, but have to work on getting the funding. Our students are so busy outside of class either working or athletics that it is difficult to keep them engaged in some of our activities. They are passionate but only have so much time.
SMHEC: Anything you would like SMHEC to change or improve within your committee?
Janine: I believe the SHMEC Sustainability Committee has accomplished quite a lot during my time. We have negotiated lower rates on utilities, held Student Sustainability Forums each year, developed Green Town for Will County which launched WCRSN: Will County Regional Sustainability Network which has provided forums on local foods. I believe we are on the right path to assisting with community sustainability issues.
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Faculty Development Webinars
Remote Learning and Technology
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With the support of the Chief Academic Officers, members of the Faculty Development Committee offered a series of virtual faculty development sessions throughout this summer and fall to assist faculty members adjust to the "new norm." |
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The first summer session Tips, Tricks and Technology To Help You Avoid Burnout, which took place on June 24, explored different strategies to avoid state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress. If you missed the webinar, you may view the recording by clicking the link(s) below and entering the password SMHECfd2020
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The second summer session No Shortage of Technology, which took place on July 22, talked about many different tools and platforms to use in a virtual environment. If you missed the webinar, you may view the recording by clicking the link(s) below and entering the password SMHECfd2
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The third summer session Would I Enroll In That Course?, which took place on August 12, covered a very pertinent question of course relevance and importance. If you missed the webinar, you may view the recording by clicking the link(s) below and entering the password SMHECFD3b
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The first fall session Reimagining Social Interaction and Collaboration Activities in Socially Distanced or Remote Environments, which took place on September 23, was facilitated by Karen Blaha and Glen Gummess from the University of St. Francis. Attendees learned to evaluate digital tools for advanced design of instructional content / student projects and shared strategies for enhancing teaching and learning in blended and remote environments. If you missed the webinar, you may view the recording by clicking the link(s) below and entering the password SMHECFD1a
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There are still two more fall sessions coming up on October 28 and November 18, at 9 am and 3 pm. Please use the links below to register.
October 28 Session - Digital Tools to Enhance Teaching/Learning in Blended, Live Video, and Online Environments
In this session, facilitated by Madonna Murphy from the University of St. Francis, attendees will learn how Nearpod can be used to engage students during face-to-face, video (synchronous) instruction or on-line (asynchronous) instruction and actually learn how transform one of your power point lectures into a Nearpod inputting various activities to engage students.
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November 18 Session - Quizzing Apps: Identify, Compare, Create!
In this session, facilitated by Scott Gruenbaum from the University of St. Francis, attendees will learn to describe the features of various digital tools for quizzing and evaluate various quizzing apps for their own purposes. Examples of apps include Canvas Studio video quizzes, EdPuzzle, and Kahoot. Register Here for November 18, 9 am Register Here for November 18, 3 pm
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Sustainability Committee Virtual Event Hub |
The Sustainability Committee created a Virtual Event Hub in response to most face-to-face events being converted to virtual ones as a result of COVID-19. While cancelling events can be frustrating, the good news with converting events to an online platform is that it allows students, staff and faculty from the entire SMHEC region to participate in an event where travel was a prohibiting factor in the past.
The virtual calendar allows members to access and post events and easily cross-promote and share those events with other SMHEC Members.
The committee hopes to pilot the calendar and then open it up to other committees to create a SMHEC Member Event Calendar.
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Good Food Purchasing Practices
Through an Illinois State Physical Activity and Nutrition grant, Cook County Department of Public Health partnered with SMHEC through a sub-contract for the second year in a row. Through the term of the sub-contract, SMHEC:
- Convened diverse stakeholders from higher education institutions including administrative and student representatives to provide CCDPH and partners an opportunity to promote the adoption of Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities within higher education institutions.
- Convened meetings between higher education institutions in suburban Cook County and CCDPH to promote and provide technical assistance on the adoption of Food Services Guidelines for Federal Facilities,
- Developed an action plan to be implemented in years three through five.
SMHEC expects to be awarded a third year of funding to expand on the work completed over the past two fiscal years with the hopes of implementing good food purchasing practices at two or more of our institutions.
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SMHEC Institutions Reopening Plans Fall 2020 |
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SMHEC's Crisis Management Committee met to share and discuss their Institutions' reopening plans for the fall 2020. Each Member Institution has a little different approach.
The Crisis Management committee and Purchasing Officers continue to work together to procure supplies needed to safely return to campus. Some institutions have already taken advantage of this opportunity to add to their existing supplies, while others are in the process of doing so now.
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In 2019, SMHEC launched the Consortium’s first strategic plan and defined four main goals to address over a three-year period. |
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Those four main strategic goals are:
- Improve operational efficiencies across the Consortium.
- Strengthen our partnerships and increase external collaboration and representation.
- Enable student success through the sharing of resources, academic programs, professional development opportunities, and by bridging the gap between two- and four-year institutions.
- Strengthen and sustain our membership by increasing internal collaboration and participation
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The results are in! In celebration of Earth Day's 50th anniversary, 436 individuals reported activities completed between March 14 and September 12.
More than $800 in prizes were awarded over the course of the program. What was originally meant to be face-to-face events planned and hosted by our partners turned into numerous self-directed events and actions to better the environment and promote Earth friendly activities as a result of COVID-19.
Even in the midst of a pandemic, the community came together and local residents completed 3,831 actions to protect our environment and sustain our future.
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SMHEC partnered with the following Will County organizations to create the Will County Earth Day 50 year celebration: Forest Preserve District, Land Use Department and Health Department.
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For a second time, SMHEC partnered with a5, Seven Generations Ahead and their planning partners to host GreenTown: Climate Crisis. It was a virtual event spread across two days, September 23 and 30 and marked the 22nd GreenTown since 2007 spanning four Midwest states.
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The event featured a welcome address by Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and a keynote by Jacqueline Patterson, Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.
The webinar series also hosted pre-event film screenings of Cooked: Survival by Zip-Code that examines the 1995 Chicago record-breaking heatwave that resulted in over 700 deaths, and The Guardians which looks at how the lives of the iconic monarch butterfly intertwine with an indigenous community in Mexico. The screenings were followed by a panel discussion.
Executive Director, Allessandra Kummelehne, was invited to sit on the Core Planning Team and moderated two sessions, including the "Chicago Regional Climate Action Plan, " which featured, Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives at Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Kevin Burns, Mayor, City of Geneva & Environment Committee Chairman and Jared Patton, Associate Planner at CMAP; and "Building a New Flexible, Resilient and Adaptable Regional Food System."
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October
7 Joint Presidents Council/CAO Meeting
9 Faculty Development Conference
20 Library Committee Meeting
26 Diversity and Inclusion Webinar
23 Sustainability Committee Meeting
28 Faculty Development Webinar
30 Student Sustainability Summit
November
18 Crisis Management Committee Meeting
18 Faculty Development Webinar
19 CAO Meeting
20 Sustainability Committee Meeting
December
2 CIO Committee Meeting
2 Marketing Committee Meeting
8 Career Services Meeting
16 Chairs Committee Meeting
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WeDigBio 2020 at Field Museum
October 15 - October 18, 2020
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Scientists from the Field Museum and around the world invite everyone to join them virtually in transcribing scientific label data from their collections and from field notes books using online and computer tools.
This event will be held remotely daily from Thursday, October 15 to Sunday, October 18, 2020. You will be part of a global effort to digitize centuries of data about life on Earth. Organisms may include ferns, fungi, mosses, insects, and mammals.
Participants will have an opportunity to virtually meet Field Museum scientists and join in virtual behind-the-scenes tours or talks. WeDigBio is ideally for teens aged 15+ and adults.
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To register for this virtual event please click here.
The registration form also includes a designated section for students if they are receiving class credit, their instructor and institution.
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Governors State University Welcomes New President, Dr. Cheryl Green |
Dr. Cheryl Green brings more than 30 years of professional experience in higher education to her role as the next President of Governors State University.
Most recently, she served as Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, as Interim Chancellor for the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, and as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Tennessee State University.
To read Dr. Green's full biography click HERE.
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Greetings from President Cheryl Green
July 1, 2020 Dear Jaguar Family, Simply stated, I am delighted to join the Governors State University family as your sixth president. And, as a native Chicagoan, it feels good to be home again! My excitement is tempered, however, by the sobering...
Read more
gsunews.govst.edu
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Bronze Pelican Award Presented to Sr. Mary Elizabeth...
Joliet, Ill. - The University of St. Francis (USF) and the Diocese of Joliet Scouting program for several years have shared a partnership that has reflected the importance of service and community. Sister Mary Elizabeth Imler, OSF, USF Vice...
Read more
www.stfrancis.edu
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SSC president Stokes appointed to ICCB
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL-The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) announced last week the appointment of South Suburban College (SSC) President, Lynette D. Stokes, Ed.D. to its board. Dr. Stokes was one of just two new statewide appointments along...
Read more
patch.com
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SXU Celebrates Research Expo Award Winners
As COVID-19 continues to disrupt academia across the nation, Saint Xavier University (SXU) is continuing many traditions in innovative ways. SXU held its annual Research Expo virtually in response to COVID-19 during the spring semester.
Read more
www.sxu.edu
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PSC Graduates Move On to Top-Tier Universities
When Prairie State College (PSC) student Liliveth Nwanguma received her acceptance letter from Johns Hopkins University, she thought there had been a mistake. Not only had she been accepted to the school that holds the #10 spot in U.S. university ...
Read more
prairiestate.edu
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