By:Ashley Vanderhoff, Editor-in-Chief

On Feb. 5, 2025, the Waubonsee Board of Trustees held a Special Meeting which covered various topics and presentations. There were no public comments. All board members were present to discuss updates on new executive orders, highlighting their impact on higher education and Waubonsee’s response. The board also passed a motion to approve a contract for legal consulting services and heard a comprehensive financial update of grants, financial aid, investment policy, capital planning, tuition and student fee rates. The board then listened to two significant presentations on the benefits of engagement with a lobbyist and the potential for a partnership with the Sugar Grove Fire Department.

Waubonsee Community College President Dr. Brian Knetl outlined the school’s primary objectives in response to recent executive orders affecting higher education. The top priority is ensuring the safety and well-being of Waubonsee students and employees, both physically and mentally, while maintaining continuity of service. He highlighted increased communication between the Cabinet and Executive Leadership Team to address issues impacting the college. Communication of new protocols to employees has been managed by Vice President of Talent and Culture and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Anthony Ramos, while Assistant Provost of Student Services Dr. Scott Peska has handled updates for students, along with additional information on the college’s web pages.

Knetl emphasized two key messages for the college. First, any federal law enforcement activity on Waubonsee’s campuses should be reported to the Waubonsee Community College Police Department, which is prepared to handle the situation in compliance with local, state and federal laws. Campus Police Chief JC Paez has coordinated with his contacts at state, local and federal levels, and the Waubonsee police would be best equipped to manage any such activity, though no incidents are expected. Second, Knetl discussed federal funding, noting that while Waubonsee as a local unit of government relies less on federal support than other schools, federal financial aid, including veteran funding, could potentially be impacted. Funding for programs like TRIO, Upward Bound, Title Five and financial aid have operated normally to date. Knetl also mentioned a slight attendance drop, but recovery is already underway, and the college will refer students to external resources if needed. He stressed the importance of responding thoughtfully rather than reacting impulsively, consulting legal counsel to ensure compliance. A community conversation will be held next week to address any questions.

Next, Interim Vice President of Finance and Administration John Bryant presented the approval of a legal consulting services contract. He mentioned the committee had narrowed the selection and was “very comfortable with two very strong finalists.” The committee ultimately focused on Robbin Schwartz. The firm’s succession planning and its representation of thirteen other community colleges were among some of the factors leading to their recommendation. The Board unanimously passed the motion. 

The board then received a comprehensive financial update. Executive Dean for Institutional Effectiveness Dr. Stacey Randall presented the annual grants update, highlighting Waubonsee’s strong grant success rate. In Fiscal Year 24, the college submitted 25 grant applications and was awarded 20, achieving an 80% funding rate. Randall emphasized the importance of this high success rate.

“According to the Community College Research Center, most community colleges in the nation don’t actually receive any competitive federal grant funding. They get financial aid and some appropriations, but they don’t get competitive funding,” Randall said. “ If you look at all of the federal grant applications in the nation, only 20 to 30% of that full number are awarded to community colleges. So the fact that we have a high funding rate – we’re very proud of that.”

College funding has also increased, rising from approximately $3.7 million in total grant funds in 2020 to over $5 million last year, marking the second consecutive year of growth. Randall noted that the grants have supported nearly 8,000 Waubonsee students and 400 community members. 

Randall handed the presentation to Director of Student Financial Aid Services Mary Greenwood, who provided a 2024 financial aid update. Greenwood highlighted increases in the number of students using the FAFSA and Illinois alternative application, enabling them to use grant funds to offset their expenses.

“When we look at our loans across unduplicated headcount we see an overall increase. Respectively, we’ve seen about a 13% increase in student borrowing in grant recipient participation, a 12% reduction in unsubsidized loans and a one percent reduction in subsidized loans,” Greenwood said.

Greenwood also shared key updates on the Waubonsee Success Scholarship, launched in fall 2022. She reported that 5,092 students have benefited from the program, which covers expenses like bookstore materials. The average GPA of recipients increased from 2.64 to 2.84, and their retention rate was 55.7% from fall 2023 to fall 2024, compared to 35% for non-recipients. Additionally, non-recipients tend to have to borrow $1,000 more than scholarship recipients.

FAFSA completion increased by eight percent from 2023 to 2024, and another three percent from 2024 to 2025. A side effect, as noted in the meeting, was that over $2 million additional funding went to students, in part due to more students filling out the application. Greenwood concluded by discussing her focus on developing data tools and reports, supporting students with basic needs, preventing loan defaults and implementing cross-training and skills development initiatives. 

The next agenda item was the annual review of investment policy recommendations. Bryant explained that the policy did not reflect recent legal changes and suggested streamlining it by removing redundant details about allowed and disallowed investments, which are already covered in the statute. This would help ensure future compliance with any legal updates. He also shared the option to extend the duration of corporate bonds in the asset allocation from three to ten years. The board briefly discussed concerns that eliminating details might reduce future guidance and considered strategies for regularly educating the board on relevant statutes.

Next, Knetl explained that he asked Bryant to present an overview of finances, investments, major projects and funding strategies to gather the board’s thoughts and input during the special meeting.

“We have our big building going up, we have opportunities with Wiegel and Ackerlow, we have the shutdown of Henning and a couple of buildings that are probably a decade or more overdue for a refresh,” Knetl said. “So as leadership we have been talking about, how do we do these things? How do we fund them? What are the capital projects? And we haven’t officially prioritized our projects yet, though, as we’ve been talking they have kind of prioritized themselves in some way just by what needs to be done.”

Bryant presented the investment summary, debt capacity, funding availability and considerations for current and future projects. The presentation was intended to outline identified projects, potential funding sources and whether they would be funded in the short or long term, rather than offering recommendations to the board.

Bryant discussed many types of funds available, including the potential for a 2030 referendum that could generate about $60 million. Chair Rebecca D. Oliver noted that the board has traditionally maintained a positive relationship with taxpayers by managing funds efficiently, thus avoiding the need for additional requests. She then referenced other funding options from the presentation as alternatives for financing projects.

Bryant shared a slide outlining current projects Waubonsee is committed to, including the new Technical Education Center building, tennis/pickleball courts, board room renovations, Dickinson rod/skylight and fire alarm panels. He also highlighted identified projects, including deferred maintenance, Akerlow Hall, Weigel Hall, Collins Hall, Henning Center and off-site academic progress. 

Knetl discussed Collins Halls as an area in need of renovations and a new vision.

“The libraries at colleges and universities have evolved significantly over the last five to ten years and have the student experiences in them. They’re called Learning Resource Centers, they’re different types of spaces, so we do have an opportunity to reimagine that,” Knetl said.

Oliver reminded the board that ‘deferred maintenance’ encompasses various needs the college must address. The board also discussed strategies to stay updated on facility conditions to avoid unexpected maintenance funding requirements.

The agenda shifted to discuss in-district tuition and student fee rates for the 2025-2026 academic year. While the formal recommendation will be presented at the February board meeting, a three dollar per credit hour increase in tuition and no change to student fees is expected. This proposal is based on research into peer colleges’ rate increases. Tuition and fee revenue declined from 2018 to 2022 due to decreased enrollment, but recent years (FY 2023, 2024, and 2025) show a rebound. The student senate supports the proposed three dollar increase.

The board then heard three presentations on future opportunities, aimed at sharing recent project ideas and setting the stage for the next steps.

Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategy Dr. Toya Webb and Bryant discussed the benefits of working with a lobbyist. Webb highlighted opportunities for increased funding, focused advocacy and relationship building. She explained that a lobbyist could position Waubonsee at the forefront of funding opportunities, collaborating to identify and pursue funding opportunities.

“We are confident that we would work with them to secure opportunities for us,” Webb said. 

Webb emphasized that the lobbyist’s support would help secure funding for new programs, monitor legislation and advise on outreach to elected officials.

After presenting the idea, the next steps would include issuing a request for proposal (RFP) for a lobbyist and recommending a contract with an independent contractor. The board  raised concerns about potential risks, which were addressed by emphasizing the importance of a strong contract. Bryant mentioned that peer community colleges also use lobbyists, and Knetl referenced colleges receiving additional funding through connections facilitated by lobbyists. The board also noted interest in how lobbying firms manage multiple clients without diluting advocacy. Webb stressed that the partnership would involve regular meetings to update the lobbyist on the college’s evolving needs and goals.

Dean for Health Professions and Public Service Bob Cofield presented a partnership with the Sugar Grove Fire Department. He outlined the early stages of their planned training facility, which will be developed in three phases. The first phase includes the construction of a burn tower – breaking ground on the roadways and pavement should take place within the next couple of months. Phase two includes a classroom space, a lot of storage for critical equipment and a bay for multiple fire engines. Phase three is a series of concrete pads used for practice exercises and a future search house.

The timing for the project aligns with challenges facing the fire science program, including a lack of a centralized education and training location, and the level of control over critical aspects of program management. Cofield outlined four critical issues currently facing the program. The first is the inability to meet student demand and interest. Currently, there is only capacity for 32 students a year to receive a basic operation firefighter (BOF) certification that allows students to begin entry-level work. The second is the reliance on third-party training facilities currently at capacity. The third is the scattered courses and equipment across the district. The fourth is the difficulty of meeting the needs of local fire departments for trained firefighters.

Cofield presented ways the partnership with the Sugar Grove Fire Department would allow the school to schedule additional training cohorts, allowing students to receive their BOF. He also explained it would improve access to equipment and spaces that promote education and training. He also noted the partnership would allow stabilization for the fire science program, and could extend to other curriculum areas such as welding, computer automated design, engineering and marketing.

The presentation did not ask for action from the board. Cofield noted that as the project progresses, a clearer agreement with more data on financial commitments and student priority for the training facility could be presented.

Oliver raised concerns about potential jurisdictional disputes, noting that partnerships can take many forms. She emphasized the need for the board to be cautious about how the partnership is structured, clarifying the college’s roles and priorities. She also asked about the timeline for adding cohorts to address the turn-away issue and expressed caution regarding funding.

Cofield explained that the fire science would not be moved to the training facility until all three phases are completed. Fire Chief – Sugar Grove Fire Protection District Brendan Moran addressed the Board and some of the concerns.

“[The Sugar Grove Fire Department] protects 32 square miles. I have my own governing board, that is in charge of me. I have talked to them about this partnership; they’re 100% supportive…. commitment to public safety is never a question of my board, commitment to this program, we know this is a big lift for any kind of large dollars that would come our way, but in these conversations we can decide that this is a long term commitment,” Moran said. “It’s something that will protect both the college and fire district for a long term endeavor, because this ultimately benefits all of us.”

Moran also discussed the possibility of encouraging part-time and full-time department members to return to the college and receive an associates degree, and the classrooms and gear lockers that would enhance the student learning environment.

The final agenda item was a discussion of virtual suggestions regarding an alternative summer schedule. The board discussed the ideas like balancing becoming a destination employer and serving the community like closing at noon on Fridays to remain competitive with peer colleges. It was presented purely as a pilot idea, with the intention to assess its effectiveness during progression.

Following the presentation, the meeting transitioned into an executive session before being adjourned. The next board meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.