SIC BOARD HEARS OF EXCELLENT TEST RESULTS FOR NURSING STUDENTS
The SIC Board of Trustees held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 18, receiving news of outstanding test scores by students in the college’s nursing programs.
Licensure examination results from testing between June and December 2013 show that 30 of 31 SIC associate degree nursing (ADN) students passed, for a 97% rate. That rate ranks second in the state among community colleges, and third out of 48 active ADN programs in the state, making SIC among the top six percent of all the state’s ADN programs.
The pass rate was even greater for SIC’s practical nursing (PN) students, where all 30 students who took the exam between September and December 2013 earned passing scores. Southeastern was one of 20 of the state’s 53 PN programs to achieve a 100% pass rate.
“We are extremely pleased that both of our nursing programs are educating such competent graduates,” said Gina Sirach, RN/MSN, longtime nursing instructor at SIC, who now serves as Dean of Academic Services. “The high NCLEX pass rates for our programs are a testimony to the hard work and dedication of the students and faculty. In addition, our clinical partners provide excellent learning opportunities to assist in achievement of learning objectives. Our faculty has established a culture of excellence, and our students have risen to the challenge. We are very proud of both, our students and faculty.”
The board also approved per-credit-hour tuition increases effective with the Summer 2014 semester, including: a $1 increase in both in-district and out-of-district tuition, a $2 increase in out-of-state tuition, a $10 increase in out-of-state border county tuition (which had not been increased since being implemented in 2008), and a $2 increase in international student tuition, as well as a new $1 per credit hour facility fee used to fund deferred maintenance and upgrades. SIC’s tuition rate remains one of the lowest in Illinois and in the region.
“Increases in tuition and fees are a necessity in times of reduced state support for higher education; however, I believe these modest increases are a testament to the fact that Southeastern’s administration and Board of Trustees are committed to serving students by passing as little of the burden on to them as possible,” said Jonah Rice, SIC’s president.
In other news, the Board approved tenure for biology instructor Aaron Poole, and re-employment for non-tenured faculty and staff members. The board approved the employment of Shirley Johnson as part-time Child Study Center Clerk, accepted the retirement of Karen Keasler as business instructor, and approved the honorable reduction in force of carpentry and building trades instructor Curtis Rowlen, due to low program enrollments. The board also approved a title and position description change to the former Controller position, now to be Director of Business Services, and approved several adjunct faculty.
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