SIC Board Hears Updates on Workforce Partnership, Nursing Accreditation
Southeastern Illinois College is partnering with Job Corps to provide welding certifications to eligible Job Corps students, with approximately 50 students expected to participate this fall. The partnership was among several updates presented to the SIC Board of Trustees during its regular meeting Tuesday, Aug. 18, in the Rodney J. Brenner Board Room on the Harrisburg campus.
Through the new partnership, eligible Job Corps students will have the opportunity to earn AWS welding certifications through SIC.
“This partnership is a great example of how community colleges can respond to workforce needs by working with organizations in our region,” said SIC President Dr. Karen Weiss. “Providing students with an opportunity to earn an industry-recognized credential can help them build skills that lead directly to employment and continued career growth.”
Trustees also received an update on SIC’s Associate Degree Nursing program. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) will conduct an on-site review Sept. 21-24 as part of its regular accreditation review process. ACEN is a nonprofit, nongovernmental accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Applications for SIC’s 2027-28 nursing programs are now open and can be found at sic.edu/apply.
The board also learned that 46 students graduated from SIC’s Adult Education program during the 2025-26 academic year.
“Our Adult Education graduates represent 46 individual success stories and an important step forward for each of those students,” Weiss said. “We’re proud of their accomplishments and of the faculty and staff who help our students reach their educational and career goals.”
In action items, trustees appointed Kathy Volkening as the Local Election Official for the 2027 consolidated election.
In personnel actions, the board accepted the resignation of Kaje Questelle as TRIO/SSS Retention Specialist and approved the hiring of Katie Harbison-Watkins as a part-time Events Facilitator. The board also approved title changes for Tiffany Brannock to Associate Dean of Enrollment and Nicole Racey to Dual Credit Navigator. Trustees also approved a new full-time Recruitment Specialist position and several adjunct faculty members for the fall semester.
Board Member Dr. Frank Barbre provided an update on activities of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. Barbre and Board Member Jim Ellis plan to attend the association’s Sept. 18-19 meeting in Springfield. Barbre, Ellis, Weiss and SIC Executive Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Chris Barr also plan to attend the Association of Community College Trustees Leadership Congress Oct. 21-24 in Chicago.
Several upcoming events and activities were highlighted during administrative reports. An open house at the Stanford D. Williams Career & Training Center in Carmi will begin at 4 p.m. Sept. 15. SIC and John A. Logan College will partner to host a legislative luncheon Aug. 28 at JALC.
SIC Theatre will present “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” at 7 p.m. Sept. 25, and the college will host the Soar and Explore College Fair for in-district high school seniors Sept. 30 in Deaton Gym.
The Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum of Regional Art will commemorate the seventh anniversary of its opening with the Commemorate Regional Artists Exhibition, running Sept. 15 through Dec. 4. Submissions for the exhibition are being accepted through Aug. 24.
The next regular meeting of the SIC Board of Trustees will be held Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Stanford D. Williams Career & Training Center in Carmi. The annual joint meeting of the SIC and Rend Lake College boards of trustees will follow at 6 p.m.
###