Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees approves four new certificates
The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees convened for its monthly meeting on Monday, March 24, 2025, at Kaskaskia College. Attendees included Bill Hawley (Odin), Linda Stover (Centralia, Jim Beasley (Centralia), Louis Kalert (Centralia), Craig Finke (Nashville), and Connor Wademan (Student Trustee). Laura Wedekemper (Shattuc) and Bryan Holthaus (Carlyle) were absent.
Trustees reviewed and approved several new certificate programs to complement the college’s current offerings, including a Basic Welding Certificate, a Correctional Professionals Certificate, a Construction Scheduling Certificate, and a Construction Estimating Certificate. Each of these new certificates was developed in response to advisory council input and workforce needs.
The new 11-credit hour Basic Welding Certificate builds on the college’s existing Introductory Welder Level 1 Certificate. It is designed to help individuals prepare for an American Welding Society certification and entry-level employment in the welding industry.
The 24-credit hour Correctional Professionals Certificate, offered under the Criminal Justice program, is intended to support both employment and advancement opportunities for individuals working in federal corrections.
The 11-credit hour Construction Scheduling Certificate will equip individuals with the essential skills needed to manage project timelines, ensure safety compliance, and incorporate technology into scheduling processes.
The 9-credit hour Construction Estimating Certificate will prepare individuals for roles focused on estimating construction project costs, with an emphasis on labor costs and cost accounting.
Several purchases were also approved:
•Purchase of a pre-owned Tesla Model Y Electric Vehicle at a price not to exceed $40,000 from funding provided through the Illinois Community College Board Rev Up EV Community College Initiative Grant. The purchase will provide more EV technology to build upon the existing training for students in the Automotive Technology and Hybrid/EV programs.
•Purchase of a 9-1-1 Reality Plus Training Station Simulator from Professional Pride, Inc of Sumner, WA for $64,050. The purchase will be used by the KC Workforce Development and Community Education (WDCE) to increase workforce development training by offering Public Safety Telecommunication training.
•Purchase and installation of security cameras from Senergy Enterprise Technologies of Williamsville, IL for $64,433 for the new gymnasium.
•Purchase of the anti-virus and security software Malwarebytes from Insight of Chandler, Arizona in the amount of $35,315.20 for protection of campus devices against advanced malware, ransomware, and other threats.
Additionally, trustees approved the renewal of the truck driving instruction agreement between the college and 160 Driving Academy of Cook County, IL, extending the partnership through December 2026 to continue providing commercial driver’s license (CDL) training.
In personnel actions, the Board accepted the retirement notice of Donald Bade, Assistant Director of Public Safety, effective May 16, 2025.
Approval of new hires was also made for the following: Tara Peters as Controller, Garland Simmons as Police Officer, and Gregory Schwartz as Maintenance Specialist.
