Enrollment up at JWCC

QUINCY — During its regular meeting Wednesday night, the John Wood Community College Board of Trustees heard a report about the College’s increase in the number of students and credit hours compared to last Fall.

JWCC has 1,869 students enrolled compared to 1,719 last fall, which is an 8.7 percent increase. Those 1,869 students are enrolled in 17,506 credit hours, representing a 4.5 percent (848) bump over the same time last year.

“We are connecting with more students to help them find their path to a career pathway that will greatly impact their life, the quality of life of their families, and the communities we serve,” JWCC President Bryan Renfro said.  “We are seeing increases in high school enrollment and first-time students, two key areas that help students identify a career path and complete a credential or degree in the most efficient way possible.  We still have work to do given that our mission is to help students reach their goal, not simply enroll for the first time. We want them to have access to all the resources they need to be successful whether they are 16 or 46.”

Trustees met at JWCC’s Workforce Development Center, which is currently undergoing a 14,000 square foot expansion to the facility located at 2710 North 42^nd Street in Quincy.  The expansion includes a new Truck Driver Training addition, expansion of the east side with a new physical building entrance, expanded space for HVAC, business and industry training and a virtual reality lab. A remodel of the current interior of the building will include additional space for welding, industrial maintenance and manufacturing, robotics and automation, and flexible use areas for new programs. The expansion is set to have a ribbon cutting in late fall or early winter.

In other business, Trustees:

• Approved a grant application for $20,000 to the American Association of Community Colleges to build capacity within computer networking programs to better serve community needs with an emphasis in cyber security.
• Revised Board Policy 413 regarding Student Conduct to include acceptable use of Artificial Intelligence.
• Accepted a bid of $55,350 from Toolkit Technologies, Inc., for an agriculture driving simulator. The simulator is funded by a private donation through Compeer Financial and a federal Perkins grant.
• Accepted a bid of $24,328.60 from LiveSpace for auditorium lighting.
• Approved changing the name of the associate degree, associate of applied science degree, and introductory course from law enforcement to criminal justice to better align with four-year university nomenclature.
• Accepted a bid of $27,280 from Howard Technology Solutions to replace Instructor Stations.
• Authorized rejection of all WDC expansion furniture proposals due to inconsistencies in specification interpretations.
• Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with West Central Illinois Criminal Justice Council to host a police simulation tool at JWCC’s Southeast Education Center in Pittsfield.
• Approved transfer of $2,211,415.18 from operating funds to Operations and Maintenance fund to replenish deferred maintenance project funds spent in Fiscal Year 23 and to fund future capital projects.
• Approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Quincy Children’s Museum for a Story Walk Community Based Exhibit at JWCC’s Spring Valley Trails Arboretum.

The next meeting will be held Wednesday, October 18 at 6:00 p.m. at the JWCC campus at 48^th and Harrison in Quincy.