HR0277 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0277 LRB094 11896 CSA 44390 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives congratulate Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey on the occasion of its 35th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The College's President is Dr. Dale T. Chapman and the Trustees are Chairman Robert Watson, Chris Ringhausen, Walter Ahlemeyer, Ed Hightower, Brenda McCain, George Milnor, Steve Cousley, and Student Trustee Candice Witt; and

WHEREAS, The College began operations in 1970 on a 135-year-old campus of what was previously known as Monticello College, an institution whose rich heritage dates back to 1838; occupying 215 acres of manicured lawns and majestic trees, the College is housed in several stately buildings, most of which were built from the limestone that is native to the area; and

WHEREAS, The College provides educational services to all or parts of seven counties in southwestern Illinois, encompassing 1,800 square miles; geographically, the district is approximately 80 percent rural, however, 72 percent of the district's residents live in the urban area of Madison County; and

WHEREAS, The College has received the highest accreditation possible from the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and was awarded the Institutional Quality Award by the State of Illinois; the Illinois Community College Board has presented Lewis and Clark its Award for Excellence, the Board's most prestigious award, in the fields of Workforce Preparation and Learning-Centered Instruction; and

WHEREAS, Lewis and Clark has experienced tremendous growth in terms of enrollment, academic programs, services, and buildings; one of the challenges in developing new programs and facilities comes in controlling costs while expanding services; the College has successfully maintained a balanced budget for 35 years while seeing enrollment climb from 440 students in 1970 to more than 7,500 in the current semester; and

WHEREAS, The College continues to focus its efforts on helping residents stay abreast of an everchanging job market and technological changes that affect their lives; the development of the new N.O. Nelson Campus in Edwardsville involves renovating an industrial site that was developed in the 1800s; it will enable the College to broaden its career, transfer, and adult education courses as the College strives to continually develop new partnerships and alliances with business and industry in an effort to offer the essential skills needed for today's workplace; and

WHEREAS, The Athletics Department has also grown since the original days of Lewis and Clark; today the Trailblazers compete in ten different sports in Division I of the National Junior College Athletics Association and all of the athletes and sports teams continue to find success; in the past year, the women's soccer team took fourth place at the national tournament, the men's basketball team finished seventh in the nation, the women's tennis team earned a trip to the national tournament for the sixth time this spring, and the golf team will once again send one of its most outstanding athletes to the national tournament this spring; on an individual basis, players continue to be recognized on the national level, as many of the athletes have earned the prestigious title of all-American from the NJCAA; and

WHEREAS, The College continues to serve all populations of the Lewis and Clark District from the business and corporate training programs offered by the Center for Workforce Training, to the summer enrichment programs for children offered through the growing College For Kids program; the High School Partnership Program serves more than 2,500 students each year, giving students dual credit and a smooth transition from high school to college; and

WHEREAS, Lewis and Clark continues to partner with other educational institutions and area businesses to create unique educational programs for residents; one prime example of this is the partnership with the University of Illinois and the Illinois Natural History Survey, which has resulted in the creation of the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center; the NGRREC will serve as an international site for rivers research and will affect both the academics and the economics of the region in the years to come; and

WHEREAS, While the College has accumulated numerous awards and acknowledgements during the past 35 years for excellent programs, faculty, staff, and students, there is still much to accomplish in the future; the College appreciates the community's support over the past 35 years and its continued encouragement in educational endeavors in the next 35 years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Lewis and Clark Community College for 35 years of excellence and dedication; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Lewis and Clark College as an expression of our esteem.