CLC - Fall 2011Alumni News

College of Lake County

AlumNewsPUBLISHED FOR GRADUATES OF THE COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY FALL 201 1

Teaching Excellence at CLC:

Engaging Today’s Students

CLC’s Illinois Faculty Member of the Year

Alumni Professors

Retired and Still Teaching

30156 College_Layout 1 11/3/11 9:35 AM Page 1

2 | COLLEGE OF LAKE COUNTY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

AlumNews is published three times a year by the College of Lake County’s Officeof Alumni Relations and Special Events.

Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events JULIE SHROKA

Administrative Secretary DORAE BLOCK

To submit story ideas, email Dave Fink, AlumNews editor, at [email protected]

or call him at (847) 543-2243.

Do you have a favorite CLC professor?Share your memories. You can also shareideas and comments at the CLC alumni website, at www.clcroundtable.org.

To Our Readers:For many alumni, their best memories

of the College of Lake County involve a favorite professor who nurtured curiosity, inspired self-confidence, tutored outside ofclass or even guided a career choice. Formany graduates, CLC’s faculty are the College of Lake County.

So it’s a given that great teaching is anessential part of the CLC experience. But whatmakes a great teacher? How does the collegenurture faculty excellence?

This issue of AlumNews attempts to pro-vide some of the answers, focusing on currentand past professors. We invite you to learnwhat’s going on in CLC’s classrooms todayand to reminisce with us about great teachersof the past.

Julie ShrokaDirector of Alumni Relations and Special Events

ContentsFEATURES

3 Professor Bob Remedi—Just One Amazing TeacherHe’s modest about winning the 2011 Illinois Outstanding Community College Instructor award. But Bob Remedi brings a creativity and enthusiasm to the classroom that have inspired legions of CLC biology students.

5 From Student to ProfessorAngela Norwood, Bob Lossmann and Mary Ann Bretzlauf are three CLC graduateswho found their career passion at CLC and returned to the college as full-time faculty.

6 Engaging Students in the Wi-Fi AgeWith portable digital devices always at hand, today’s students can be easily distracted. What are CLC professors doing to hold their attention?

8 Retired? Not So Fast.Nancy Cook, Ted Schaefer and Brian Smith have retired from full-time teaching,but, as adjunct instructors, they continue to inspire a new generation of students.What keeps them coming back to campus?

10 Professors Teaching Each OtherOver the last two years, about 60 CLC faculty have honed their teaching skills,learning from each other, at retreats funded in part by the CLC Foundation.

DEPARTMENTS

9 Class Notes

11 News Roundup

12 Upcoming Events

Cover: Biology Professor Bob Remedi identifies plants while leading students on a hike through the restoredprairie on the college’s Grayslake campus. Remedi was named the Illinois Outstanding Full-time FacultyMember of the Year for 2011 by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

Green and Accountable: The revamped AlumNews is printed on recycled paper at the samecost as the previous newsletter format.

AlumNews


ALUMNEWS | 3

COVER STORY

Professor Bob Remedi—Just One Amazing TeacherNamed Illinois Outstanding Community College Instructor, Biology Professor Bob Remedi says he’s onlyone of many at CLC.

Faculty Member Award presented annually by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. Nominated by students for theaward, Remedi was selected from among 37 faculty nominees from throughout Illinois.

Just one year earlier, Remedi also won the2010 National Association of Biology Teachers(NABT) Two-Year College Biology TeachingAward, sponsored by NABT’s Two-Year CollegeSection and textbook publisher McGraw-Hill.The award recognizes an educator who employsnew and creative teaching techniques.

“Teaching is good storytelling,” he said.“It’s getting in front of a group of people andnot just exciting them, but inspiring them tolearn more.”

In a College of Lake County anatomy andphysiology class, students stand blindfolded,giggling nervously as professor Bob

Remedi, hands each student a small stack ofyellow sticky notes. Three students have been assigned to wear comical, Dr. Suess-vintage hats.

“OK, everybody quiet. Now…GO!” shoutsRemedi, and the students begin to intermingleaimlessly, patting each other on the head in an attempt to identify the ones with hats. A fewminutes later, the blindfolded students are ableto identify the hat wearers, posting yellow stickynotes on each of the three.

After removing their blindfolds, the studentssee each of the three hat-wearing “outsiders”covered in the yellow notes.

“That’s similar to how white blood cellscombat germs,” explained Remedi with hischaracteristic smile as the exercise ended.“Your white blood cells are like the blindfoldedstudents, the germs are like the students wearinghats and the antibodies are like the sticky notes.When a white blood cell encounters a germ, it slaps a protein known as an antibody on thebad cell to identify it and combat it.”

The students nod in understanding.Remedi has connected with them, using his own mix of creativity and infectious enthusiasm.It’s an approach that draws high marks, not justfrom CLC students, faculty peers and the collegeadministration, but also from state and nationaleducation organizations.

In 2011—his 10th year at the college,Remedi became the first CLC instructor to receive the prestigious Outstanding Full-Time

In this multimedia age, Remedi tells hisstories using a variety of methods to suit differentlearning styles. At the beginning of his Anatomyand Physiology class, every student completesan online questionnaire indicating his or her

“Teaching is good storytelling.

It’s getting in front of a

group of people and not just

exciting them, but inspiring

them to learn more.”

—Bob Remedi

continued on page 4

Bob Remedi and students use nets to collect specimens from Willow Lake.



COVER STORY

preferred learning methods, whether visual, lecture, reading/writing or hands-on. “I also havethe students write a short essay telling me howthey learn best,” he said. Based on the feedback,he tailors his lesson plans accordingly, includinga mix that ranges from videos embedded inPowerPoint presentations to hands-on activitiessuch as the blindfold exercise.

“You always have to try new things for the benefit of the students,” said Remedi, whoalso teaches courses in environmental biology,introductory evolution and natural history.“You have to meet the students halfway, andthey have to put in the work, too.”

Remedi’s enthusiasm stems from his ownkid-like fascination with living things. “All theneat stories on how living things interact—thatjust gets my juices flowing,” he said.

He pointed to his office wall containing an underwater photo of a sea turtle, a picturethat he took during a snorkeling trip to Maui.“In 20 feet of water, I saw six or seven turtleswaiting in line, taking turns having teeny fishclean parasites off them,” he said with the enthusiasm of a 9-year-old visiting a zoo for the first time. Also adorning his wall is a photoof a cedar waxwing sitting on a crabapple tree

on the Grayslake campus. Sporting a black,bandit-like mask, the bird has a breast ofbrown, gray and lemon-yellow, and its graywings are accented by scarlet droplets on thewing feathers. “Research is showing that inmating, females choose males with biggerpatches of color,” he added. “All the differentcritters that are out there just fascinate me.”

Though Remedi traces his fascination with living things back to his childhood, hepoints to a serendipitous encounter in collegethat inspired him to consider teaching. “I hadno clue as to what I wanted to do for a career,”he said, recalling junior year at Western IllinoisUniversity. “One afternoon, when I was ridingan elevator in my residence hall, an older gentleman with a shirt and a tie got in and webegan to chit chat. I had never met him, and itturned out that he was a counselor on campus.When he asked me what my major was, I said I was undecided, but I told him that I liked biology. He said, ‘Did you ever think about being a biology teacher?’

“I thought, ‘No, I can’t do that.’ But I realizedthat you can make a decent living teaching. Just talking to this counselor for 30 seconds inthe elevator planted a seed in my mind.”

Professor Bob Remedi—Just One Amazing Teachercontinued from page 3

Bob Remedi shows how deep the roots of prairie plants can grow.

The “seed” would germinate, nurtured byRemedi’s own curiosity and drive. Majoring inbiology, he earned a B.S. in 1991 and an M.S. in 1993, his thesis focusing on wetland ecology.After teaching at Black Hawk College in Moline,Ill., and Chicago-area colleges including JolietJunior College, Remedi arrived at CLC in 2001.

At the college, his “classroom” is sometimesoutdoors. On the Grayslake campus, he helpsstudents examine frogs and other critters in Willow Lake. And each May, he joins biology instructor Shane Jones and English instructorMike Latza in leading 15-20 students on afield study trip to the Appalachian Mountains, an expedition that includes, among other things,conducting a salamander inventory for Virginiastate wildlife officials.

Looking back at his awards and accoladesover the past two years, the modest Remedi admitshe’s a little “embarrassed” by the attention. “I like to help people,” he said. “But if you lookdown the hall, you can see that I work withmany amazing teachers here at CLC.”

For their part, many CLC alumni attest to

Remedi’s ability to inspire. “I took his Anatomy

and Physiology class in 2009, and loved every

minute of it,” said Natalie Schurdak (’11).“Even at 8 o’clock in the morning, his positive

attitude was infectious. He would come in

singing ‘O What a Beautiful Morning’ or Mr.

Rogers' ‘It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighbor-

hood’ to get the class started with a smile.

“On a more academic level, if I had a

question that Bob couldn't answer, he would

look it up after class so I wouldn't have to leave

without a better understanding of the subject.

He was so encouraging to every student, and he

brought out the best in everyone. He changed

my life by encouraging me, despite all my self-

doubt, to (pursue a career as) a dentist instead

of stopping at the level of hygienist. And when

I graduated this past May (from the dental

hygiene program), it made my day to have him

honored at the commencement ceremony.”


ALUMNEWS | 5

COLLEGE FOCUS

From Student to ProfessorA CLC degree will start you on the road to anywhere, including back to the college to teach.

support, I would have never finished,” she said.Inspired by her mentors, Norwood earned

an A.A.S. in phlebotomy from CLC and laterearned a B.A. in biology from Barat College.

Bob Lossmann (‘71) enrolled at CLC as a recent high school graduate in the fall of 1969,when the college first opened. Thinking hewanted to be an architect, he took architecturaldrafting classes, but soon realized that the technical aspects of the field didn’t appeal tohim. In high school he had taken an art classand liked it and decided to try art again at CLC.Thus was born a lifelong passion.

After graduating from CLC, Lossmanntransferred to Northern Illinois University, wherehe earned a bachelor’s degree in art educationand a M.F.A.

After supporting himself as a working artistand through teaching stints as a CLC adjunctand at art centers around Lake County, Lossmannwas hired as a full-time art instructor at the college in 1995. At nearly 60, he is now sharinghis passion for studio arts with the grandsonsand granddaughters of his former students.

C LC alumni often credit the college withhelping them find their way to a careerthey love. In the case of a growing number

of alumni, however, the CLC experiences includesnot just finding a professional calling but alsoreturning to the college as full-time professors.

Angela Norwood (’95), for example, now teaches phlebotomy after having worked at clinics and blood banks as well as Abbott Laboratories before being hired as a full-timeinstructor in 2008.

Norwood came to CLC as a student afterspending two stressful years at a large state university and dropping out. She immediatelyfelt welcome in CLC’s smaller class sizes, andlater found mentors in professors Anne Loeb(chemistry) and Leslie Hopkins (philosophy and humanities).

“Anne encouraged me, as I was a womanentering the male-dominated field of science,”Norwood said.

“Leslie told me not to think of myself as acollege dropout. She let me know that there wereothers in my situation. If I didn’t have that

“The younger students are quick to help me when I encounter a computer glitch whilepresenting,” he said with a smile

As a traditional-aged freshman in 1972,Mary Ann Bretzlauf (‘94) followed the prag-matic advice of others and enrolled in businessclasses at CLC. But she later withdrew to workfulltime, get married and have a child. In 1992,Bretzlauf decided to return to CLC to nurture herliterary passion.

“Reading has defined my life,” she explained.“While growing up in Waukegan, I looked forward to weekly trips to the library with myparents. By the time I was in my late 30s, I realized that literature was something that I had loved all along.”

Returning to CLC, she found the encourage-ment she needed to pursue a degree in English.“I was excited to publish an essay in ‘PrairieVoices,’” she said.

After graduating from CLC, Bretzlauf earneda B.A. in English from Carthage College and anM.A. from Northwestern University. She beganteaching fulltime at the college in 2000.

Professor Angela Norwood (’95) Professor Bob Lossmann (’71) Professor Mary Ann Bretzlauf (’94)



COLLEGE FOCUS

Engaging Students in the Wi-Fi AgeThough lectures are still a basic of college teaching, many faculty are taking new approaches.

In a famous 14th century painting, a medieval professor sits at a lectern elevatedabove his students. Some of them listen

intently; others look down at their books, avoiding eye contact with him. Several otherscompletely ignore the professor, chatting withtheir classmates or even nodding off.

Today, seven centuries after Laurentius DeVoltolina painted “Lecturing in a Medieval Uni-

Popular Sociology Professor John Tenuto brings sociology principles alive through references to “Star Trek.”

versity,” College of Lake County professors arestill facing many of these same challenges inkeeping students’ attention. Indeed, with thenow constant distraction of portable electronicdevices like smart phones and electronic tablets,the challenge may even be greater.

“It’s not a bad thing to be disconnectedfrom the world for a while,” history professor Dr. Phyllis Soybel tells students. “But some-

times I wonder if sitting and listening quietly,taking in information, is becoming a lost art.”

If today’s students can be easily distracted,their professors are armed with an increasingarsenal of research about learning and what encourages it.

“We now know that the traditional lectureformat works fine for some students, but othersare visual learners who need illustrations,” said

“Many students who are afraid to discuss homelessness

and other subjects in the real world are willing to discuss

the same subject in the fictitious world of Star Trek.”

— John Tenuto, sociology professor


ALUMNEWS | 7

Dr. Eric Rogers, psychology professor. “Andkinesthetic learners, who learn by doing, needin-class activities and field-based experiences.”

Presenting course content in a way that canwork for students with such different learningstyles is the challenge CLC professors face.

New ApproachesTo spark a class discussion on daily life

in the Roman Empire, professor Phyllis Soybellikes to show a video clip from Monty Python’s“The Life of Brian,” a satirical comedy filmmade in 1979. In one scene, a Roman subjectasks sarcastically: “All right, but apart from thesanitation, medicine, education, wine, publicorder, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system andpublic health, what have the Romans ever donefor us?”

“I use videos in my lectures to help students understand not just what happened,but why things happened,” Soybel explained.“My ultimate goal is to encourage students to think critically.”

Students appreciate Soybel’s multimediaapproach. “Video clips make you pay attentionmore closely than just a straight lecture,” saidChris Anderson, a history major. “Dr. Soybeluses a combination of lectures, videos and reading. Everything’s related and connects withdifferent learning styles.”

Examining popular culture is one of thetechniques used by Sociology Professor JohnTenuto, who has developed themed coursesdrawing on the “Star Trek” television and movieseries as well as American popular culture of the1970s and 1980s. “Many students who areafraid to discuss homelessness and other subjects in the real world are willing to discuss

“But sometimes I wonder

if sitting and listening quietly,

taking in information,

is becoming a lost art.”

—Dr. Phyllis Soybel

Laurentius De Voltolina “Lecturing in a Medieval University” (The work of art depicted in this image andthe reproduction thereof are in the public domain worldwide. The reproduction is part of a collection of reproductions compiled by The Yorck Project.)

the same subject in the fictitious world of ‘StarTrek,’” said Tenuto, who sometimes comes toclass wearing his Captain Kirk outfit.

Digital equipment like computers and calculators is being used to engage students inmath courses. “Rather than demonstrate proofsusing the traditional, double-columned “T”method on a chalkboard, whiteboard or penciland paper, today’s students use a computer tomanipulate geometric shapes and generate conclusions,” said mathematics professorTracey Hoy.

And every student taking a CLC math classis required to buy a graphing calculator. “Forsome returning adult students, using a calculatormay seem like cheating,” Hoy said. “But a calculator relieves the drudgery of hand calcula-tion and allows students to understand the concepts that we’re teaching.”

Creating Active LearnersRegardless of the teaching approach—

traditional lecture or bells-and-whistles newtechnologies—teaching and learning are a

two-way street. As much as professors can do to encourage learning, students also have to befull participants.

“My job is not to stand up and do a dog-

and-pony show to keep students entertained,”

said Rogers, whose 20 years of teaching includes

a five-time teacher of the year award at the

University of Kentucky. “Students need to come

to class prepared and seek help from me or

tutors if they don’t understand something.”

“Lecture is my main mode of delivery,

and I make no apologies for that,” said

Dr. Soybel, who is known for holding students’

attention through her use of story and anecdote

in her lectures.

“In my History of Western Civilization

class, I have to cover 4,500 years of recorded

history in 15 weeks, so I have a lot to cover and

lectures are the best way to do that.

“Besides, lectures don’t have to be dull.

If you’re excited about your subject and have an

interesting story to tell, you can hold the attention

of the digital generation,” she said.



Retired? Not So Fast.For three professors, teaching at CLC remains a way of life.

COLLEGE FOCUS

That’s the case for several retired Collegeof Lake County instructors who havechosen to continue teaching part time at

the college after decades of teaching full time.The retirees include Nancy Cook, Ted

Schaefer and Brian Smith. Why stay close tothe college instead of escaping to a life of, say,Sunbelt leisure? A continual fascination withthe subject and a passion for teaching are themain reasons, they said. The retirees also treas-ure the engaging CLC atmosphere they haveknown for decades.

Cook, a humanities instructor, taught artand architectural history full time from 1971 to 2001. She also led field-study trips to Europe.Since retiring, Cook has continued to teach atleast two courses per semester.

There’s a kind of embracing friendliness toCLC,” she said. “I’ve loved the diverse mix ofstudents. I can’t imagine a better career thanteaching, and I’ve always said that a communitycollege is a great place to spend a life.”

Beyond CLC, Cook volunteers to lead busand architecture tours for the Chicago Architec-ture Foundation. She also visits her childrenand grandchildren with her husband, retired art instructor Dan Ziembo.

The college’s support for academic freedom has always impressed Schaefer, an English instructor who has taught two coursesper semester since retiring in 2004. During his34 full-time years, Schaefer taught journalism,composition and literature. He also launched a course in mythology and fairy tales.

L to R: Though retired as full-time faculty, Brian Smith, Ted Schaefer and NancyCook continue to inspire a new generation of students as adjuncts.

Schaefer said he has found it rewarding to see former students achieve greatness, such as Deborah Nelson(’73) becoming aPulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Besides teach-ing part-time, Schaefer is busy compiling a col-lection of poems by the late Thomas McAfee, apoet and English professor who taught Schaeferat the University of Missouri-Columbia. A pub-lished poet, Schaefer lives in Lake Geneva, Wis.,with wife, Tricia.

Connecting with students and CLC alumniis what keeps Smith, a philosophy instructor,teaching in retirement. Smith, who beganteaching in 1978, retired early in 2001 to become a stay-at-home dad when he and wife, Kathy, adopted a foster child.

Smith has long treasured the chance to

engage students in deep questions on philosophy,

religion and ethics. He fondly recalled an

annual public philosophy debate, a tradition

that ran from the late ‘70s to the mid ‘90s,

involving faculty dressing up as famous

thinkers. “My favorite was when I played Plato

and wore a toga to a forum held in the Atrium,”

Smith recalled. “Like the other instructors,

I stayed true to character. Instead of opening

with an assigned, five-minute introductory

speech, I spontaneously engaged people in

questioning, known as Socratic dialogue, as

Plato would have done. The students asked

great questions, and we even had local news

media show up.”

Smith appreciates CLC’s small class sizes.

“The students here are wonderful,” said the

Third Lake resident. “There’s nothing greater

than turning someone on to philosophy.”

In addition to raising his son, Sean, Smith

is a soccer fan who collects international jerseys

and often wears one to class.


CLASS NOTES

Alumni NewsCharles Stransky (’71) is currently performingin “Dartmoor Prison” at the Goodman Theatre. After CLC, he received a B.S. in theatre arts from Southern Illinois Universityand earned an M.F.A in acting from BrandeisUniversity. He has acted on Broadway, off-Broadway, regional theatre, TV, film andaudio books. He currently lives in Chicago.

Mark Savage (’73) teaches online Englishclasses for the University of Phoenix and Argosy University. He currently lives in Georgia,where he has been a technical writer.

Sandhya Gupta (’89) is a chief perfusionistin Mount Vernon, Ill. (Her career involvesoperating the heart-lung machine duringcardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass.) After CLC,she earned a bachelor’s degree in medicaltechnology from the University of Illinois andin 1993 completed a two-year program incardiac perfusion from The Johns HopkinsSchool of Perfusion Technology in Baltimore.

Jamie Shirling (’93) is an operations managerat Safe Abatement For Everyone Inc., aKenosha, Wis.-based firm provides remedia-tion and abatement services for hazardousmaterials, including asbestos, lead or mold.

Hans Zigmund (‘97) is an assistant researchdirector and senior economist for the IllinoisDepartment of Revenue. He also was recentlyappointed as an adjunct lecturer in the Roosevelt University economics department,where he teaches public finance.

Greg Nevil (’00) is a music specialist forNaval Station Great Lakes, where he coordi-nates weekly recruit graduation ceremoniesand teaches recruit choirs.

What have you been doing lately?Let your fellow grads know! Post your submissions online at www.clcaa.com. Selected entries will also be published in the AlumNews.

T hough now retired, many CLC instruc-tors continue to evoke fond memoriesamong CLC graduates. In September,

the department of Alumni Relations and SpecialEvents queried alumni by email about theirmost memorable instructors. More than 100 ofyou responded. Here’s a sampling of comments

On Jim Hodge(mathematics): “I have never in mylife seen someone(else) who couldtruly ‘teach’ mathand get through toeveryone in the class

at all their different skill levels within the 50-minute allotted class time.”

—Gail A. Van Oever (’90)

On Nancy Cook (art): “I very much enjoyed her wonderful delivery and smartsense of humor.”

—Linda Leraas Ray (’88)

On Brian Smith (philosophy): “He showed me how rewarding learningcould be.”

—Glenn Herczeg (‘82)

On Maureen Starshak (political science):“…I still remember a lot of her influenceand how she reminded our class how important it is to be involved with the votingprocess. I appreciate that very much todaywith our current government seeming to be running ‘amok’…”

—Nancy (Hassett) Flary (‘84 )

On John Lumber(history): “In one semester, I learnedmore about U.S. history than in the previous 12 years of school and enjoyed every minute of class.”

—Dennis Thompson (’76)

On Joan Enggaar (nursing): “She saw inme potential, and she geared me in the rightdirection to take charge of my learning andexperiences. Joan has left an impact on mefor life. I hope that I have done the same fornurses that I have trained through the years.”

—Deanna Hosin (’88)

On John Steinke (political science):“…he was the greatest. He made every class exciting and alive….I wish he was still teaching so my kids could have him for an instructor.”

—Robert Merz (‘83)

On Jerry Pinkham (journalism):“…helped launch me on a two-decade ca-reer as a newspaper man…”

—David Schiefelbein (‘83 )

On Ted Schaefer (English): “His editingsuggestions propelled me to submit numerouspieces to various literary magazines, andthey were actually published!”

—Beverly Beinlich-Pasquesi (‘10)

ALUMNEWS | 9

How Well They Remember…Alumni share memories of former professors.



COLLEGE FOUNDATION

do, and also so they can relax and share ideas,” said Page Wolf, Ph.D., an instructional developer in CLC’s Professional DevelopmentCenter who coordinated the Foundation grant.Those involved in the movement have foundthat many of the most insightful teaching and learning discussions have evolved from casualfaculty conversations.”

During the retreats, faculty shared successesand challenges in the classroom, tips on helpingdifficult students and practical ways to engagestudents in learning.

One professor who found value in the seminar is Phyllis Soybel, Ph.D., chair of thecollege’s history department.

“I found this seminar to be one of the mostconstructive I have been to for teaching,” shesaid. “I was reminded that for many of us, thedesire to improve, to learn, to be innovative does

How do professors learn to teach?

S urprisingly, they often learn on theirown, in the trenches of the classroom.That’s because graduate school programs

focus on an academic discipline like English or philosophy, rather than teaching skills.

And though many great teachers are self-taught, the process can be a lonely one. TheCollege of Lake County thinks there’s a betterway: providing opportunities for faculty to learnbest teaching practices from each other.

The college has long offered a “New FacultyInstitute,” which includes a weeklong orienta-tion and a semester-long seminar for newlyhired faculty, all focused on helping them develop into outstanding teachers.

Over the last two years, the CLC Foundationhas provided grant funding to allow seasonedfaculty to recharge and take time out to “talk teaching” in a retreat format away fromcampus. About 60 faculty members have participated in two events held as part of theGreat Teachers Movement, a program based on the premise that teachers learn best fromeach other.

“The retreat takes place at a location awayfrom campus so that faculty can clear theirminds of any other work ‘stuff’ they need to

Professors Teaching Each OtherFoundation-supported retreat helps faculty share best teaching practices.

not stop with tenure. That’s just the beginningof our desire to be good, if not great, teachers,”she said.

The Foundation funding for the two retreats served as “seed money” to begin CLC’sparticipation in the Great Teachers project. “By allowing us the chance to try it out, theFoundation made it possible for us to demon-strate the program’s success and positive benefits,” Wolf said.

CLC instructors have enjoyed retreats (and learned from each other) at Aurora University’s George Williams College, located on scenic Lake Geneva, Wis.

The College of Lake County

thinks there’s a better way:

providing opportunities for

faculty to learn best teaching

practices from each other. “The retreat takes place at

a location away from campus

so that faculty can clear their

minds, relax and share ideas”

—Dr. Page Wolf


ALUMNEWS | 1 1

NEWS ROUNDUP

Board approves $23.5 million science building on Grayslake campus

CLC trustees on Aug. 23 gave the go ahead to begin the design of a new, $23.5 million science building on the Grayslake cam-pus, committing $1.17 million to the project.

Construction of the building has been approved by the state legislature and Gov. Pat Quinn, though no funds for the projectwere released at press time. Board Chairman Dr. William M. Griffin said that the college hopes the commitment of designfunds will spur release of state funding to construct the building. “We believe that early completion of the design and bidphase should give CLC a competitive advantage in securing the funding,” he said.

The science building project will include renovations to existing facilities in the C Wing on the Grayslake campus as well asconstruction of a new 42,568- square-foot building. When funds are released, the state of Illinois will pay three-quarters of the cost and CLC, one-quarter.

Alumni enjoy brunch on Aug. 14 Lake Geneva cruise

More than 20 alumni, Foundation Board of Ambassadors andfamily members enjoyed a two-hour, Sunday champagnebrunch cruise Aug. 14 on Lake Geneva, Wis. Amid blue skies andsunshine, the group enjoyed eggs Benedict, quiche, a free glassof champagne and more, as they cruised the storied lakeaboard the Grand Belle of Geneva, a two-story excursion boat.

Alumni discount program adds more than 100 new businesses

More than 100 new local and national discounts, from tires to dental care, have been added to the Alumni Preferred Partnersbenefits program. The CLC Alumni Association has partnered with StudentRate, a service that provides discounts not only forstudents but also alumni. “This partnership gives CLC graduates the largest list of discounts to date,” according to JulieShroka, director of alumni relations and special events.

You must be a registered member of the CLC Alumni Association to qualify for the discounts. Membership levels include Silver ($20 per year), Sapphire ($200 for a lifetime membership) and Lancer (free membership). Benefits are commensuratewith membership level. For details on the discounts and a link to the online membership application form, visit www.alumnipreferredpartners.org.

Online community offers 24/7 networking, idea-sharing

Looking for a great way to network with fellow alumni and share your ideas for alumni events, programs, etc.? Visit the Alumni Association’s online community at www.clcaa.com.

Alumni and friends pause after a sunny Lake Geneva cruise.


UPCOMING EVENTS

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AlumNewsCollege of Lake County19351 West Washington StreetGrayslake, IL 60030-1198

www.clcillinois.edu

UPCOMING EVENTS

Holiday Light Tour andDinner at Lawry’sSunday, Dec. 4

Join your fellow alumni on a chartered bus

tour of spectacular lights, and experience

the magic of the holidays in Chicago. Shop

for crafts in the Christkindlmarket at Daley

Plaza and see the annual Christmas display

at Navy Pier. Enjoy lunch at Lawry’s –

The Prime Rib, a restaurant housed in the

1890s-vintage McCormick Mansion. After

dinner, enjoy a narrated, guided tour of the

Magnificent Mile area all lit up for the holidays.

Ticket price is $77 per person.

Space is limited.

To register, visit www.clcroundtable.org/lights,

or call Dorae in the Alumni Office at

(847) 543-2400.

The Shadow BoxMarch 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. and March 4 at 2 p.m.James Lumber Center for the PerformingArts – Studio Theatre

In this 1977 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by

Michael Cristofer, three terminally ill cancer

patients spend their time in hospice care

waiting for the inevitable. As the characters

deal with their mortality, family and close

friends visit them and each must come to

terms with the inner struggles that arise.

Tickets: $10 for the general public;

$8 for CLC staff/students/Seniors 65+/

JLC Subscribers

To order tickets, call the James Lumber

Center for the Performing Arts at

(847) 543-2300 or visit

www.clcillinois.edu/tickets.

Dailey & Vincent Bluegrass ConcertFriday, March 30, 2012 at 8 p.m.James Lumber Center for the PerformingArts – Mainstage Theatre

7 p.m. alumni reception outside of theFrank Harnish Experimental Theatre

The New York Times calls Dailey & Vincent

“...the most celebrated new bluegrass act of the

last few years.” In 2008 and 2009, they received

10 International Bluegrass Music Association

Awards, including Entertainer of the Year for

two years running and Album of the Year in

2008. Dailey & Vincent combine an uncanny

harmony of their vocal trios and quartets,

along with impeccable arrangements.

Ticket price is $25 per person, including

reception. Space is limited. To register, go to

www.clcroundtable.org/bluegrass, or call

Dorae in the Alumni Office at (847) 543-2400.

Photo provided by Greater No

rth Michigan Avenue Associatio

n


Documents

CLC - Fall 2011Alumni News