By Tray Wetherell
Editor-In-Chief
This Friday, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will be visiting Lewis & Clark Community College and take part in a roundtable discussion on what has been deemed a “college and career readiness program.” Organized as a statewide tour, the Lt. Governor is in the process of a 48 community college visit throughout the state speaking on ways to help improve the current average completion rate of Illinois community colleges from 41% to 60% by 2025.
Speaking at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Il in February, Lt. Governor Simon said “Illinois is serious about increasing college completion”. John A. Logan College has been considered at the vanguard of the college and career readiness program which was created by legislation back in 2008 to help high school programs and college programs align themselves better for the benefit of students. This legislation also provided extra support to students including online tutoring, mentors, and additional after school educational programs.
With a focus on preparing students before starting their first day at college, proposals being talked about call for more emphasis on student education and improvement at the high school level to help colleges minimize the need for remedial math and English classes, and instead focus on the necessary classes for students to advance themselves and gain an associate degree, or go on to a four year college to gain a bachelor degree. “Too many kids are not ready for college when they arrive, and too many students get lost trying to move from a community college to a four-year university.”
Students, faculty, and staff are invited to meet with Lt. Governor Sheila Simon on Friday at 1:45 pm in the Reid Memorial Library to ask questions and offer opinions on how the state of Illinois can help students and colleges achieve this and other goals for students.
