Mark D. Branson

This document outlines the College's strategic goals for Fiscal Year 2026, structured around four primary pillars: Learning Excellence, Lifelong Connections, ECC Experience, and Fortify Our Future. Key objectives include enhancing academic completion and learning mastery, increasing student enrollment and credit accumulation, and improving the overall student, employee, and community experience. The plan further aims to improve student affordability, ensure financial health, and boost operational efficiency.

The regular board meeting commenced with a recess to closed session to discuss personnel matters, litigation risks, and collective negotiation exceptions to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, followed by reconvening in open session. Key discussions in the President's Report included receiving the draft report from the Higher Learning Commission with all conditions met, announcing several faculty and staff recipients of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development and League Excellence Awards, and detailing recent grant awards totaling over $596,000 for mental health support and pre-apprenticeship programs, plus two nursing program grants totaling $120,000. The President also reported on a $2.1 million grant request submitted to the US Department of Education for Workforce Pell readiness and highlighted athletic achievements. The Board addressed resolutions of appreciation for several retiring employees. Committee reports included updates from the Finance Committee on the Fiscal Year 2026 Financial Update and the Status of Insurance Broker RFP Process, and from the Committee of the Whole on the Auditor's Presentation and the HSI Strategic Plan. A public hearing was held regarding the adoption of the 2025 tax levy, following which the resolution adopting the levy was approved. The Consent Agenda included approvals for ratification of expenses and travel, modified academic calendars, dual credit programs, financial reports, and authorization for purchases, including moving services up to $250,000 and software renewal. The Board also approved a resolution for tuition for Fiscal Year 2027.

The special meeting commenced with a roll call establishing a quorum, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by a Trustee. There were no audience members wishing to address the Board. The primary action taken involved a motion, seconded and approved by roll-call vote, to recess into a closed session for the purpose of considering collective negotiation matters concerning one or more classes of employees. The Board reconvened in open session thereafter, and the meeting was subsequently adjourned.

The regular board meeting agenda included several procedural items such as roll call, a recess to closed session to discuss personnel matters, litigation preparedness, and collective negotiation topics. Upon reconvening in open session, the agenda covered preliminary matters including the Pledge of Allegiance and shared values, followed by an In Memoriam section and the President's Report. Board reports were scheduled from various committees, including the Committee of the Whole, ICCTA, ACCT, Legislative, and the ECC Foundation, alongside a Student Report. College reports covered personnel, treasurer activity, student statistics, institutional advancement, community engagement, marketing, insurance summary, and institutional success metrics. The consent agenda included the approval of minutes from previous meetings, ratification of expense and travel reports, approval of a Memorandum of Agreement regarding summer holidays, acceptance of the Fiscal Year 2025 Single Audit Report, and several purchasing items such as insurance brokerage and facility-related purchases, as well as a personnel action for a new faculty hire.

The meeting agenda included standard procedures such as Roll Call and a Recess to Closed Session to discuss employee matters and potential litigation. The Open Session included reports from various Board Committees (Committee of the Whole, ICCTA, ACCT, Legislative, ECC Foundation) and Student Trustee. College reports presented for acceptance covered Personnel (December), Treasurer (November), and Student (December-January) data, along with separate reports on Institutional Advancement, Community Engagement, Marketing, Insurance, and Institutional Success. The Consent Agenda addressed approvals for minutes from previous meetings (December 9, 2025, Regular and Closed Session, and January 14, 2026, Special Meeting), the destruction of audiotape from May 14, 2024, ratification of expenses and travel, approval of a Memorandum of Agreement regarding summer holiday schedules, the Fiscal Year 2025 Single Audit Report, and several purchasing items including insurance brokerage, furniture, and firewall renewal. The Personnel section of the Consent Agenda included the New Hire approval for an Assistant Professor II of Sculpture & Digital Fabrication.