Dental program wins temporary reprieve
By Jessica Coppes
IV Leader Editor, Feb. 21, 2003
The dental assistant program at Illinois Valley Community College won a temporary reprieve Feb. 19 as the IVCC board of trustees voted to give the program another year to prove itself financially.
The board decided to look at the dental assistant program again next year for any improvements in enrollment and finances.
According to board chairman William H. Franklin Jr. that will give the dental assisting program a chance to “get their act together.”
The decision to keep the program for another year came after a presentation from program coordinator Pat Pearson and several local dentists.
Pearson made a proposal to keep the dental program, which has been in existence since 1973.
Pearson suggested increasing dental student lab fees and charging for the dental services provided in the campus clinic.
Board members seemed reluctant to follow some of those recommendations.
“It would not be appropriate to collect fees as part of the program,” said trustee Deb Sweeden. “We would much rather have the program coordinator recruiting students.”
There are currently eight students enrolled in the dental program who will be able to continue their education at IVCC next year, and four potential students have already contacted Pearson about enrolling in the program next fall.
Dr. Mitchell Meyers, a trustee for the Central Northern District of the Illinois State Dental Society, read a letter from the society urging the board to consider all other options to keep the Dental Assistant program before the program would be cut.
The board has publicly been discussing eliminating the program since its Dec. 18 meeting in order to help balance the college budget.
IVCC is facing a $750,000 budget deficit for next year because of a failed Nov. 5 referendum attempt and potential cuts in state funding because of the state’s nearly $5 billion budget deficit.
Dental assisting was targeted by the board because it is considered a low enrollment program. At the December meeting, the board also cut an electronics instructor from what was considered another low enrollment program.
While the dental assistant program received another year to prove itself, the board did eliminate a full-time position in the Early Childhood Education Center, held by Sallee Beneke.
Reorganization of the center will result in at least $20,000 in savings. Other changes include closing the center for two months in the summer and increasing usage fees.
During the February meeting, the board delayed a decision on athletic cuts for another month.