The Rend Lake College Board of Trustees adopted the final Fiscal Year 2009 budget Tuesday as presented at the June 10 meeting.

A public hearing on the budget was held prior to the regular board meeting. There were no comments from the public.

In other business, the board:

• Employed Rachel Sveda as financial aid specialist effective Aug. 6.

Sveda is a former student worker in the Financial Aid Office and served as temporary financial aid specialist from August to December 2007. She also served as a student worker in the Financial Aid Office at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Paralegal Studies. Sveda is a former student trustee at RLC.

• Employed Brian Clark as help desk/Web assistant technician effective Aug. 13.

Clark has been a part-time Computer Science instructor since January and holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology. An accompanying job description also was approved.

• Appointed Michelle Gaede as lead child care provider at the Rend Lake College MarketPlace Early Childhood Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, both from SIUC, and has worked at Tri-C Elementary and at St. Mary’s Good Samaritan.

• Approved an academic transfer partnership between Illinois Community Colleges and Western Illinois University’s Board of Trustees.

The Illinois Community College Board strongly endorsed this program, which allows place-bound students throughout the state to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree online.

• Approved an administrative policy to grant a posthumous degree in the event of the death of a currently enrolled student who has completed a minimum of 75 percent of the course work required for their degree with a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 (second reading).

• Approved a revision to administrative policy concerning tuition waivers.

Tuition and fees will be waived for full-time college employees and qualifying part-time employees registering for the Aerobic Super-Circuit Fitness Center classes and for open swim sessions at the RLC Aquatics Center.

Studies have shown that healthy employees are more productive in their endeavors and insurance costs are dramatically reduced (second reading).

• Approved the Freedom of Information Handbook, which outlines the procedure for the public to request information and records from the college.

• Approved the Instructor Reference Guide, which provides instructors with a fast and easy way to access current information about RLC. The handbook consists of Institutional Information, Division Information and Assessment of Student Learning.

• Approved a dual-credit agreement for 2008-2009 between RLC and district high schools effective Aug. 12.

• Tabled a revision to administrative policy regarding sick leave.

Mark your calendars:

• RLC Foundation Golf Tournament, Thursday, Sept. 18, 11 a.m. lunch, noon shotgun start, Rend Lake Golf Course.

• RLC Foundation Scholarship Dinner, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, Rend Lake Resort Conference Center.

• Higher Learning Commission Visit, Nov. 17-19.

• RLC Foundation Annual Dinner, 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn.