Press Releases

Today, the Saints Foundation announced that the nonprofit organization’s Executive Director, Gene Honn, retired August 31, 2021, starting a leadership transition process over the next month. "Shawnee Community College has benefitted from Gene’s expertise and collegial generosity. The Saints Foundation board, faculty and students of the College, and our many partners and donors feel privileged to have worked with Gene and are enormously grateful to him for his many contributions," says Sherrie Crabb, Saints Foundation Board Chair.

The President of Shawnee Community College, Dr. Timothy Taylor, announced today the College would be hosting a series of forums beginning today, September 1st at 2:00 p.m. The forums are aimed at discussing changes to the College's Covid-19 protocols. The recent Executive Order by Governor J.B. Pritzker requires all Illinois higher education institutions to implement mandatory vaccination and testing by September 5th.

The series features short videos starring long-time SCC Biology Instructor Tony Gerard and provides viewers with interesting facts about flora and fauna in the southern Illinois region. SCC Communications Director Rob Betts, who co-produces and edits the series, said, "When Tony & I came up with the idea to begin the series, it was just as Covid-19 was shutting things down in our region including in-person classes at SCC. 

Officer Eric Howard of the Shawnee Community College Criminal Justice Program recently announced the college is hosting Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Accident Reconstruction Specialist Sgt. Ronnie Stanton. The presentation is scheduled for September 22 at 10:00 am and will take place in the SCC Education Center located on the college’s main campus.

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 6, Dr. Taylor presented the new data driven plan and the Shawnee Community College Board of Trustees approved the plan that is set to guide the institution through 2025. The new plan will assist the college with fulfilling the mission of SCC to provide quality higher education, community education, training, and services that are accessible, affordable, and promote life-long learning.

Shawnee Community College Baseball Coach Ken Reichert recently signed Jake Hyde to the Saints squad. Hyde, the son of Michael & Sonia Hyde of Woodlawn, joins the program with an impressive resume both academically and athletically. In 2021 he was named All-Conference "Player of the Year" in the Midland Trail Conference.

The new program has been providing learning opportunities for only a few weeks, but already there has been significant interest. The college has partnered with the Egyptian Area Agency on Aging to offer a ‘Tech for Seniors’ computer/tablet navigation course for seniors at the West Vienna Senior Center, in West Vienna, Illinois, along with other senior centers throughout the region. The workshops teach basic computer skills, including conducting Zoom meetings for seniors who want to connect via video conferencing with...

Shawnee Community College Saints Softball recently signed Chandler Moss to the Lady Saints. Chandler is a Crittenden County High School graduate where she played for Coach Stephen Smith. She is the daughter of Ronnie and Christy Moss of Marion, Kentucky. Moss was named MVP, All-District tournament team, All-Region during her high school career.

Shawnee Community College announced today they will be hosting two job fairs in the coming weeks to help provide residents with an opportunity to connect with local cannabis grower. aerīz is a national medical/recreational cannabis brand that provides customers with aeroponically cultivated cannabis.

Shawnee Community College is currently enrolling for the fall semester. With so many new traditional and non-traditional students registering this fall, the college is extending hours in order to accommodate the influx of students.

When area residents hear Roberta Christie's name, most of them will say they know her as one of the excellent mathematics instructors at Shawnee College. Ms. Christie has served the Shawnee College community since 1996, impacting hundreds of students in our local area.

Shawnee Community College is once again offering an opportunity to help students get ahead and stay ahead with intersession courses this summer! Previously Shawnee College offered intersession classes during the winter break, and students welcomed the chance to get their class schedules back on track after the Covid-19 pandemic.

It’s summer, which means increased road work in many areas of the country, and the heartland is no exception.  Each year as road construction increases, unfortunately, so do traffic accidents. Recently The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released estimates of crash fatalities in 2020 involving motor vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, and people walking and biking.

Among those recognized for their achievements during the competition this year were two Shawnee Community College students. Kaitlyn May of Metropolis competed in The Business Communication category and brought home first place for the event. The Business Communication competitive event measures the appropriateness of business messages, including format and style based on proper Business English.  May placed fifth place in the Job Interview competitive event, which entails preparing a Cover Letter and participating in a role-play interview.

Ransomware -A term used to identify a type of cybercriminal activity poses potentially crippling effects to businesses and even national economies. For example, the recent attack by using ransomware on the Colonial Pipeline led to gasoline shortages and caused significant nationwide concern. It also caused quite a stir amongst many businesses about their ability to combat this new hacking mechanism.

The job market holds increased opportunities as more and more individuals begin to look for post-Covid-19 employment. Local businesses are offering increased positions and competitive wages to bring employees back into the workforce. The increased demand as things are returning to normal includes a need for additional in-person education and training opportunities.

Shawnee Community College would like to commend all of our Spring 2021 semester honors students for their hard work and dedication. Full time students whose grade point average is 3.5 or better and who are enrolled in an Associate degree or certificate program are considered honor students. The President’s List consists of students achieving a 4.0 GPA for the semester. 

One word, excited, that’s how SCC Athletic Director John Sparks describes his feeling about Coach Kyle Smith joining the Shawnee College Softball staff. “Coach Smith is a solid coach with extensive experience,” says Sparks.

Shawnee Community College leaders continue meetings with employees from the cannabis cultivation company aerīz to work out details for the budding partnership. The discussions taking place at the SCC Anna Extension Center are part of the initial introduction and planning phase for the two organizations to develop training and employment strategies for aerīz.

SIU Chancellor Austin Lane, left, and Shawnee Community College President Tim Taylor formalize a reverse transfer agreement today, May 27, that will allow eligible students to earn their associate degrees from Shawnee while they earn their bachelor’s degrees from SIU. (Photo by Yenitza Melgoza)     CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Shawnee Community College today, May 27, formalized a reverse transfer agreement that will allow eligible students to earn their associate degrees from Shawnee while they earn their...