Danville Area Community College will be holding a Commencement Ceremony next month despite the COVID-19 pandemic. College President Stephen Nacco announced at a Board of Trustees meeting this evening that it will be a virtual experience with the ceremony streamed live online on Friday, May 22nd……
{”What we need to do is have that commencement sooner, rather than later,” said Dr. Nacco. ”We’re proposing to do it on May 22nd. Laura Hensgen has really dazzled a committee and all of us that she can produce this and have (a) live stream with us involved in it – and have every student recognized with a picture and something special about them.}
‘’We have an air-conditioned gym that we’re not going to use,’’ noted Nacco. Work has just been completed on installing the air-conditioning in the gym. The ceremony will include the normal speeches but will be a virtual event instead of the normal large gathering at the Mary Miller Center.
Also during the meeting trustees learned that, so far, the half-price online classes being offered this summer have been an unqualified success.
And board members also unanimously approved a reciprocal agreement with 48 other community colleges in Illinois allowing their students to attend DACC classes without paying out-of-district tuition. DACC Executive Vice President Dave Kietzmann called it ‘’a step in the right direction.’’ It was Kietzmann’s last meeting in that position as the board approved his retirement after more than 50 years of service to the college and the community. Two other key administrators at DACC also had their retirements approved – Mike Cunningham, who has been Vice President of Administrative Services, and Building Services Attendant Stan Hill.
Trustees also agreed to award a 2020 honorary degree to former DACC student, instructor and long time board member Dick Cheney.
{** Note: Laura Hensgen is the Director of Community Education and Video Development at Danville Area Community College.}
