IVCC grants tenure to distinguished group of faculty members

The Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees recently approved tenure for five faculty members and commended the talented group of instructors who engage students in their respective fields of art, agriculture, chemistry, criminal justice and nursing.

Tenure was approved for Jon Hubbell, criminal justice instructor and program coordinator; Sara Legrenzi, nursing instructor; Camden Parks, chemistry instructor; Shannon Slaight, art instructor, and Jennifer Timmers, agriculture instructor and co-coordinator. All joined the IVCC faculty in 2022.

Jonathan Hubbell

“To attend one of Jon’s classes means one will be involved in active learning,” tenure reviewers noted. Hubbell’s Jeopardy-style game has become a popular and effective lesson, and he was praised for effective student interaction within the classroom and as faculty advisor of the criminal justice student club.

Hubbell’s teaching technique impressed the review panel, as did a course design that extends his classroom virtually. That, noted the panel, is “a real plus to the IVCC criminal justice program (because) students have the option of both in-class and online learning.”

As well as forging on-campus relationships through committees and campus initiatives, Hubbell has actively partnered with Illinois State Police and the Peru Police Department, where students helped test a new simulator, and he has hosted community events such as a forum about Women in Criminal Justice.

Hubbell holds a doctorate in higher education administration and a master’s degree in criminal justice.

Sara Legrenzi

A graduate of IVCC’s nursing program, Legrenzi earned a master’s degree in nursing and returned to teach. “Her transition from an exceptional student to an inspiring educator has been a testament to her determination and deep commitment to the profession,” the review panel noted.

She stepped in to lead instruction in the Mental Health portion of the program and created a new lecture course in Mental Health Nursing. She was commended for designing interactive learning activities to strengthen clinical decision-making and creating real-world simulations to better prepare students for life as nurses today. Glowing reviews from both students and colleagues cite her passion for teaching, her ability to connect with students, and her effectiveness in class and clinical settings, ensuring students grasp complex nursing concepts.

Legrenzi’s dedication has been recognized with several awards and honors throughout her career. She also is active in community youth athletic programs.

Camden Parks

“To come into one of Parks’ classes is to see an instructor who really enjoys his subjects,” a review panel noted. They would also see a very active classroom, with students using models, doing frequent board work and watching online content to enhance understanding of the three-dimensional aspects of chemical compounds and why they exhibit specific properties.

Parks has been active in revising and updating general and organic chemistry course outlines. In the community, Parks is an advocate of cat rescue animal shelters, from working shifts at shelters to – as an avid photographer – creating an annual calendar to sell as a major fundraiser. He is also an outdoor bicycle enthusiast.

After earning his doctorate, Parks had the unique opportunity to design and teach a course at the Universidade do Rio De Janeiro.

Shannon Slaight

Slaight has revitalized the art program and the student learning experience, a review panel noted, adding praise for her growth as a teacher and her ability to support all students through hands-on project-based learning and individualized feedback.

That feedback and support “is one of her greatest skills as a teacher, and students write positively about her mentorship,” reviewers noted.

Slaight prepares materials ahead of student art projects, keeps open lab hours and provides direction and supervision to her students. She sets up the annual Student Art Show, judges scholarship award winners and attends scholarship and awards nights, established the Student Art Club, has brought visiting artists to demonstrate on campus, and has been active in campus holiday displays. She is also a practicing artist for regional art exhibits.

Slaight holds a master’s and post-baccalaureate degrees in ceramics. She is a three-time graduate of IVCC, with associate degrees in art and science and a certificate in dental assisting.

Jennifer Timmers

Even though Timmers is at the beginning of her career, she impressed reviewers as an experienced instructor, and they appreciated that she has worked hard to learn the content of her subjects to deliver effective instruction.

The review panel recognized her classrooms’ positive environment where “students do not hesitate to engage in discussion and questions.” Her Agriculture Monopoly game was a huge hit and she has done an outstanding job of developing and delivering content of the new IVCC cannabis program.

She also has been a leader in advancing agriculture education and raising awareness of women in the field while serving as co-advisor of the student Ag Club and accompanying students to the Women Changing the Face of Agriculture conference, where students see women in leadership roles.

Off-campus, she is active in a Master Gardener program in Marshall and Putnam counties which plants donated seeds and raises food that is distributed to local food pantries.

Timmers holds a Ph. D. in agronomy and a master’s in agriculture and natural resources.