Southwestern Illinois College to Receive Governor's Award for Excellence in Education

Springfield – Fresh on the heels of a successful Women Veterans Fair clearly demonstrating their commitment to serving veterans above and beyond basic services, Southwestern Illinois College will be presented the Spring 2013 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education, at a ceremony today at the Belleville Campus. 

“On behalf of Governor Pat Quinn, we salute Southwestern Illinois College for their consistent efforts to support their student veterans,” said IDVA Director Erica Borggren. “For over 67 years SWIC has been creating programs and policies to assist veterans entering or returning to higher education.  Supporting veterans is one of the Governor’s top priorities, and we thank SWIC for their leadership and commitment to helping veterans and military families."

Among many outstanding attributes, SWIC was recognized for its:

• Veterans-to-Veteran Tutoring program specifically designed to support the academic achievement of student veterans by connecting tutors with pupils in the common core subjects with plans underway to expand the program to include veteran study group sessions;
• an innovative Veteran New Student Orientation program that assists veterans in their transition to the student community by providing an overview of college programs, services and activities, introducing them to all the college staff that assist with veteran services, integrating them with the general student veteran population through workshop sessions, and fostering camaraderie and  relationship-building through small group dynamics;
• hosting an annual Veteran Job Fair each fall, attracting over 100 employers, to assist student veterans and veteran alumni in securing employment and advancement opportunities.

Director Borggren will present the award during a ceremony at 2:00 p.m. Staci Clayborne, Vice President for Student Development, Southwestern Illinois College will accept the award on behalf of the college.  Faculty, staff, student veterans and local community leaders are expected to attend the event.

Previous winners include Eastern Illinois University, College of DuPage, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Northern Illinois University, and Western Illinois University.

The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education is presented in the spring and fall of each school year. Nominations are now being accepted for the Fall 2013 term.  Illinois colleges or universities that contribute to the betterment of our student veterans and their families are eligible. The nominated school must be a licensed, degree-granting school in the state of Illinois. For more information, please visit the Governor's Award homepage at www.veterans.illinois.gov.