Providing lifelong learning for more than five decades, Rend Lake College has achieved a lot. It's all credited to the quality and devotion of our students, faculty, staff and administration. RLC remains committed, every day, to every student. Below is a collection of achievements that have made us a regional leader through higher education.

   

Academic Achievement

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Institutional Data

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Download the complete Fact Book below.

 

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Professional Success

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Faculty Excellence

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From "The History of Rend Lake College: Excellence in Faculty at Rend Lake College" in 2017 by Bob Kelley

Can’t have one without the other
FACULTY EXCELLENCE A MUST TO ATTRACT / PRODUCE QUALITY STUDENTS

The question begs of an age-old answer, much like the chicken-or-egg debate. Which comes first? Quality students or a first-rate faculty? A high-caliber instructional staff or bright, eager-to-learn minds which belong to teenagers and adults of all ages? Forget the debate. As Frank Sinatra told us about “Love
and Marriage” many years ago, thanks to songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van-Heusen . . . This I tell ya, brother, you can’t have one without the other.

The two have gone hand-in-hand since the inception of Rend Lake College in 1967. Love at first sight – RLC students and staff. The perfect marriage – RLC’s competent faculty and classrooms full of eager learners. You can’t have one without the other.

“Faculty Excellence” has been recognized by the RLC Foundation with an annual award since Spring 1980. [Prior to that, Phi Theta Kappa presented a “Distinguished Educator” Award annually. In 2019, the name of the award was changed to the RLCF Oustanding Faculty Member Award.] 

When the first 36 recipients of the RLC Foundation “Faculty Excellence” Award are considered, with one exception, most college departments divisions have been well-represented. But we would be remiss if we did not admit there are no-telling-how-many more outstanding instructors there are not on the list, or not yet on the list, or not on the list because they preceded the award, or for some unknown reason never nominated, or . . . well, you get the point. The rewards for many other deserving instructors are realized in diversified ways. Persistent reorganization of programs into different departments/divisions over the years muddies the results . . .
• Math and Science-related instructors have accounted for seven winners, starting with Dr. Eugene Estes (Biology/Botany) in 1982 and most recently with Larry Williams (Zoology) in 2006 and Tina Grounds (Early Childhood Education) in 2013. In-between are John Fisher (Chemistry) in 1996, Linda Denton (Physics/Physical Science) in 1998, Sandra Cox (Mathematics) in 2000 and Diane Metzger (Mathematics) in 2003.
• A half-dozen representatives from Arts and Communications-turned Liberal Arts, from Dr. Barbara Luchsinger (English) in 1985 to Sarah Capps (Art) in 1987, Dr. John Homan Jr. (English) in 1988, Joseph H. Rust (Speech/Theatre) in 1993, Mike Mullen (English/Journalism) in 1994 and, after a lengthy gap, Rob Little (English) in 2009.
• Six “Outstanding” designations have been earned by Allied Health Instructors/Professors, with an 18-year drought between early honorees Shirley Yeargin (Practical Nursing) in 1984 and Sandra VanCleve (Practical Nursing) in 1986 and a trio who dominated a recent five-year stretch, Trish Bennett-Minor (Practical Nursing) in 2004, Debbie Benns (now Hamplemann) (Associate Degree Nursing) in 2007 and Bonnie Tolbert (Practical Nursing) in 2008. Barbara Crouse (Practical Nursing) joined the ranks in 2014.
• Four Mining and Industrial Technology award-winners have been well spaced from Gary Wade (Welding) in 1983 and William Dill (Mining Technology) in 1992 to D.J. Johnson (Industrial Health and Safety) in 2005 and Chris Nielsen (Industrial Technology/Mining) in 2010. 
• More recently, back-to-back Applied Science and Technology reps Ricky Robinson (Computer Networking) and Shari Carpenter (Computer Science) in 2015-16.
• Four others would swell the Liberal Arts ranks today but were Business and Social Science Department members at the time they were saluted – honorees No. 1 Eleanor Hall (Anthropology/Sociology) in 1980 and No. 2 Vincent Cain (Social Sciences) in 1981, Dr. Susan Santoro Tomlin (Anthropology/Sociology) in 1995 and Carolyn Stewart (Psychology) in 1997.
• Business Professors Janet Miller (Secretarial Science) and Larry Sidwell (Accounting/Economics) followed in 2001 and 2002, respectively.
• Two Health and Physical Education Instructors had set a similar precedence a decade earlier – best friends Wayne Arnold in 1989 and Jim “Hummer” Waugh in 1991.
• Believe it or not, David “Father” Scott (Agriculture) was the only member of the AAA faculty – Agriculture, Automotive and Architecture – to be chosen, although several other candidates over the years were on fast-tracks to administrative positions.

Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished Educator Award 1968-1979

1968 Art Samford
1969 William Hazelbauer
1970 Eleanor Hall
1971 Dr. Eugene Estes
1972 Dr. Evelyn Claxton
1973 Cheryl Foley
1975 Keith E. Drayton
1976 Dr. Richard Doherty
1977 Max Brandon
1979 Vincent Cain

Rend Lake College Foundation Faculty Excellence Award 1980-2018

1980 Eleanor Hall
1981 Vincent Cain
1982 Dr. Eugene Estes
1983 Gary Wade
1984 Shirley Yeargin
1985 Dr. Barbara Luchsinger
1986 Sandra Van Cleve
1987 Sarah Capps
1988 Dr. John Homan Jr.
1989 Wayne Arnold
1990 David Scott
1991 Jim Waugh
1992 William Dill
1993 Joseph Henry Rust
1994 Michael P. Mullen
1995 Dr. Sue S. Tomlin
1996 John Howard Fisher
1997 Carolyn Stewart
1998 Dr. Linda Denton
199 Ro Hoar
2000 Sandra Cox
2001 Janet Miller
2002 Larry Sidwell
2003 Diane Metzger
2004 Trish Bennett-Minor
2005 D.J. Johnson
2006 Larry Williams
2007 Debbie Benns
2008 Bonnie Tolbert
2009 Rob Little
2010 Chris Nielsen
2012 Kevin Weston
2013 Tina Grounds
2014 Barbara Crouse
2015 Ricky Robinson
2016 Shari Carpenter
2017 Carrie Ragan
2018 Cindy Caldwell 

Rend Lake College Foundation Outstanding Faculty Member Award 2019 - Current

2019 Brenda Heinzmann
2020 Dr. Jeannie Mitchell
2021 Nathan Brouwer
2022 Mike Meinert
2023 To be named in March 2023