Parkland dean named associate vice president
Nancy Sutton to become vice president for academic services in 2023
The Parkland College Board of Trustees approved curricula for three new career credentials and promoted the college's dean of arts and sciences as part of an executive transition plan.
At their regular meeting Wednesday, trustees promoted Dr. Nancy Sutton to associate vice president for academic services (AVPAS). Dr. Sutton will transition into the role vacated by Dr. Pamela Lau, who was promoted to executive vice president in October. At that time, Trustees named Lau as president designee in response to Dr. Tom Ramage's announced retirement in 2023.
Sutton holds a Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership from Ferris State University, Michigan. She joined Parkland College 13 years ago as an associate professor of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) and has subsequently held the positions of FAA department chair and, most recently, dean of the Arts and Sciences division. Sutton will begin her role as AVPAS on Jan. 2.
The Parkland College Board of Trustees also approved the school's new Google IT Support Professional, Land Surveying Technician, and Music Business certificates. These programs will go through a final review for approval with the Illinois Community College Board in the new year.
The Land Surveying Technician certificate is a four-semester, part-time program designed for students currently employed in the surveying industry and accepted for entry into the apprenticeship program sponsored by the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor's Association and Parkland College. It will be offered through the Agriculture/Engineering Science and Technologies department, Career and Technical Education division.
The Music Business certificate prepares students for entry-level positions in the music business industry. Along with foundational knowledge of how the music industry works, students will gain hands-on experience in music recording, audio production, radio, advertising, and business. Certificate completers can be employed as recording studio assistants, associates at record labels companies, or in entry-level positions in companies with business interests in music. The 24-credit-hour certificate will be offered through the Fine and Applied Arts department, Arts and Sciences division.
The six-credit-hour Google IT Support Professional certificate prepares students for entry-level PC (Windows-based) support employment. Students will learn the fundamentals of IT support critical for success in entry-level IT support jobs. Fundamentals include skills in troubleshooting, customer service, networking, operating systems, system administration, and security. Students earn a Google-issued industry-recognized credential upon program completion. The certificate will be offered through the Business/Computer Science and Technologies department, Career and Technical Education division.
Trustees also approved the following: