SICCM History

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS COLLEGIATE COMMON MARKET

History

The Southern Illinois Collegiate Common Market (SICCM) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized in 1973. The consortium is governed by a Board of Directors composed of presidents and chancellors of participating institutions and is staffed by ten professional and two operational employees. SICCM was organized to provide a means of sharing human and material resources in higher education to fast-growing institutions within the consortium. The members of the organization are John A. Logan College at Carterville, Rend Lake College at Ina, Shawnee Community College at Ullin, Southeastern Illinois College at Harrisburg, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Kaskaskia College at Centralia has been approved to become a member institution effective July 1, 2008.

Ninety percent of the 18 counties served by the five community colleges are included in the Lower Mississippi Delta Development region. In 1990, the Delta Commission, chaired by President Bill Clinton, then Governor of Arkansas, made recommendations to President George Bush for improvement of the quality of life in this large poverty-stricken seven-state region. One of the recommendations was as follows:

"Institutions of higher education should establish regional consortia to provide and concentrate expensive specialty training in order to avoid duplication and to selectively adjust out-of-state tuition to Delta students for specialties."

Having accomplished this mission many years before the recommendation was made, SICCM institutions have demonstrated they are historically innovative and successful in meeting the needs of the region.

In its thirty-five year history, the consortium has administered over $48 million in grants and projects, all of which have been directed toward addressing regional needs and issues. The programs and projects include telecommunications/distance learning, welfare-to-work, nursing, allied health, economic development, research, articulation, faculty development and sharing, curriculum development, public services, labor-management cooperation, leadership and core values, and other aspects of serving higher education and community needs.

Career Planning for Probationers (Illinois State Board of Education) 1989-1991

ISO 9000 assisted businesses/industries to obtain international accreditation

Project Connect provided life-skills training for ex-offenders and their families

(U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Professions)1995-1999

Eisenhower Grant provides distance learning and Internet training to math and

Illinois Century Network/Region IX fiscal agent (Illinois Board of Higher Education) 2000 - 2004

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Utilities Services, Distance Learning and Telemedicine

Project CHOICE (Creating Hiring Opportunities In Customized Employment) assists welfare recipients to obtain employment (Illinois Department of Employment Security) 1998-1999

Social Security Representative Payee Program administers client monies to welfare recipients with disabilities (Social Security Administration) since 1994

UCAN Life Skills operates 5 district offices covering 2/3 of the state of Illinois to assist ex-offenders and reduce recidivism (Illinois Department of Corrections) since 1995

East St. Louis Community College Center administering agent (Illinois Community College Board) since January 1, 1999