Carl Sandburg College has hired Jodi Pospeschil to run its campus on the north edge of Carthage.
“I have been working on my doctorate in higher education for three years, and so it’s a really good, natural fit,” said Pospeschil, the new Director of the Carl Sandburg College branch campus in Carthage.
“When I read the job description, I thought, ‘This is perfect for what I’ve been studying, what I’m interested in.’”
She found the community involvement aspect of the job especially attractive. She’s already engaged in economic development efforts, community organizations, and a committee at the Regional Office of Education.
Pospeschil said the Carthage campus works closely with Sandburg’s main campus in Galesburg, but also offers programs unique to Carthage.
“We do an English as a Second Language class for Carthage Veterinary Service for their employees. We started out with a class limit of 20 (but) now we have 38 people in it,” Pospseschil said.
She said there is a growing Spanish-speaking population in the Carthage area, “specifically employees of the Carthage Veterinary Service.”
She’s also looking to add a Spanish class for English speaking managers at the business.
Pospeschil said the Carthage campus also offers a number of technical programs, such as welding, based on the needs of local employers.
In addition, the Carthage campus is about to add a practical nursing program. The Illinois Board of Nursing approved it last week.
“We have the classroom space for it. We already have a CNA program, and so this will be the next step for those students or for anyone who is already a CNA who wants to become an LPN,” Pospeschil said.
The application period for the program will begin Oct. 1, 2023 and run through March 1, 2024.
Classes will begin in the fall of 2024.
Pospeschil said dual credit programs are also an important part of what the Carthage campus offers to the community. She said Sandburg offers college credit through several of the high schools in the area.
“That was one of the most exciting things to me when I took this job – the increasing number of students who are leaving the regional high schools and graduating with our associate’s degree from Sandburg literally in the same week,” she said.
Some of the classes are taught on campus, others in the high schools, and some are available online.
Pospeschil was a journalist at several newspapers in the region before she joined University Relations (now University Communications, Marketing, & Media Relations) at Western Illinois University, where she worked until taking the job in Carthage.
Pospeschil’s salary at Sandburg is $58,700.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
