Bill Text: IL SR1038 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulates Dr. Jonah Rice on his retirement after dedicating three decades of his life to the field of higher education and leaving an indelible mark on Southeastern Illinois College.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-05-26 - Resolution Adopted [SR1038 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2023-SR1038-Introduced.html
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1 | SENATE RESOLUTION | ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to | ||||||
3 | congratulate Dr. Jonah Rice on his retirement after dedicating | ||||||
4 | three decades of his life to the field of higher education and | ||||||
5 | leaving an indelible mark on Southeastern Illinois College | ||||||
6 | (SIC); and
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7 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice began his journey in 1990 as a junior | ||||||
8 | faculty member, and his commitment to SIC has been steadfast; | ||||||
9 | he played a pivotal role in establishing the college's theatre | ||||||
10 | program and coached multiple national championship speech and | ||||||
11 | debate teams; over the years, he progressed through various | ||||||
12 | roles, serving as chair for the Humanities Division and | ||||||
13 | eventually assuming the mantle of interim president in 2009; | ||||||
14 | and
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15 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice is a true product of SIC and Southern | ||||||
16 | Illinois; his educational journey began after graduating from | ||||||
17 | Carrier Mills High School; he earned an Associate of Arts from | ||||||
18 | SIC before furthering his studies at Bradley University, | ||||||
19 | Central Michigan University, and Regent University, | ||||||
20 | culminating in a Ph.D.; and
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21 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice's influence extended beyond the | ||||||
22 | classroom as a distinguished coach for the nationally renowned |
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1 | SIC Forensic Falcons speech program; he also played a crucial | ||||||
2 | role in steering the college through successful | ||||||
3 | reaccreditations with the Higher Learning Commission, further | ||||||
4 | solidifying SIC's reputation for academic excellence; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice's leadership and advocacy garnered | ||||||
6 | widespread recognition throughout his tenure; he served as | ||||||
7 | president of the Illinois Community College Presidents Council | ||||||
8 | and received accolades such as the Advocacy Award from the | ||||||
9 | Illinois Community College Trustees Association; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice's steadfast guidance ensured SIC's | ||||||
11 | resilience and continued growth despite facing numerous | ||||||
12 | challenges, including the 2012 Leap Day Tornado, the historic | ||||||
13 | budget impasse of 2016-2017, the dropping district population, | ||||||
14 | losses in the local economy, and a pandemic; his strategic | ||||||
15 | vision, coupled with his ability to forge meaningful | ||||||
16 | partnerships, resulted in transformative initiatives, | ||||||
17 | including the establishment of the Ella Elizabeth Hise Museum | ||||||
18 | of Regional Art on the Harrisburg campus and a new Stanford D. | ||||||
19 | Williams Career and Training Center in Carmi; and
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20 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice also spearheaded the establishment of | ||||||
21 | several innovative programs that have enriched the academic | ||||||
22 | landscape of SIC, including biofuels, outdoor recreation, | ||||||
23 | outfitter wildlife management, and powersports technology; |
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1 | additionally, he played a pivotal role in the development of | ||||||
2 | new campus teams, including bowling, archery, and esports, | ||||||
3 | catering to diverse student interests; and
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4 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice's impact at SIC is defined by his | ||||||
5 | resolute dedication to the institution's mission and his | ||||||
6 | profound impact on countless students, faculty, and staff; as | ||||||
7 | he embarks on a new chapter, he leaves behind a legacy of | ||||||
8 | servant leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to | ||||||
9 | educational excellence; and
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10 | WHEREAS, Dr. Rice cherishes time with his wife, Megin, and | ||||||
11 | their three adult children; he looks forward to pursuing | ||||||
12 | personal interests, including writing, woodworking, cabin | ||||||
13 | rental, consulting, and possibly even venturing into politics, | ||||||
14 | all while cherishing the memories and lessons learned during | ||||||
15 | his tenure at Southeastern Illinois College; therefore, be it
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16 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | ||||||
17 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. | ||||||
18 | Jonah Rice on his retirement after dedicating three decades of | ||||||
19 | his life to the field of higher education and leaving an | ||||||
20 | indelible mark on Southeastern Illinois College; and be it | ||||||
21 | further
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22 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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