CENTRALIA — The KC Board of Trustees Monday night approved the employment of Jeff Brown of Greenville as the college’s new Director of Public Safety.

In recent months the college has discussed establishing a sworn police presence to oversee security operations on the college’s main campus and education centers.

Brown has 32 years of experience as a law enforcement officer, including 23 years as Sheriff of Bond County, serving as a security advisor in the Pentagon, as well as on several law enforcement boards including the St. Louis Major Case Squad, which KC President George Evans said gives Brown the leadership skills and experience necessary to lead the new department.

The board also approved a resolution establishing the tuition and fee rates for the college’s Fiscal Year 2020.  While fees will remain the same, tuition at KC will increase two percent.

The increase, which will go in effect for the summer 2019 semester, is the college’s first in three years. The increase will help offset expected expenditure increases, new program develop as well as enable the college to continue to qualify for essential state funds.

Recent increases in Federal Pell Awards will help financial aid qualifying students absorb the increase.

KC will also continue to assist and steer non-Pell qualifiers to other funding opportunities at Kaskaskia College.