Dr. Randy Dunn, recently selected as the eighth president of the Southern Illinois University system, visited Kaskaskia College on Tuesday.  Dr. Jim Underwood, President of KC, presented an overview of the College and its physical and academic expansion over the past decade before turning to the importance KC places on its partnership with four-year universities.  KC currently has 2+2 and other articulation programs in place with both SIU Edwardsville and Carbondale as part of its University Affiliation program.  Dunn agreed that transitioning students seamlessly between Kaskaskia College and the SIU system was very important, and asked for advice on specific areas of study where cooperation could be expanded in an expedited manner.  Much of the discussion centered on the challenge of migrating Education programs between the institutions given the changing state requirements.  Dunn stated that he believes in the new model of cooperation between community colleges and the state university system, and plans to work to diminish the old attitude that the universities and the community colleges are in direct competition for students.  As a National Research University, SIU Carbondale has shifted some of its focus away from recruiting its student base from Southern Illinois, and Dunn has embarked on his tour of what he calls “major community colleges” in an effort to ensure that the student base in Carbondale remains strong and growing.