Rollins College (FL) opened its new, $9 million Alfond Sports Center during basketball season. It has two full-size basketball courts, a large fitness center, dance studio, Hall of Fame room, classrooms, staff offices and an incredible panoramic view of Lake Virginia.

Academic Recognition
Numerous CIC member institutions are receiving national attention. The Master's in Fine Arts Writing Program at Goddard College (VT) was listed by Atlantic Monthly in the top 12 international programs along with Yale, Harvard, and Columbia. Alverno College (WI) received one of four national awards for excellence in teacher preparation programs. Millikin University (IL) was recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) with a Special Commendation for Distinguished Achievement in Undergraduate Education. Northwestern College's (MN) distance education course, "Concepts of Chemistry," earned the Association of Christian Continuing Education Schools and Seminaries (ACCESS) 2000 Course of the Year Award.
    In other awards news, former CIC Senior Associate Peter Frederick, professor of history at Wabash College (IN), was awarded the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teacher Award by the American Historical Association (AHA). The Association announced its awards for scholarly distinction at its 114th annual meeting. Chartered by the United States Congress in 1889, AHA is the oldest and largest professional historical organization in the United States.

Global Partners
The 21st century's complex social needs include forging cultural collaborations. Reaching across national borders, a team of local business managers from a state-of-the-art classroom at Bethel College (IN) attempts to solve business problems in Vietnam. They are studying in the college's MBA program, conceiving unique solutions that are reviewed in an international case competition by a collection of senior executives stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
    Meanwhile, at The Sage Colleges (NY), a delegation of Russian educators began their three-week U.S. tour, observing American participatory style government. Over the next three years, SAGE faculty will be collaborating with a Boston University professor and Russian colleagues from the Samara Center for Civic Education and Samara University.
    They will develop a new civics curriculum for use in Russian schools of higher education. Stephen L. Schecter of The Sage Colleges explains, "We are committed to helping our Russian colleagues reform educational processes in their regions in a way that would be consistent with a democratic future."

Responding to Community Needs
Similarly committed to responding to its community's needs, the University of St. Thomas (UST) (TX) has launched two new programs to fill the growing need for bilingual journalists. UST offers a joint major in communications/Spanish and a certificate in Spanish for mass media. Approximately 28 percent of UST's students are representatives of the Hispanic community. UST professor Manuel Sosa calls the program "a timely solution to the problem the Hispanic community has encountered in its search for accessible and quality higher education in this professional specialization."
    CIC member colleges are stepping up to provide programs whenever needs arise. Using $1.2 million in gifts from the Teagle Foundation and an anonymous donor, Cedar Crest College (PA) has linked to 13 collegiate partners in a pilot project designed to help America's college students answer the question: "What is public responsibility?" The college is implementing a program, "Participating in Democracy: Science, Ethics and Civic Responsibility," that develops citizenship-oriented educational modules, campus programs, case studies (in public policy) and various community-based, hands-on engagement opportunities. College President Dorothy Blaney aims "to create individuals who can apply science and technology in an ethical and analytic fashion to the thorny and complex social needs of the 21st century."
    Saint Leo University (FL) recently hosted a hands-on laboratory institute that taught about 20 college and university instructors new ways to bring lab experiences into the undergraduate biology classroom. "Research Link 2001 Institute" focused on four of the major experimental systems developed during last year's institutes: chlamydomonas, sea anemone, nasonia (jewel wasp) and C-fern. In February, Saint Leo faculty members also hosted Florida's brightest students from nine Catholic high schools located from Tampa to Miami in the Florida State All-Catholic Academic Competition.
    Georgian Court College (NJ) will offer a first-a graduate certificate program to prepare associate educational media specialists. Marylhurst University (OR) offers a master's degree in applied theology and Marywood University (PA) is establishing an undergraduate art therapy program, the only one of its kind in the Northeast Pennsylvania region.

Tuition Innovation
St. Andrews Presbyterian College (NC) is making news by tying the cost of attending that institution to the cost it estimates students would pay to attend the state's flagship public university, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The in-state tuition plan it advocates is made possible by consolidating and directing more of the college's financial aid resources to North Carolina applicants. New North Carolina students who are admitted to St. Andrews in fall 2001 will pay no more than $9,000 per year.

What's in a Name?
An institution that seeks to change its own name often raises passions faster than reason. Today, the trend is toward placing "university" in an institution's name. Of CIC's 490 members, 347 still have "college" in their name. Another 142 have "university" in their name. Dominican College (CA) among others, last year renamed itself Dominican University of California. By next fall, Beaver College (PA) will be Arcadia University, Averett College (VA) will be Averett University, and Elon College (NC) will be Elon University.
    Arcadia University was selected as a name to better describe "the vibrant and respected institution that (the former Beaver College) is today," says the Beaver/Arcadia website (a joint site until July, when the switch becomes official). The suburban Philadelphia college finally lays to rest decades of juvenile misapplications of its name that had compromised the college's integrity and reputation for excellence.
    Arcadia was said to be a picturesque region in ancient Greece, a birthplace of modern thought and learning, where philosophers pursued independent thought and inquiry. Thus, the College's board of trustees voted unanimously to change both the name and status, following a 10-month investigative process.
    Averett currently ranks among Carnegie's Master's Level I comprehensive institutions, nearly 80 percent of which are designated as universities. President Frank Campbell explained, "To remain a 'college' would put us at a competitive disadvantage in the educational marketplace."
    Forty miles south, in a city still ironically named Elon College, N.C., Elon College becomes Elon University. The institution's Board of Trustees "believes that Elon can now be accurately described as a small, private, selective university," said Elon President Leo M. Lambert. Not one to shy away from challenges, last spring Lambert also took on the task of changing the athletic teams' nickname from "Fighting Christians" to "Phoenix," as Elon moved to the faster track of NCAA Division I athletics.
    In other "naming" news, Shenandoah University (VA) recently entered into a naming rights agreement with Shenandoah Telecommunications Company (Shentel) for a 2,500-seat outdoor stadium. The agreement, one of the few of its kind in NCAA Division III athletics, will help Shenandoah see that the stadium is built.

Raising Spirits
On many campuses, incoming gifts bring unbridled joy. Saint Mary's College (IN) will develop an international Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership, thanks largely to a five-year gift of $12 million from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
    Westmont College (CA), received a second $5 million gift from benefactors who had previously donated the same amount. This gift will serve to challenge donors to give to planned visual arts and science buildings. Stephen and Denise Adams' combined donations complete the largest gift in Westmont's history.
    Another single-largest gift has been presented at Cedar Crest College (PA): a $5 million contribution from the Arcadia Foundation, earmarked for endowment support. Arcadia is the foundation of the Steinbright family of Norristown, Pa.
    Westminster College (UT) received $2.5 million from the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation toward creation of a new conservatory for music and theater, and a 150 percent expansion of the college's performing arts space. Other $1 million grants went to Shenandoah University (VA) from late-session 106th Congressional funding, and to Manchester College (IN), from the wife of the late Nobel Laureate Paul Flory, a polymer chemistry pioneer.

Campus Views

The 156-foot Tower of Old Main of Bethany College (WVA) dominates the campus and is the chief architectural feature noted as one approaches the college. The building, built in 1858, is one of the earliest examples of collegiate Gothic architecture in the United States. This photo was taken during restoration of The Tower of Old Main, sitting on the ground at the left. Restoration continues, but The Tower was placed atop Old Main again in November. Photo by Wendy Caruth.

Students at St. Edwards University (TX) are finding many ways to use its new 21,675-square foot Fine Arts Center. It opened in August. Photos by Taylor Jones.

New CIC Institutional and Affiliate Members (since January 2001)
Institutional Members: Antioch College (OH), Bennett College (NC), Birmingham-Southern College (AL), Judson College (IL), Kansas City Art Institute (KS), Linfield College (OR), Meredith College (NC), Oral Roberts University (OK), Southeastern College (FL), University of Scranton (PA), and Saint John's College (NM).

Affiliate Members: Associated Colleges of Illinois, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, Lutheran Educational Conference of North America, Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, Inc.

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Last updated: May 30, 2001
Copyright © 2001 The Council of Independent Colleges