At 81, Iris Royster's dream of a college degree came true when, in April, she graduated from Columbia Union College (MD). A daughter of a sharecropper, she began her studies 60 years ago, but was interrupted by World War II. (Photo by Lois Raimondo/Washington Post)

Creative Connections
Private colleges and universities continue to establish creative partnerships that enable them to purchase the latest information technology, invest in infrastructure and human resources, and offer new programs and services—expenditures that otherwise would not have been feasible.
    An innovative new program being launched by Oberlin College (OH) in collaboration with the University of Michigan offers recent Ph.D. recipients from Michigan teaching fellowships at Oberlin, and current Oberlin faculty members will be able to go to Michigan to pursue research or immerse themselves in new fields. The Oberlin-Michigan program "is unique because it is a direct, formal, cooperative, and ongoing link between two very different types of institutions," said Clayton R. Koppes, Oberlin Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
    Five small, independent West Virginia and Virginia institutions—the University of Charleston and the colleges of West Virginia Wesleyan, Davis & Elkins, Alderson-Broaddus, and Emory & Henry have established the Independent College Enterprise Consortium. The Consortium will invest in and manage an integrated information management system by Datatel. William Haden, president of West Virginia Wesleyan, says, "To remain competitive in today's higher education marketplace, small colleges need to adopt the latest technology to optimally manage administrative workloads and deliver the services most demanded by students."
    Latino education from elementary school to college and beyond is the focus of a collaborative effort spearheaded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Houston Endowment Inc. The funders earmarked $28 million for ENLACE ("Enlace" is a Spanish word meaning link or weave) projects in seven states. ENLACE seeks to link partner resources to "weave a blanket of support" for students in the K-16 pathway.
    For example, in Austin, Texas, a $1.5 million Kellogg grant establishes a partnership among St. Edward's University, Austin Independent School District, Austin Community College, and Austin Latino Alliance that places Latino education at the center of community-wide attempts to work across social, economic, and educational boundaries.
    Lake Erie College is deeply into community-related initiatives in Lake County, Ohio, an area with a strong influx of Hispanic immigrants. In collaboration with the Lake County Hispanic Task Force, and with funding from the Cleveland Foundation, Lake Erie's International Center (IC) has developed a certificate program in community interpretation. Individuals who are already fluent in Spanish and English are training to work as interpreters in a variety of community settings such as hospitals, schools, and government offices. IC also is working to develop accounting resources through a program funded by the Internal Revenue Service to help participants compile their own tax returns.

New Programs
In other cooperative arrangements, St. Ambrose University (IA) has partnered with the Diocese of Davenport, IA, to establish a new Master of Educational Leadership program to address "the need for quality administrators in diocesan schools." Along similar lines, Gwynedd-Mercy College (PA), sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, has signed an agreement with its suburban Philadelphia neighbor, LaSalle University, one of seven Christian Brother colleges and universities in America. Gwynedd-Mercy will feature La Salle's MBA degree program on Gwynedd-Mercy's Sunneytown Pike campus in fall 2001.
    Dominican University (IL) this fall will add a Graduate School of Social Work, and Sage Graduate School, one of The Sage Colleges (NY), will launch a Master of Arts in Teaching. Also this fall, Robert Morris College (PA), which recently received approval from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for designation as a university, will offer for the first time a Master of Science in engineering management, the college's 13th graduate degree program.
    Duquesne University (PA) recently announced it would begin a multidisciplinary degree program of forensic science and law, the first academic program of its kind in the nation. The new program, with the Duquesne University School of Law and the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science & Law, begins offering courses in January 2002.
    And Goshen College (IN) beginning in May 2002 will offer the only Christian-based, semester-long program in Cuba that combines faith, in-depth cultural study, and service to Cuban society. "Many people come to Cuba for short-term learning. Many come in on work brigades. The Cubans are geared up for that, but they have not seen the two together," said Carlos Romera, vice president for student life and dean of students.

Cedarville University (OH) students tutor children who participate in AWANA, a Bible-memorization ministry in local churches. (Photo courtesy of Cedarville University)

Naming News
Robert Morris College's switch to Robert Morris University (PA) continues the trend of colleges becoming universities. The official change to university status occurs in January. In addition, Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales just experienced its first commencement as DeSales University (PA), Briar Cliff College (IA) has changed its name to Briar Cliff University, and College of Notre Dame (CA) in late August will become Notre Dame de Namur University. (Namur is the city in Belgium that the Sisters of Notre Dame consider to be their spiritual home.)

Out of the Ordinary Happenings
During recent months, visitors to Benedictine University (IL) may have seen a polar bear, moose, or even Socrates on the streets. The very large (but stuffed) animals were being relocated to a new building housing the campus' Jurica Nature Museum. The museum's staff and student workers this spring moved about 10,000 specimens to the new building. Socrates was not part of that move, but Benedictine President William J. Carroll played the role of Socrates at a fundraiser for the Naperville (IL) Education Foundation. His presentation was part of a discussion on how education has evolved through the centuries.

The Jurica Nature Museum at Benedictine University "turned into a zoo" recently as it moved about 10,000 specimens, including a stuffed polar bear, moose, and bison, to its new building on the Lisle, IL campus. (Photo courtesy of Benedictine University.)

Cyber Happenings
Faculty and staff at Alverno College (WI) have developed a way of harnessing technology in the service of learning. Alverno reports designing the Diagnostic Digital Portfolio, a web-based electronic tool that collects student work, feedback from assessors, and self-assessments of key performances. The Portfolio enables the student to reflect on her or his progress at key points in the curriculum.
    At Jacksonville University (FL), officials are excited about Retention TRAX, a web-based tool that tracks, manages, and supports student success. It is a centralized database designed to help advisors easily understand and nurture the needs of all JU students. It allows selected campus personnel (including key faculty, coaches, counselors, etc.) to identify who is progressing satisfactorily toward graduation and who is not. JU is one of six institutions (CIC member Loyola University in New Orleans is another) that is pilot testing the system.
    In addition, the University of St. Thomas (TX) won a highly competitive $850,000 grant from the Telecommunications Infrastructure Board of the State of Texas to develop a distance learning program with local and international connections. The project will include a teleconference center and distance education classrooms, as well as the purchase of media equipment for faculty web page development and multi-media presentations.

Raising Spirits
Allegheny College (PA) has been around for 185 years, but never before has the college attracted a gift as large as the one it recently received. A 1965 alumnus, who President Richard Cook calls "an entrepreneur in medical science," presented a gift of $22.2 million to support the development and construction of a new theater and communication arts complex.
    Two anonymous alumnae of Georgian Court College (NJ) have bequeathed $3.5 million and $1.6 million for building projects, new programs, upgraded information technology, scholarships, and a host of other initiatives.
    Georgetown College (KY) received a gift of $1 million from the son of an alumnus to help the college upgrade its liberal arts programs and meet Phi Beta Kappa's requirements for membership.
    At King College (TN), $30 million had already been raised when campus executives announced recently a $50 million capital campaign for curriculum and capital improvements. Among the slated projects are construction of a new recreation/convocation complex and establishment of schools in business and economics, Christian mission, and education.
    Executives at Drury University (MO) announced they had reached the goal they had set for its two-year-old fund drive. They raised $18.9 million for its Campaign for Science. Construction has already begun for the campus' new science center.
    Architects will begin designing Union College's (KY) new technology center after the Small Business Administration gave the school a $1.5 million grant to help with construction.
    Kresge Foundation has given St. Ambrose University (IA) a challenge gift of $850,000 to support the campaign for a $15.3 million university center, and Quincy University (IL) is cashing its Kresge Foundation check for $650,000 for a new health and fitness center, after reaching the challenge grant's required total of an additional $3.88 million.
    Bethel College (IN) was awarded $635,000 by the Lilly Endowment, Inc., to fund scholarships and other educational initiatives, and a Notre Dame, IN, philanthropist endowed a chair at St. Mary's College (IN) for music. Elsewhere, a Stephens College (MO) alumna endowed the first faculty chair position in the Natural Sciences Program with a $755,000 gift.
    Estimated to cost $16 million ultimately, Anderson University's (IN) Wellness Center is under construction. The facility will connect the campus' O.C. Lewis Gymnasium and Bennett Natatorium.
    Mount Saint Mary's College (MD) also broke ground for its new William G. McGowan Student Center, the campus' most ambitious capital project since 1987. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2002. A web-cam has been installed to illustrate progress to visitors to the college's website, www.msmary.edu.

Commencement Highlight Commencement speaker and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Lech Walesa, receives his regalia and honorary doctorate degree from St. Ambrose University (IA) President Edward Rogalski. (Photo by Dan Videtich/Rock Island Argus)

Anniversaries, Appointments, and Awards
Milligan College (TN) has become the newest U.S. chapter of the national history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta.
    As an employee at Western Maryland College since 1973, Joan Develin Coley has served as assistant professor, associate professor, professor of education, director of the graduate reading program, department chair, director of admissions and financial affairs, dean of graduate affairs, provost, dean of the faculty, and acting president. Now, since the campus' April 21 inauguration, she's Western Maryland College's eighth president. Dr. Coley is the first woman president in the school's history, and the first faculty member to rise through the ranks to president. President Thomas Flynn of Millikin University (IL) has been appointed to the Presidential Commission on Persistence and Degree Completion, an initiative of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Reaching Out
After El Salvador's earthquake in January, groups of students moved to provide relief efforts. One group of students and faculty members from Austin College (TX) collected funds, medicines, medical supplies, computers, and other technological needs and traveled in March to El Salvador to provide aid, supplies, and support to the people there.
    Hartwick College (NY) and at least 20 other CIC members are still helping to find a new life for 38 Kosovo refugee students. The refugees are attending college in the U.S. through Project Concern, initiated by Hartwick President Rick Detweiler and his wife, Carol, in 1999. CIC institutions have been stepping forward to assist ever since. Each college provides tuition, room, and board for every prospective Kosovo student it enrolls.

Baltimore's Mayor O'Malley (second from left), was overwhelmingly chosen by the student body to be the commencement speaker at Villa Julie College (MD). He is presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by President Kevin J. Manning. (Photo courtesy of Villa Julie College)

Speaking Out
With the graduation season at an end, news stories of commencements around the country are circulating, including The Times Herald's description of a tradition by students at Houghton College (NY) during graduation ceremonies to give their professors items that relate to their field of specialty. For example, a math professor received a pile of protractors and compasses, an English professor covered a metal box with magnetic words from her students, and—where it all started—a biology professor received a tin bowl full of bones to which each student added (with a loud "clink") as he or she crossed the stage.
    When the national media cover commencement ceremonies, individual colleges are rarely singled out. However, ABC News has featured several CIC member colleges on the World News Tonight section of the network's website (http://abcnews.go.com/Sections/WNT/) in a segment on commencement addresses. Video and audio clips on the website highlight remarks of the commencement speakers at 22 colleges and universities nationwide, including Austin College (TX)—poet Maya Angelou; Hastings College (NE)—Richard Ekman; Scripps College (CA)—World Bank Executive Director Jan Piercy; and William Woods University (MO)—actor William Shatner.     An additional sampling of commencement speakers on CIC campuses this spring include: College of Saint Benedict (MN)—Helen Thomas, long-time UPI reporter and first woman officer and president of the White House Correspondents Association; Dominican University (IL)—William M. Daley, 2000 Democratic Presidential Campaign chairman; George Fox University (OR)—Jay Kesler, chancellor of Taylor University and former president of Youth for Christ; Green Mountain College (VT)—David Orr, environmental scholar and author of two books, "Earth in Mind" and "Ecological Literacy;" Huston-Tillotson College (TX)—Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, authority on juvenile and social issues and host of syndicated courtroom series; Montreat College (NC)—Leighton Ford, social activist, leader, communicator, and author of ten books, including Sandy: A Heart for God and The Power of Story; Mount Union College (OH)—Brian Stafford, director of the United States Secret Service; Northwestern College (MN)—Stanley D. Toussaint, senior professor of Bible exposition emeritus at Dallas Theological Seminary and author of numerous articles and publications; Palm Beach Atlantic College (FL)-Vonette Zachary Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ; Quincy University (IL)—Hazel E. Loucks, Illinois Deputy Governor for Education and Workforce; St. Ambrose University (IA)—Lech Walesa, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and first democratically elected president of Poland (see below); St. Edward's University (TX)—Father Theodore Hesburgh, president emeritus of Notre Dame University; St. Mary's College (IN)—Paula Madison, president and general manager of KNBC-TV in Los Angeles; and finally, Shenandoah University (VA)—Roger Mudd, network television journalist.

Three CIC member presidents were featured speakers at the March graduation ceremony at the Universidad Interamericana de Panama (UIP) because they are members of an international consortium of colleges in North and Latin America. Pictured from left to right are Scott Miller, president of Wesley College (DE); William Salom, president of UIP; Thomas K. Meier, president of Elmira College (NY); and Harold Laydon, president of Lake Erie College (OH)). Each institution is a member of the Consorcio Interamericano de Educacion Superior (CIDES), which cultivates relationships among colleges in the U.S., Panama, Costa Rica, and other countries in order to provide learning exchanges for students and faculty members of affiliated institutions. (Photo courtesy of Universidad Interamericana de Panama)

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Last updated: August 2, 2001
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