ILLINOIS STATE E-LUMNI NEWS - Volume 5, Number 1
August 3, 2005
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Thank you in advance for your help. Your opinion matters!
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BREAKING NEWS: SCHROEDER HALL TIME CAPSULE FOUND, OPENED
On Monday, July 18, workers at the Schroeder Hall Annex rehabilitation project got a surprise when they found a 40-year old time capsule in a cornerstone. On Wednesday, University officials held a ceremony to open the sealed copper box which had been placed in the building during the Annex's construction. A variety of documents provided a glimpse into life at Illinois State in spring of 1965.
For a detailed story and photos, please see www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni/enews/timecapsule0805.shtml.
Members of the class of 1965: Do you remember this time capsule? Share your memories with us by e-mailing Julie Goodlick '81, M.S. '85 in Alumni Association or replying to this message.
MORE BREAKING NEWS: PHYSICS DEPARTMENT'S MERCURY I FINISHED SOLAR CAR RACE
Dateline: Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 27, 6 p.m. -- Mercury I, the Illinois State Physics department's first ever solar car entry, pulled in to Calgary, completing the North American Solar Car Challenge (NASC) race! Officially placing 18th out of 42 teams originally entered and 20 teams that qualified, the ISU team considers this first solar car race a major success and looks forward to improvements for next year's Formula Sun Grand Prix and the 2007 NASC.
Congratulations to our talented Physics students and faculty! See www.solarcar.ilstu.edu for photos, race details, and notes from the road.
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
In mid-June, President Al Bowman announced the appointment of Dianne Ashby as the interim vice president of University Advancement. She began her new position on July 18.
Ashby, the dean of the College of Education since 2001, was appointed to a two-year term leading Advancement Services, Alumni Association, Development, University Marketing and Communication and Events, as well as working with the Illinois State University Foundation, the private fund-raising arm of the University.
"Dr. Ashby will allow us to immediately capitalize on the momentum generated by Redefining 'normal' without missing a step," Bowman said. "She thoroughly understands the campus culture. . . [She has] worked with alumni, donors and local, state and national legislators, and has brought millions of dollars in external funding to the University."
For additional details and a photo, please see the Media Relations Web site.
Deborah Curtis was named interim dean to replace Ashby in the College of Education. Curtis, a member of the faculty since 1986, had been serving as chair of Clinical Experiences and Certification Processes and director of the Teacher Education Center.
CHANGES FOR THE ALUMNI OFFICE
Effective summer 2005, Alumni Services became Alumni Association, a move that underscores the office's most important activities -- cultivating and enhancing the relationship between the University and its former students.
Along with the name change, Alumni Association assumed leadership of the Annual Fund, a year-round effort to gather contributions and updated information from alumni.
With these changes, director Barbara Todd '79, M.S. '84 became executive director of Alumni Association, and the Alumni Association office welcomed Adam Goduto '02 (previously Telefund Coordinator) as assistant director of Alumni Association - Annual Fund. Moreover, the 50-plus student callers and supervisors who reach out to alumni on an annual basis through the Telefund are now officially part of the Alumni Association team.
For more information on the Annual Fund, see the "Ask Alumni Association" feature below. The variety of other services, programs, events and publications provided by Alumni Association will not change.
Another change in Alumni Association: We wish a hearty congratulations to assistant director Michelle (Bliss) Cole '96, who works in the Chicago office, and her husband Tom. They welcomed a new little Redbird, Matthew Thomas, on July 27! Many alumni in Chicago and beyond have come to know Michelle from the myriad of chapter events and e-mail messages she produces, and we're sure you'll miss her while she is on maternity leave. During that time, we welcome interim assistant director Allison Thompson, a recent graduate of Northern Illinois University who will be filling in.
We hope all alumni will join the current Alumni staff in welcoming Adam, the Telefund students, and Allison to the Alumni Services ... (oops!) Alumni Association office!
UNIVERSITY DROPS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS FOR NEW "UIDS"
"We've got your number." That's the message Illinois State had for students, faculty, staff and alumni in late May as the University Identification (UID) number replaced Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for all Illinois State records, documents and services that require forms.
The change was a response to the increasing risk of identity theft tied to SSN usage. "More than 10,000 Illinois residents were victims of identity theft last year," said Bill Cummins '79, M.S. '87, director of University Data Administration. "At Illinois State, we want to use every means at our disposal to protect the privacy of our constituents."
Replacing the SSN is a nine-digit number that begins with the number 8. All students, faculty and staff members received their UID number on new Redbird/ID cards. UIDs have also been assigned to alumni and annuitants to accompany their records.
PRESIDENT BOWMAN: "WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION"
President Al Bowman's favored means of recreation continues to attract attention.
"Some university presidents let off steam over 18 holes of golf or in cozy seats with a theater playbill or a good book," begins a recent Associated Press story written by Jan Dennis '77, an AP correspondent in Peoria. "Illinois State University's Al Bowman chills out by climbing icy mountain slopes, inching toward summits nearly three miles high and up to 20 degrees below zero."
This summer Bowman spent two days climbing the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier in Washington to prepare for a three-week climb later in the winter -- Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, South America's tallest mountain at 22,840 feet.
Kind of brings new meaning to the term "higher" educator, doesn't it?
To read the full Associated Press story and see some of Bowman's personal photos, please see www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni/enews/mountain0805.shtml.
WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERS!
For some of you, this is your first edition of the Illinois State E-lumni News. A total of 2,884 new Redbirds automatically joined the Alumni Association after May graduation. This brings the total number of living graduates to 160,943.
To our newest graduates: Welcome! Be sure to check out the special New Graduates Web page we have just for you, with answers to all kinds of questions you might have!
HOMECOMING 2005 PREVIEW AND REMINDERS
A few reminders about this fall's Homecoming:
* The weekend dates are October 7-9.
* The theme is "Redbirds in Paradise."
* Nominations for the Alumni King and Queen, who must have already celebrated their 50th ISNU reunion, are due August 26. Details and a nomination form are online.
* Special reunions are planned for the classes of 1955, 1960, and 1965. Watch your mail for the reunion invitation with complete details, or visit our Reunion 2005 Web page, where you can check out who's coming and post a note to your classmates on message boards.
* Have you made your Homecoming hotel reservations yet? Don't delay! Alumni Association has arranged special blocks of rooms for returning alumni at a number of locations. See our Homecoming "Where to Stay" Web page.
* For information on other major events for alumni, ticket prices, parking information, and more, please be sure to visit www.IllinoisState.edu/alumni/homecoming.shtml.
TRAVEL WITH US IN 2006
Traveling with fellow Illinois State alumni adds a unique dimension not available with other travel programs. The following trips have been scheduled for 2006:
March 17-25, 2006: London
April 29-May 7, 2006: Waterways and Canals of Holland and Belgium
May 12-21, 2006: Greece
June 8-20, 2006: China
June 11-19, 2006: Italy - Chianti in a Tuscan Villa
July 9-21, 2006: Russia - Cruise the Passage of Peter the Great
July 17-28, 2006: Ireland - Ennis and Kilkenny
August 26-September 2, 2006: Hidden Fjords and Glaciers of Alaska's Inside Passage
November 3-11, 2006: Pacific Northwest - Passage of Lewis and Clark
For details, please visit our Travel Program Web page or contact alumni executive director Barb Todd '79, M.S. '84, (309) 438-2586 or (800) 366-4478.
ASK Alumni Association
QUESTION: "So, this 'Annual Fund' that's now part of the Alumni Association office. . . .What's that about?" -- Anonymous, Normal, Illinois
(Editor's Note: Okay, we confess, it's a planted question so that we can provide some more information. . . .)
ANSWER: Gee, Anonymous, what a timely question! The "Annual Fund" is a program of annual private giving to the University. These donations help the academic units to achieve goals for which there are no state dollars. Annual Fund contributions are the "bread-and-butter" of private support to Illinois State -- the vital ongoing giving that occurs year in and year out, in contrast to the big multi-million dollar gifts that were so exciting to hear about during the Redefining "normal" campaign.
Some alumni make Annual Fund gifts when the Telefund students call to update records and ask for a pledge for an academic department; other annual gifts are in response to a direct mail piece. Some are unsolicited -- for example, just before year end when people think about tax deductions and send a check! In all cases, alumni may always specify exactly where they want their donations to go.
The Annual Fund brings in about $1 million in private support each year. Surprisingly, only about seven percent of all alumni are annual donors. One of our goals is to increase that participation level, partly because the organizations that do university and college rankings often look at that percentage closely. Even small gifts can make a big difference because they show support for the University, and that is an indicator of excellence. And for the departments, even those small gifts can really add up.
For more details and answers to some Frequently Asked Questions -- or to make a donation! -- take a look at the Annual Fund Web site. If you have a specific question, please contact Adam Goduto '02, assistant director of Alumni Association - Annual Fund, at (309) 438-5474.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Details on alumni events can be found on our Events Calendar Web page.
