The 2017-18 Rockford University academic year will formally begin with the President’s Opening Convocation on Friday, August 25, at 12 p.m., Maddox Theatre in the Rockford University Clark Arts Center.

The formal opening convocation has been held annually since 1851. This event includes an academic procession of faculty in traditional robes depicting their rank, with stoles representing their respective alma maters and degrees. Remarks will be given by President Eric W. Fulcomer, Ph.D. President Fulcomer’s address will touch on recognizing on the unique opportunities in life, or “tipping points” that can present opportunities for growth and success.

The President’s Opening Convocation also marks the start of the University’s Fall Forum Series, which includes a robust line-up of guest speakers and performances taking place throughout the fall semester. The President’s Opening Convocation is free and open to the public, however tickets are required. The Clark Arts Center is accessible. For more information, contact the Rockford University Box Office at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

“I felt like I mattered on this university’s campus. Everyone here feels like they have a place” – RU student Cris Newton, who is entering his senior year this fall, shares more about his his decision to come to Rockford and his experiences in the article “Rockford University offers ‘Rock Solid’ opportunities to help students succeed .” This story, along with nine others, are part of  the Sunday, Aug. 13 edition of the Rockford Register Star, which featured a special standalone section celebrating Rockford University’s 170th year. 

The comprehensive look at Rockford University’s past, present and future on rrstar.com also includes: (Please note that non-subscribers are able to read a limited number of articles. View PDF version here.)

• Rockford University’s history laid the groundwork for its success in the future
• Photos: Rockford University celebrates 170 years
• Timeline: Rockford University since the beginning
• Rockford University upholds ideals of its most prolific graduate Jane Addams
• Presidents, faculty shape institution’s reputation
• Rockford University noted commencement speakers
• Strategic plan gives Rockford University momentum for the future
• Rockford University bolsters international program with students, faculty from around the globe
• Notable graduates share how Rockford University affected their career goals, lives

See the PDF version of the special insert here.

Classes begin Wednesday, August 23, but there is still time to enroll. Rockford University is a four-year, co-educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The University offers approximately 80 areas of study and provides diverse programming for students in all levels of education including undergraduate (bachelor’s degree), graduate (master’s level business and education), transfer students and adult accelerated degree completion in management studies (BSMS). Rockford University is also a participant in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program for veterans.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) allow students to take up to four courses before formally enrolling in the program and offer flexible options for working adults.

The MAT program offers several certifications and endorsements in areas like special education, reading specialist, instructional strategies and bi-lingual education. There are also a variety of options available to degreed professionals who may wish to enter the teaching profession. Online bilingual and ESL endorsements are offered within new Master of Education (MEd) programming.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program covers a variety of functional areas including as accounting, economics, finance, management and marketing. Students can choose a concentration in disciplines such as MBA/CPA, public and not-for-profit management, entrepreneurship or management.

Contact the Rockford University Office of Admission at 815-226-4050 or 800-892-2984 for more information about applying for undergraduate classes. You may also apply online by visiting www.rockford.edu and clicking on the homepage “Apply” button

Contact the Rockford University Graduate Office at 815-226-4040 today if interested in MBA or Graduate in Education courses.

Visit www.rockford.edu for more information.

As a result of storm damage sustained to the office spaces located in the University’s primary business building, the following offices have been temporarily relocated and are open. Please refer to the campus map for specific directions.

• Graduate Studies/Adult Accelerated Degree Completion (BSMS) Office – Student Life Suites, 1st floor Burpee Center.
• The Puri School of Business faculty affected are working remotely for now and can be contacted via email or the Academic Affairs office.
• The University’s Business Office is temporarily located in the Burpee Center. Please call 815-226-4025 with questions. 
• Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) – Howard Colman Library, main level.

Additionally, all affected summer classes were relocated to available spaces throughout the campus. The University looks forward to welcoming students to the fall 2017 semester which begins on August 23, 2017. There is still time to enroll in any of the University’s degree programs. Contact Admissions with questions or for more information. 

Severe storms during the evening of June 28, resulted in significant damage to the 5100 building which is located near the University’s East State Street entrance. The building is completely closed and the area should be avoided. 

June 29 daytime classes normally held in the 5100 building have been cancelled. Evening classes for June 29, and for the time period of the next several weeks, are being relocated and affected students will be communicated with directly with additional details. 

This building houses the Puri School of Business, the University Business Office, Accelerated Adult and Graduate Education offices, the graduate office, and the University’s Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE.) It is also home to classrooms and numerous related spaces.  The University anticipates that the building will be closed leading into the start of the fall semester and beyond. Accommodations are being made to relocate all affected services and personnel so as to ensure minimal impact to the University’s normal operations. 

The University looks forward to welcoming students to the fall 2017 semester which begins on August 23, 2017. There is still time to enroll in any of the University’s degree programs. Contact Admissions with questions or for more information. 

“The Economic Value of Cross-Sector Collaboration,” Rockford University’s 9^th annual Business Luncheon, will be Thursday, June 29, in the Burpee Student Center’s Regents Hall.

The health of our community’s economy is directly linked to residents’ ability to thrive, and there is growing understanding that the complex nature of social issues facing our communities requires innovative approaches that draw on the strengths and influences of all sectors. Join us to learn how the partnership between for-profit, nonprofit and government entities working through the lens of Collective Impact can accelerate social change and directly impact the economic vibrancy and resilience of our community.

Presenter Jen Keeling is director of Ecosystem Advancement at LRNG, a social enterprise focused on redesigning learning for the 21^st century. Check-in and networking starts at 11:30 a.m. on June 29, with the luncheon and program to follow from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Individual reservations are $45, or $350 for a table of eight. RSVP by June 22 online at rubl2017.eventbrite.com. Sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Denise Noe at 815-394-3756.

For more information about the event, contact Jennifer Smith at 815-394-4384 or jsmith@rockford.edu.

Rockford, Ill., – Rockford University has named Jason Mulligan as its new Director of Athletics. Mulligan will assume his duties as head of the Regent’s NCAA Division III athletics programs on June 1, 2017. Mulligan brings with him an extensive background in coaching and administration at both the college and high school level. He has spent 11 years at two top-tier NCAA Division III institutions, Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind., and the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.

Mulligan has spent the past five years as the athletic director at Western Boone High School, located just north of Indianapolis, Ind. During his tenure, the program claimed 22 conference, sectional and regional championship titles in both girls and boys programs. Mulligan also helped oversee improvements on nearly all of the Western Boone athletic facilities.

Mulligan said, “I am truly honored and humbled to join the Rockford family and I want to thank Rockford University for their confidence in me,” said Mulligan. “I am impressed with the vision and contagious energy the University clearly has for supporting their student-athletes and for growing its athletic programs. I am excited to get started!”

Rockford University is home to approximately 920 undergraduate students, with an average of 25 percent of the full-time undergraduate population participating in intercollegiate athletics each year. Rockford sponsors 14 intercollegiate varsity teams (seven men’s teams and seven women’s teams) and several junior varsity teams. Many Regents student-athletes compete in multiple sports.

Vice President for Enrollment Management Matt Phillips adds, “Jason has shown himself to be a strong and committed leader at the high school and Division III collegiate levels. He has worked with student-athletes and coaches to bring about significant positive change in the programs of which he has been a part. I look forward to Jason bringing that same enthusiasm and leadership to Regent Athletics, where we are focused on the success of our student-athletes, both in the classroom and the field of play.”

Prior to Western Boone, Mulligan was the Head Men’s Basketball Coach and Director of Athletics Facilities at the University of New England. In just his first season, Mulligan orchestrated the biggest turnaround in NCAA Division III. The Nor’easters earned the school’s first ever berth into the ECAC New England Tournament, where they upset top-seeded Emerson College in the opening round en route to an appearance in the championship game. His second season he led the team to the school’s first ever Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship and NCAA tournament appearance. They set a record for most wins in a season- 24 (including 19 in a row, 2nd longest streak in the nation). For his work he was named TCCC Coach of the Year.

A native of Highland, Indiana, Mulligan came to UNE from Wabash College, an NCAA III institution in Crawfordsville, Ind. There he served as Assistant Director of Athletics and Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach for six years. While at Wabash, Mulligan played a significant role in the overall operations of the athletic department. He served on the College’s Integrated Marketing Committee, was the faculty advisor for the campuses Student Athletics Advisory Committee (SAAC) and ran NCAA compliance for all sports.

He was responsible for game site management for all sports and also worked as the athletics department liaison to the admissions office as the Coordinator of Student-Athlete Recruitment.

Mulligan is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., where he was a four-year member of the basketball team, a program that made four consecutive appearances at the NAIA Division I National Tournament and earned a berth in the 2000 national semifinal. In that same year ONU broke a school record for wins (30) and Mulligan was named Most Improved Player. He and his teammates were inducted into the ONU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.

He earned his Master of Science in Education from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. Jason and his wife, Kara, have two children. 

Students interested in a career in nursing are invited to Rockford University’s campus for a hands-on Nursing Visit Day on Friday, June 2, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Participants will learn more about RU’s scholarship programs and bachelor of science in nursing degree—with a chance to tour the nursing lab and hear from faculty, current students and alumni, and admissions staff.

Reserve your spot today at rockford.edu/admission/visit, or call 815-226-4050. We can’t wait to share how our BSN program is a rock solid choice!

Rockford University is a four-year, co-educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The university offers more than 80 majors, minors and concentrations of study, and serves approximately 1,300 students.

For more questions or more information, contact Cassie Hartje, 815-394-5096.

Rockford University held its third annual Day of Giving on Wednesday, April 26.  Pledges and donations received for the day totaled $22,184 and will be applied to the Rubin Education Challenge grant which provides a dollar to dollar match for every dollar given, boosting the day’s total contribution to $44,368.

The Day of Giving’s goal is to harness the power of social media and electronic communications during a 24-hour blitz to raise funds and awareness about the importance of philanthropy. Challenges, incentives and special guests were featured to encourage engagement and participation throughout the day.  

With an impressive turnout, 2017 Day of Giving totals surpassed the previous year’s donations of $12,632. The University looks forward to continuing its online giving efforts through annual Day of Giving events.

About the Rubin Education Challenge:
In December 2015, Rockford University and the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) announced the University’s participation in the Rubin Education Challenge, a challenge grant offered by CFNIL to build scholarship endowments benefiting local students with financial need who attend local post-secondary institutions. Together, Rockford University and CFNIL will build a $3 million endowment, with CFNIL matching every dollar contributed by the University and its donors. The program is named after Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin whose $24.5 million gift to CFNIL made the matching endowments possible.

Each year, Rockford University awards more than $10 million in institutional aid, scholarship and grants, including $2 million awarded directly to students from the region. These funds are part of the University’s commitment to its students. The Rubin Education Challenge provides additional flexibility within the University’s existing financial aid commitments, further enhancing the ability to enrich academic and co-curricular programs for all students.

For more information about the Rockford University Day of Giving, or to support the University, visit www.rockford.edu/give/dayofgiving/‌.

Pictured above – Reggie the Regent checks in on progress during the Day of Giving at Rockford University.

Contact:  Rita Elliott, Director of Communications, 815.226.3374

Congratulations to our final ROCK SOLID REGENT for this semester, Faris Al-Yami. Faris is a freshmen nursing major from Najran, Saudi Arabia. He was nominated by Dr. Mehmet Dik, Chair, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Physics. Dr. Dik shared that Faris has done a superior job in his Math courses. He is always prepared and a regular participant in class discussions. Faris is helpful to his classmates in many ways. He helps others with course work and he also assists domestic students with understanding his culture.

Faris has served as a Global Ambassador and international student orientation leader, welcoming new students to the RU campus. The Office of Global Affairs shared that he is “always willing to lend a helping hand.” Additionally, Faris is the Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Club, a member of the Multicultural Club and a member of the Saudi Arabian Soccer Club.

RU has been a great place for Faris to study. He is appreciative of the closeness of the campus community and how people get the opportunity to really know each other well. Faris desires to be a great nurse and eventually become a top healthcare provider. Congratulations to our ROCK SOLID Regent, Faris Al-Yami.