Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence – Director Pamela J. Clark Reidenbach, 815-226-2833
Media Contact: Director of Communications, Rita Elliot, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill., – The Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) at Rockford University will be hosting several programs this spring including the Leadership Café series, Certificate in Nonprofit Management, Fund Development Certificate Program, and more.

Leadership Café Series: The Leadership Café series is held the last Wednesday of each month beginning January 27 with Kath Velasco of V2 Marketing Communications presenting “An Annual Report doesn’t have to be boring”. The last café will be April 27. These monthly discussions focus on critical and cutting-edge issues in nonprofit leadership and governance. The series is designed to provide a menu of ideas, information, opinions, and resources for nonprofit management staff, board members, and community participants.

Poverty, Inc. Documentary Screening: Two screenings, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., of the award winning documentary Poverty, Inc. will be held on February 1 at the Nordlof Center, 118 N. Main St., Rockford, Ill. Each screening is free to attend. Poverty, Inc. focuses on current perceptions of global charity and promotes entrepreneurship as an effective alternative to alleviating world poverty.

Learn about the Rockford University business major internship program: Representatives from nonprofit organizations are invited to attend an informal session to learn about the new internship requirement that all junior and senior Business majors at Rockford University must complete. This event will be held February 2 from 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Exchange on Volunteerism: Developing a Recruitment Plan, A to Z!: This exchange is designed as an open dialogue to discuss best practices and information related to volunteerism. The free, self-facilitated group will meet on the first Wednesday of every month from 8:30-9:30 a.m. beginning February 3. The United Way of Rock River Valley is a partner for this event.

Certificate in Nonprofit Management: This program is designed to support the changing demands on nonprofit leaders to enhance their management skills and operate more effectively. There are five courses, four of which will be held this spring, designed to strengthen participants’ abilities in Leadership and Governance, Marketing, Human Resources, Financial Management, and Fund Development. Course 3: Financial Management begins February 4, with registration due by February 1. The certificate program is held Thursdays from 1-4:30 p.m. Cost is $250 per course.

Fund Development Certificate Program: Beginning Tuesday, March 1, the Fund Development Certificate Program is designed to provide a solid foundation of fundraising fundamentals and an overview of fund development as a career. The program has five courses, to be held four consecutive Tuesdays from 4:30-7 p.m. Cost to attend is $250 per course, or $1250 for all five courses. Registration for the first course, Fundamentals of the Nonprofit Sector, is due by February 26. NICNE has partnered with the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for this program. As a result, CFRE International has granted continuing education points for each course.

All programs will be held on the Rockford University campus at 5050 E. State Street, Rockford unless otherwise stated. Cost to attend NICNE programs are always discounted for members. An annually-renewable membership extends from January to December. To learn more about any of the programs above, or how to become a member, visit https://www.rockford.edu/community/nicne. Registration for each event is available athttp://www.nicne.eventbrite.com.

Media Contact: Rita Elliott, Director of Communications, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill. – The Rockford University spring 2016 performing arts season will open with The Orchesis Student Dance Company’s presentation of “Body Language”. The show will run January 28-30 in Rockford University’s Maddox Theatre. The performance will showcase a wide variety of dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, and tap. Along with university students, dancers from the Rockford Dance Company II will be performing during the evening. ‌‌

‌‌The next show in the season will be “Antigone”, which will run February 25-28 in the university’s Cheek Theatre. The play centers on Antigone, who defies her Uncle Creon’s decree that her brother should remain unburied. By doing so, she challenges the morality of man’s law overruling the law of the gods.

The final show of the spring season, “Company”, will run April 28–May 1 in Maddox Theatre. The musical tells the story of confirmed bachelor Robert, who on the night of his 35th birthday finds himself contemplating his unmarried status. Over the course of a series of dinners, drinks, and even a wedding, his friends explain the pros and cons of taking on a spouse.

Tickets for all shows are $12.00 adult, $9.00 senior, $9.00 student. Group rates are available. Both theatres are located within the Clark Arts Center at Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Rockford. The Clark Arts Center is accessible. For tickets and more information, call the Box Office at 815.226.4100 or email boxoffice@rockford.edu.

Professor of Performing Arts Jeff Hendry received an award for Best Costume Design from Broadwayworld.com for his work this past summer on THE MUSIC MAN which ran July 15 – Aug. 1, and SISTER ACT which ran June 24 – July 11. Both shows were productions of Maine State Music Theatre, a professional muscial theater organization located on the Bowdoin College campus in Brunswick, Maine.

‌‌Professor Hendry has been with Rockford University since 1982. Originally from Arizona, where he received a bachelor of fine arts in theatre production from the University of Arizona, he moved to the east coast to study at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received his master of fine arts in costume design.‌ ‌‌‌

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Throughout his career, Hendry has worked at a variety of regional theatres on both coasts including the Old Globe Theatre, Champlain Shakespeare Festival, Tennessee Williams Arts Center, and New London Barn Playhouse. Here at Rockford University, besides teaching the courses in costume design and designing costumes for all the mainstage productions, he teaches in the musical theater program in addition to teaching a variety of other courses such as Introduction to Theatre, Performing Arts Seminar and Senior Seminar, as well as directing a production each year. Some of the favorite productions which he has directed include, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Pericles, Rashomon, A Little Night Music, Phantom and Angels in America Part 1.

Media Contact: Director of Communications Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill. — The Rockford University Spring 2016 Forum Series will begin Thursday, January 28. Ten events will be held during the spring that span a wide variety of topics and interests. All events are open to the public and, with the exception of theatre events, are offered at no charge. All lectures and performances will take place on the Rockford University campus, 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Tickets are required for all events and can be obtained by contacting the Rockford University Box Office at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

‌‌The Orchesis Student Dance Company presents “Body Language”
Thursday, January 28 – Saturday, January 30
7:30 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

“Body Language” is a mixed repertory dance concert featuring the Rockford University Orchesis Dance Company. Students in the company will perform in new ballet, modern, jazz, and tap works by RU dance faculty and guest artists. Dancers from Rockford Dance Company II will also perform excerpts from their upcoming ballet, “The Ugly Duckling.”

Barrelhouse Chuck and the Blue Lights Blues Band
Friday, February 5
3 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Barrelhouse Chuck (real name Harvey Goering) has been a blues artist since hearing his first Muddy Waters record as a teenager. Shortly after forming his own band he began opening for Willie Dixon, B.B. King, and later Muddy Waters. In 1979, after relocating to Chicago, Chuck met musician Sunnyland Slim and eventually became close friends with piano legend Little Brother Montgomery. In February 2008 he was asked to participate in recording the soundtrack for the movie ‘Cadillac Records’. For the last 11 years, he has been a member of The Kim Wilson Blues All-stars. Barrelhouse Chuck is a Grammy Award and Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year nominee and a 3 time Blues Music Award Winner. In 2014, his album ‘Drifting from Town to Town’ was nominated for a Blues Music Award.

Barrelhouse Chuck and The Blue Lights Band will be performing at 7:30 p.m. in Fisher Memorial Chapel following the Forum event.

‌‌“The funny story behind the funny stories”
Scott Dikkers, found of The Onion
Monday, February 8
7 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

Scott Dikkers will tell the tale of his beginnings in comedy and getting The Onion started, while sharing funny stories about how he struggled in the early years. As a starry eyed farm boy with no education who loved reading Mad Magazine he dreamt of one day getting his work published. He went on to start the world’s first humor website and the longest surviving humor publication.

“Digital Autistry”
Melanie Yergeau, Ph.D.
Thursday, February 18
4 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Melanie Yergeau is an assistant professor of English at the University of Michigan, where she teaches classes in writing, digital rhetoric, and disability studies. Active in the neurodiversity and disability rights movements, she has served on the boards of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and the Autism National Committee (AutCom), as well as the Autism NOW Center’s national advisory committee. Her talk will explore some of autism’s many representations in digital and mediated spaces. It will also draw attention to emerging autism rights movements and the ways in which autistic people work to defy some of the most trenchant stereotypes about autism.

José Francisco Salgado, Ph.D.
Astronomer and Visual Artist
Friday, February 19
7 p.m., Severson Auditorium

Dr. Jose Francisco Salgado is an Emmy-nominated astronomer, photographer, visual artist, and public speaker who uses art as a vehicle to communicate science in non-traditional venues. He will talk about how he collaborates with orchestras, composers, and chamber musicians to present his “Science and Symphony” films to provoke curiosity and a sense of wonder about the Earth and the Universe. He has given presentations about science and art in all seven continents and has contributed visuals to documentaries produced for the History, Discovery, BBC, and National Geographic channels.

“Antigone”
Thurs., February 25- Sun., February 28
7:30 p.m., Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m., Sun.
Cheek Theatre, Clark Arts Center

Antigone, defying her Uncle Creon’s decree that her brother should remain unburied, challenges the morality of man’s law overruling the laws of the gods. The clash between her and Creon with its tragic consequences have inspired continual reinterpretation.

Rockford University Charter Day
Paula Carynski ’87
President, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center

The 169th anniversary of the signing of the charter for Rockford University includes an academic procession of faculty in traditional robes depicting their rank, with stoles representing their respective alma maters and degrees. This year’s speaker will be Paula Carynski ’87, President of OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center.

“Scripturalization: A theory of the politics of language”
Vincent Wimbush, Ph.D., Phi Beta Kappa Speaker
Thursday, March 24
4 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Vincent Wimbush is an internationally recognized scholar of religion, intellectual leader, and academic gadfly, with more than thirty years of advanced graduate-level teaching and research experience. He is the author/editor of more than 12 books and numerous articles and essays. His general teaching and research interests focus on the trans-disciplinary and comparative study of “scriptures” as sharp wedge for critical research and theorizing in the politics of language, social formation, consciousness, and orientation.

“Saving our common wealth”
Scott Russell Sanders, Ph.D.
Monday, April 4
7 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Scott Russell Sanders is the author of 20 books of fiction and non-fiction. Among his honors are the Lannan Literary Award, the John Burroughs Essay Award, the Mark Twain Award, the Cecil Woods Award for Nonfiction, the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. His talk will explore the efforts of those working to protect the Earth’s natural and cultural resources such as clean air and water, fertile soils, biodiversity, renewable energy, art and music, scientific and medical knowledge, indigenous languages, public lands and schools, open airwaves, and supportive communities.

“Company”
Thurs., April 28-Sun., May 1
7:30 p.m., Thurs.-Sat.; 2 p.m. Sunday
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried status. Over the course of a series of dinners, drinks, and even a wedding, his friend — ‘those good and crazy people [his] married friends ‘ — explain the pro’s and con’s of taking on a spouse.

About the Rockford University Forum Series:

Each semester, the Rockford University Forum Series presents speakers from a variety of disciplines and performers of stature in the arts. The series is designed to deepen and broaden students’ education at Rockford University. All full-time undergraduate students are required to attend a minimum of two Forum Series events each semester. The series has hosted many notable presenters like Oscar Arias, the Tibetan Lamas of Drepung Loseling monastery, Benazir Bhutto, the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra, Naomi Tutu, and Twyla Tharpe.

Being a student-athlete at RU involves more than just dedicating your time and energy to the sports you love: it also allows several opportunities to give back to the community. The Rockford University athletic department encourages all of its teams to get involved and lend a hand whenever the opportunity presents itself. Taking time away from the competition field has become a tradition that student-athletes look forward to each and every year…

Read more in the latest issue of Catalyst.

Contact Rita Elliott, Director of Communications, 815-226-3374
‌Rockford, Ill.,— In a major announcement today, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois announced matching endowments to Highland Community College and Rockford University. The matching endowments will create $5,000,000 in endowed funds for scholarships. The endowed scholarship funds will be awarded to students who attend HCC or RU, are from Northern Illinois, and can demonstrate financial need.

The matching endowments are named the Rubin Education Challenge, after Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin whose gifts to CFNIL make the matching endowments possible. The Rubin’s legacy lives on in name and spirit. CFNIL will match every dollar contributed by the HCC and RU toward the creation of the endowed scholarship funds.

The Rubin Education Challenge is part of Education Works, a grantmaking strategy recently adopted by CFNIL’s Board of Trustees to support the region’s education-to-employment pipeline, by funding after-school programs, career awareness initiatives, and scholarship endowments for the region’s post-secondary educational institutions. (See the Education Works report, which is enclosed in this packet.)

CFNIL President Jon Bates: “The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois is excited to find willing partners in Highland Community College and Rockford University to build permanent scholarship endowments. The scholarships will create more opportunities for students with financial need, produce more college graduates, and strengthen the workforce in our region. The scholarships will also strengthen two of our great post-secondary institutions by providing them with a perpetual revenue stream.”

HIGHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE

The purpose of the Highland Community College participation in the Rubin Education Challenge will be to provide opportunities for students with some degree of need to enroll in and complete degree and certificate programs. Pathways which would be available to scholarship recipients include obtaining transfer degrees and opportunities for students to transfer seamlessly to four-year institutions; obtaining degrees and/or certificates which would allow them to upgrade their employment and earnings potential; and continuing education opportunities for training and professional advancement for current professional through Highland’s Business Institution and Lifelong Learning programs.

Highland Community College President Tim Hood: “We are very encouraged by the new scholarship opportunities that will emerge through partnership with the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. The Rubin Education Challenge will provide up to $1 million in matching scholarship funds for Highland students. The challenge is to raise funding for the new scholarship throughout our district, and all that we raise, up to at least $1 million, will be doubled by the match.”

ROCKFORD UNIVERSITY

Rockford University is pleased to partner with the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois through its participation in the Rubin Education Challenge. Committing an additional $5 million combined in scholarship endowments for students will, without doubt, bolster the educational foundation and reputation of our region.

Benefit to the University and to its students will be realized. Rockford University awards more than $9 million in institutional aid, scholarships and grants each year. $2 million is awarded directly to students from the region. These funds are part of the University’s budgetary commitment. The Rubin Education funds provide additional flexibility within our existing financial aid commitments, further enhancing our ability to enrich academic and co-curricular programs for all students.

Rockford University works individually with each student to determine the most efficient financial package, trying to ensure at all costs, the least out-of-pocket expenditures as possible. By providing additional outright scholarships, the amount of funds acquired through federal and private loans will be reduced. An increasingly robust scholarship base benefits students, current and future, while simultaneously elevating the profile of the institution and our community.

Rockford University President Robert L. Head, Ph.D.: “Providing for, and increasing access to, a quality education is of paramount importance to Rockford University. No student who desires to continue their education, should be discouraged because of financial stresses. The Rubin Education Challenge matching funds open additional avenues for us to better serve our students and reaffirms our commitment to move students from dreams imagined to dreams achieved.”

ABOUT

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has been a regional leader in philanthropy since 1953. CFNIL serves as a catalyst for giving in order to attract, grow, and preserve an endowment for the needs of Northern Illinois. Since 2000, CFNIL has granted more than $46 million for charitable purposes. CFNIL launched Education Works in fall 2015 and has already committed more than $3M to projects and programs for after-school programs, career awareness initiatives, and place-based scholarship endowments. For more information, visit www.cfnil.org.

Highland Community College offers more than 60 programs of applied and transfer degrees, community education and business training. In addition to comprehensive academic programming, Highland provides theatre, art and music opportunities for the community. Highland Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association’s Academic Quality Improvement Program. Located in Freeport, Highland is conveniently positioned in the tri-state region with access to several major metropolitan areas. For more information about Highland Community College, call 815.235.6121 or visit www.highland.edu.

Rockford University is a four-year, co-educational institution founded in 1847 offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional liberal arts and professional fields. The University offers approximately 80 majors, minors and concentrations, including the adult accelerated degree completion program for a B.S. in Management Studies. Through its Graduate Studies department, degrees are extended to include the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). Rockford University is home to one of only 11 Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapters in Illinois, the most prestigious honor society in the United States. Named by The Princeton Review as a Best Midwestern College and as a Tier One Best Midwestern University by US News and World Report, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,280 full-and part-time students.

Media Contact: Director of Communications, Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374‌

Rockford, Ill. – The Lincoln Academy of Illinois honored the top college and university students in the state during a ceremony held in Springfield in November. Senior Angela Martinez was named the Lincoln Laureate from Rockford University. Angela is a biology major with a chemistry minor from Rockford, Ill. She is a 2012 graduate of Keith Country Day School.‌‌‌ She has made an impact at Rockford University both in and out of the classroom. This year she was a co-ordinator for Campus Activities Board (CAB), founded and served as president of the Craft Club, and was the treasurer for Tennis Club.

Seniors from each four-year, degree-granting institution in the state were granted the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement award for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities. The Lincoln Academy has been granting the award for 41 years. Students honored receive a Student Laureate Medallion, a $1,000 education grant, and a certificate of achievement.

The Lincoln Academy was established to honor distinguished citizens with the Order of Lincoln, the highest award in the state. The Annual Convocation and Investiture of Laureates of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois will be held Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria.

Media contact: Director of Communications Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill., — Classes for the spring 2016 semester begin on Tuesday, January 19 at Rockford University and there is still time to enroll. Rockford University serves students in all levels of education including undergraduate (bachelor degree), graduate (master level), adult accelerated degree completion, transfer students, international students and veterans (Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program).

The next cohort start date for the adult accelerated degree completion program to earn a Bachelor of Science in Management Studies (BSMS) degree begins February 9, 2016. The BSMS program is designed to provide a quality educational experience for adult learners in an accelerated format. The program also provides a tuition-covered option for qualified adults who have been out of work for at least 18 months and will cover any remaining tuition after all eligible state and federal student aid is applied. Qualified applicants must be Illinois residents 25 years of age and older who have been unemployed for at least 18 months, have some transferable college credit, but have not already earned a bachelor’s degree.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) programs 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 bilingual education. There is also a variety of options available to degreed professionals who may wish to enter the teaching profession. 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, or email to Admissions@rockford.edu for more information about applying for undergraduate classes. You may also apply online at www.rockford.edu/admission/apply/. Contact the Rockford University Graduate Office at 815-226-4040 today if interested in MBA or MAT courses.

Visit www.rockford.edu for more information.

Media Contact: Director of Communications, Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill. –  Mid-year Rockford University undergraduate and graduate degree candidates will be honored on Saturday, December 5 during the University’s December Recognition Ceremony. The event will be held at 1 p.m. in Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center, 5050 East State Street, Rockford.

The ceremony will include a procession of degree candidates, invocation, a welcome by President Robert L. Head and a keynote address. Providing the keynote address this year is Elizabeth I. (Beth) Donovan, Global Marketing Operations and Advertising Strategy Manager for Ford Motor Company and Rockford University Trustee. A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony in the theatre lobby.

To view photos from the ceremony, visit RU’s Facebook page.

Brett is from, South Beloit, Illinois and was nominated by Dr. Mehmet Dik and Dr. Filiz Dik. He is a math major, and this is his first semester at RU. Brett also serves as a member of the Men’s Basketball Team, which was one of his goals before attending college.

Dr. Mehmet Dik and Dr. Filiz Dik state that Brett is a great addition to the Mathematics program at RU. They both share that he is a very intelligent student and a pleasure to have in their Calculus I and Statistics courses. Specifically, he always participates in class discussions and offers his insights on solutions to complex problems. He exhibits a collaborative demeanor as he assists classmates with group work in and out of classes.

In addition to his academic pursuits, Brett is a participant in InterVarsity and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. He shares that he is appreciative of the classroom environment at RU. He enjoys studying at RU because the small class sizes make it easy to ask questions and interact with his professors. After he graduates from RU Brett would like to continue his education by attending graduate school with a focus on engineering.

Congratulations Brett!