Contact: Rita Elliott, 815-226-3374

Rockford, Ill. –  The Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement (JACCE) and the Rock River Valley Blood Center (RRVBC) will host a blood drive at Rockford University on Tuesday,  September 22. The drive will be held from 1-4 p.m. in the Fisher Chapel Circle on the University campus at 5050 E. State St., Rockford.

The RRVBC needs to collect a minimum of 1000 units of blood each week to keep the Rockford community’s blood supply at adequate levels. Donations taken during the drive will benefit accident victims, organ transplant recipients, cancer patients receiving treatment and more.

Registration for the drive is recommended. For more information or to register contact Director of JACCE, Donnette Tinsley at 815-394-5143 or DTinsley@rockford.edu or Ed Tatera at ET121557@rockford.edu.

Contact – Maurice West, Director of Career Development (815)226-4022

Rockford, Ill., — Rockford University and Rock Valley College will host a career and internship fair on Wednesday, September 23 from 1-4 p.m. The fair will be held in the Physical Education Center at Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford. Students and alumni of both institutions, as well as the public, are invited to attend.

Pre-registration for those planning to attend the fair is available online at https://www.rockford.edu/community/careerdevelopment/fair/. Job-seekers are strongly encouraged to pre-register. Resumes of those that pre-register will be sent to employers prior to the beginning of the fair. Registration will also be available the day of the event. Appropriate interview attire is required to enter the fair.

For a list of employers attending or for more information please contact the Rockford University career development office at 815-394-4287 or e-mailing JEnnis@rockford.edu.

Contact- Art Gallery Director, Danielle Barton 815-226-4105

Rockford, Ill. – ‘Notes from the Sea’ will open September 11 at the Rockford University Art Gallery. The exhibit features the work of artist Marilyn Propp. The exhibit reflects the coexistence between the industrial and natural worlds. ‘Notes from the Sea’ is inspired by the concerns of environmentally destructive practices, including coral reef destruction from bottom trawling; litter being blown out to sea; and oil spills.

The exhibit will open Friday, September 11 with an opening reception 6 – 8:30 p.m. An artist talk will be held at 6:30 p.m. ‘Notes from the Sea’ will close October 12. The Rockford University Art Gallery is located in the Clark Arts Center at 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Gallery Hours are Monday – Wednesday, 3 – 6 p.m., Friday, 12-3 p.m. and by appointment.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. Clark Arts Center is wheelchair accessible. For more information, contact the Rockford University Box Office at 815-226-4100.

To see list of fall 2015 Art Gallery exhibits visit: https://www.rockford.edu/artslectures/artgallery/.

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

Rockford, Ill., – US News & World Report has released its 2016 Best College Rankings with Rockford University again being named as a Best Midwest Regional Tier One University. For more information about the University and its offerings, visit our About section on www.rockford.edu.

Rockford University is a four-year, coeducational 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 US News and World Report Tier One Midwestern University, Rockford University currently serves approximately 1,300 full and part-time students.

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

President Robert L. Head, Ph.D., will host and facilitate a panel discussion on race relations issues and how we, as a community, walk the line between justice, protest and violence. Panel participants include; Hester Bass, author of Seeds of Freedom, the Peaceful Integration of Huntsville Alabama; Reverend Joseph Darby, presiding elder of the Beaufort District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC and where nine members of Emanuel AME were murdered in June of this year; Michael Perry, Ph.D., associate professor of English at Rockford University and John McNamara, senior development officer for the University and former Mayor of Rockford (1981-1989).

The event will take place on Wednesday, September 16 at 7 p.m. in Maddox Theatre, located in the Clark Arts Center on Rockford University’s campus and is also part of the Fall Forum Series. Tickets are free, but reservations are required through the box office at boxoffice@rockford.edu or 815-226-4100. Clark Arts Center is accessible.

Dr. Head will lead a dialog to focus on events from the 1960s and the current era, probing lessons from history, exploring the ingredients that distinguish peaceful protest on significant grievances from riot and destruction. The panel will discuss the peaceful integration of Huntsville, Alabama during the 1960s, as well as the national and local crisis of April 1968 resulting in the aftermath of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Helping to give additional context to the evening is the speech given by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy on the night of Dr. King’s assassination, and the orchestral piece composed by Ray Horton, Make Gentle the Life of This World, inspired by RFK’s speech on April 4, 1968, which will be played.

These lessons from the 60s are ever so applicable today during heightened racial tensions erupting across our country in places such as Ferguson, Missouri and Charleston, South Carolina; with violence breaking out in Ferguson but being courageously quelled in places like Charleston.

The conversation is the second annual Connect2Peace Forum event hosted by Rockford University President Robert Head and presented in partnership with the Peace Coalition of the Rock River Valley and Connect2Peace.

Panel Participants

		‌	‌
Hester Bass	Rev. Joseph Darby	Dr. Michael Perry	John McNamara

Media Contact: Rita Elliott, Director of Communications – 815.226.3374

Rockford, Ill. — The Rockford University fall 2015 Forum Series began Friday, August 21 with the annual President’s Opening Convocation. The series will 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. For more information about an individual event visit www.rockford.edu/artslectures/forum.

‌‌Rock Solid Success Seminar
Mike Singletary
Tuesday, September 15
7 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

The Office of Student Success and Retention presents the first Rock Solid Success Seminar with former NFL coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Mike Singletary. Mike will be speaking about how his vision and intense determination helped him to overcome his harsh early life and gain professional and personal success. The Rock Solid Success Seminar is designed to provide motivation and encouragement to all students as they pursue graduation from RU.

‌Connect2Peace: Make Gentle the Life of this World
Panel discussion led by President Robert L. Head
Wednesday, September 16
7 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

President Robert L. Head, Ph.D., will host and facilitate a panel discussion on race relations issues and how we, as a community, walk the line between justice, protest and violence. Panel participants include; Hester Bass, author of Seeds of Freedom, the Peaceful Integration of Huntsville Alabama; Reverend Joseph Darby, presiding elder of the Beaufort District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; Michael Perry, Ph.D., associate professor of English at Rockford University and John McNamara, senior development officer for the University and former Mayor of Rockford (1981-1989).

‌“A Government of Laws and Men: Gender and the Constitution”
Constitution Day Speaker Judith Baer, Ph.D.
Thursday, September 17
4 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Baer is a professor of political science at Texas A&M University. A specialist in public law and feminist jurisprudence, Professor Baer is the author of several books and articles. Constitution Day is the anniversary date of the adjournment of the Federal Convention which composed the Constitution of the United States during the summer of 1787. Since 2005, American colleges and universities have been required, by act of Congress, to commemorate that event in some thematically related public way.

‌

International Day of Peace
United States Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera
Monday, September 21
7 p.m., Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

Juan Felipe Herrera is the 21st Poet Laureate of the United States and is the first Latino to hold the position. From 2012-2014, he was the California State Poet Laureate. Herrera’s many collections of poetry include Senegal Taxi; Half of the World in Light: New and Selected Poems, which received the PEN/Beyond Margins Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He received the Americas Award for his novel Crashboomlove: A Novel in Verse. He has also written several poetry books for children. Along with being a poet, he is a performance artist and activist on behalf of migrant and indigenous communities and at-risk youth.

“Seesaw”
Thursday, Oct. 1 – Sunday, Oct. 4
7:30 p.m., Thurs.-Sat.; 2:00 p.m., Sun.
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

Based on the William Gibson play Two for the Seesaw, the plot focuses on a brief affair between Jerry Ryan, a young lawyer from Nebraska, and Gittel Mosca, a kooky, streetwise dancer from the Bronx.

“Inside the Tune: Why Do Songs Have Bridges?”
Franklin Bruno, Ph.D.
Thursday, October 29
7 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Bruno is a philosopher and award-winning music critic whose writing has appeared in The Nation, Slate, and The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism. He is also a musician who has released 16 albums of original songs and performed at venues through the U.S. In this lecture and musical demonstration, Dr. Bruno explores the history and role of “the bridge” as an element of song form, and how its prevalence in genres from 1930s jazz and 1960s rock to recent chart hits distinguishes the American popular song from other musical forms.

“Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men”
Michael Kimmel, Ph.D.
Tuesday, November 3
7 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

In 1950, most Americans had completed the transition from adolescence to adulthood by age 21 or so. Today, it’s more likely to be by age 30. It’s a new stage of development, and Kimmel is our tour guide in this presentation based on his best-selling book, Guyland. Based on interviews with more than 400 young people across the country, Kimmel offers a glimpse of why so many guys are adrift through their 20s, and offers a road map towards a more conscious adulthood.

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Education in Indonesia
Robert L. Osgood, Ph.D.
Tuesday, November 10
4 p.m., Fisher Memorial Chapel

Dr. Osgood is currently Professor and Chair of Teacher Education at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. He has also held faculty positions at Colgate University, Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), and Muskingum University. His primary research area is the history of the origins and development of special education in the public schools of the United States since the early 19th century. He is the author of three books: For “Children Who Vary from the Normal Type”: Special Education in Boston 1838-1930; The History of Inclusion in the United States; and The History of Special Education: A Struggle for Equality in American Public Schools.

3^rd Annual Sport Management Symposium
Tuesday, December 1
6-8 p.m., Regents Hall

Speakers from various areas in the field of sport and recreation management will be on hand to answer questions pertaining to careers in sport management and to share their tips for success. This event is organized by members of Professor Jason Hunter’s Senior Seminar class. A full list of participants is TBD.

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.

 Media Contact: Rita Elliott, Director of Communications – 815.226.3374

‌Rockford University will celebrate the start of its 2015-2016 academic year with the President’s Opening Convocation on Friday, August 21, at 12 p.m., Maddox Theatre in the Rockford University Clark Arts Center, 5050 East State Street, Rockford.

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 at the event will be given by President Robert L. Head, Ph.D. This year’s convocation is of special significance as it marks the final opening convocation for Dr. Head who announced in February 2015 that he will retire at the close of this academic year. President Head’s address is entitled “Life Lessons from an American Journey,” and will touch on not only his personal journey, but those of several who have been touched by Rockford University.

The President’s Opening Convocation also marks the start of the University’s Fall Forum Series. The event 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.

John A. Howard, 93, of Rockford died peacefully on August 7, 2015, just a few days shy of his 94th birthday. Dr. Howard began a seventeen-year term as President of Rockford College in 1960. During his tenure he embraced a complex challenge with vigor. He arrived in Rockford to an institution that had (after 112 years as a single-gender college for women) recently become coed – an institution still reeling from the emotional fallout that had ensued. Furthermore, the Board had just made the hard decision to abandon its century-old downtown campus in favor of relocating to a bare parcel of land purchased some 32 years earlier on the City’s far east side. He was faced with raising the funds over an eight year period to construct all the buildings on this campus, paid for entirely through private philanthropy, while mending a wounded alumni base and assimilating a growing student population fed by the baby-boom, all against a backdrop of the 60s that was supercharged with social change and civil unrest.

In 1977, he resigned as President of Rockford College to found, Rockford Institute, a conservative think-tank. With Allan Carlson, he founded an off-shoot of that Institute, The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society.

The Memorial Service for Dr. John A. Howard will be held on Saturday, August 29 at 11:00AM at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 2821 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford, Illinois, 61107.   A lunch will be held after the service at the Rockford University Club. Please email you plans to attend to johnhowardmemorial@profam.org.

The family prefers memorial contributions to The Good Samaritan Fund of Wesley Willows, 4141 N. Rockton Ave. Rockford, IL 61103, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2821 N Bell School Rd, Rockford, IL 61107, or The Howard Center, 934 N Main St, Rockford, IL 61103. Olson Funeral & Cremation Services is assisting the family.

More information about the remarkable life and legacy of John A. Howard from the Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society is available in the following documents.

John A. Howard announcement

John A. Howard memorial service information

Pictured above: President Howard presents Queen Frederika of Greece the Jane Addams Medal for Peace and Freedom, 1964.

Rockford, Ill., – Michael Houselog, Ed.D., has been named as Director of Graduate Programs in Education at Rockford University. Dr. Houselog will assume his duties on Monday, August 17, 2015. Dr. Houselog joins the University with more than 40 years of experience in education, most recently as the Superintendent for Belvidere Community Unit School District #100 since 2007.

As Director of Graduate Programs in Education, Dr. Houselog will focus on the development and oversight of the graduate programs in education, including recruitment and general marketing. The position involves developing, monitoring and accessing programs that include the University’s multiple license, endorsement and other non-licensure tracks within the master’s level programs. Interim Provost Belinda Wholeben, Ed.D., adds, “Dr. Houselog’s years of experience as a superintendent, principal, and teacher are valuable assets that will enhance Rockford University’s ability to meet the dynamic needs of today’s educators. Rockford University looks forward to continued expansion of our graduate programs in education under Dr. Houselog’s direction.”

Dr. Houselog received his Bachelor of Arts in Education from Loras College; his Master’s Degree in Administration from Clarke University; an Ed.S (Education Specialist) in Educational Administration from Drake University and his Ed.D (Doctorate in Education) in Leadership in Administration from George Williams College of Aurora University. Dr. Houselog is active in leadership positions with several area professional and community organizations including SwedishAmerican Hospital Board of Directors Parent Board, the Belvidere YMCA, the Belvidere Area Chamber of Commerce and Growth Dimensions of Boone County.

Rita Elliott, Director of Communications – 815.226.3374
Rockford University Office of Global Affairs – 815.394.5112

Rockford University is searching for Ambassador Families for new international students who are starting classes at the University this fall. The‌
‌Ambassador Families program matches international students with local families to give new students and families an opportunity to share cultures and build relationships. Students and families will arrange to spend time together. Families are asked to meet with their students at holidays and any other events that can improve the students’ experience in Rockford at least twice a month, but are encouraged to get together as much as is convenient for both parties. For example, families can invite their student to family dinners, local sightseeing, shopping, holidays and any other events that can improve the students’ experience in Rockford.

The initial commitment is for a semester but many families and students elect to remain in contact for years. Ambassador Families can be any resident of the Rockford area including couples, partners, families with children of various ages and single individuals. After being paired with your student, there will have a brief orientation and a welcome reception at the University to allow familes and students to meet and get to know each other.

Contact Maria Diemer at 815-394-5112 if you are interested in this opportunity.