Campus News

In honor of the 2025 International Day of Peace, the Rockford University Forum Series will host Dr. Danielle Lake, Associate Professor and Director of Design Thinking at Lake University, for a workshop called, “Prototyping Plural Pathways Towards Peace: Situating, Storying, and Slipping.”

Held in conjunction with “In the Spirit of Jane Addams: Global Dialogue, Social Change, and Community Engagement in the 21st Century,” an international conference at the University of Warsaw in Poland, this interactive workshop is an invitation to reimagine plural pathways towards peace. Dr. Lake will share research on effective social systems changemaking, highlighting powerful stories and promising strategies from visionary changemakers like Jane Addams, Grace Lee Boggs, and Arturo Escobar.

Join student participants across the Rockford University campus and around the globe as they come together to frame, explore, generate, prototype, and cultivate situated strategies that transform practices and policies, shift resource flows, reshape unjust structures, build relationships, and generate tipping points.

The workshop will take place on Monday, September 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m. in Rockford University’s Fisher Chapel.

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Media are invited to attend and must RSVP by Thursday, September 18. For further information and to RSVP, please contact Kayla Eddy, Rockford University Marketing Coordinator, at keddy@rockford.edu. 

On Wednesday, September 10, students, staff, and faculty of Rockford University will come together for a day of service in the Rockford community.

Held each year in honor of alumna Jane Addams, the day of service seeks to recognize the university’s commitment to community and remember the rich legacy Addams left behind. The day of service is organized each year by Rockford University’s Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement.

This year, students, staff, and faculty will be volunteering at over 25 community sites across the Rockford region, including Carpenter’s Corner, Ethnic Heritage Museum, Noah’s Ark, Winnebago County Forest Preserves, Rockford Public Library, Habitat for Humanity, Northwest Community Center, and Rock River Valley Food Pantry.

After serving out in the community, Rockford University will celebrate with a special birthday celebration for Jane Addams at noon in Regents Hall, Burpee.

Jane Addams Center Director Mary Weaks-Baxter describes the day as “an important opportunity for our campus to come together to give back to the Rockford community.” According to Weaks-Baxter, the day is “all about community building. It’s a chance for our staff, faculty, and students to work together as teams to accomplish tasks together and show RU’s commitment to the Rockford region.”
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For further information, please contact Kayla Eddy, Rockford University Digital Content and Web Marketing Coordinator, at keddy@rockford.edu.

As of July 2025, Rockford University–alongside ten other colleges and universities in the state of Illinois–has the distinct honor of being home to a chapter of the Tri-Alpha Honor Society. 

“Induction into Tri-Alpha is earned by outstanding academic achievement and provides an opportunity for personal growth, leadership development, and campus and community service for first-generation college students. The formation of this new honor society at Rockford University reinforces our commitment to support students who will be the first in their family to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Karen Walker, Dean of Student Support Programming. 

“Tri-Alpha, also known as Alpha Alpha Alpha, is a national honor society specifically designed to recognize and support first-generation college students. Tri-Alpha’s mission is to celebrate the academic achievements of first-generation college students, promote leadership development, and provide a network of support for these students. (https://www.1stgenhonors.org/home). 

“It’s wonderful that Rockford University now has an honor society to celebrate first generation college students!” said Dr. Elizabeth Davies, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We have always welcomed and supported students who are the first in their families to get a college degree, and now we have a way to formally recognize their academic achievements by inducting them into the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society. The Tri-Alpha Honor Society will help students distinguish themselves to employers as a motivated, smart, courageous student who accepted the challenge to get a college degree and persevered. I’m so thrilled we have this chapter on campus now.”

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For further information, please contact Kayla Eddy, Marketing Coordinator, at keddy@rockford.edu.

Rockford University is proud to announce plans to install a new multi-purpose turf athletic field. Funding for the new field will come from the State of Illinois’s Independent Colleges Capital Investment Grant, the same grant that funded construction of our new baseball and softball fields. Byrne and Jones Sports Construction will lead the project.

“We at Byrne & Jones Sports Construction are thrilled to partner with Rockford University on this exciting project, uniting our expertise with their vision to create exceptional facilities for student athletes. Together, we share a steadfast commitment to empowering these young champions, fostering their growth, and building spaces that inspire excellence, teamwork, and pride for generations to come,” said Joseph Schuit, Director of Sales at Byrne and Jones.

“At a time when many institutions are scaling back, we are investing boldly in our future,” said Rockford University President Dr. Patricia Lynott. “The installation of our new turf football/soccer field underscores our commitment to growing athletics as a key part of student life and campus pride. With the addition of a track program, and as the first college in the state to add Women’s Flag Football, we are proud to lead with vision, momentum, and opportunity.”

More details to come. 

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Please contact the Rockford University Marketing and Communications department, communications@rockford.edu, with any questions. 

Rockford University will hold its third annual business summit on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from 7:30-noon. This year’s focus is on the Greater Rockford region’s “Workforce Ecosystem.”

A workforce ecosystem is a dynamic and interconnected network of employees, contingent workers, industry partners, and educators who collectively contribute to an organization’s success. A dynamic “Workforce Ecosystem” flourishes when the environment is fostered by seamless collaboration among industry, education, and community organizations. This year’s panelists include: 

• Jim Derry, CEO, Field Fastener
• Angela Kay Larson, CEO, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce
• Mary Gaffey, VP of HR and Strategy, Etnyre International
• Jay Sandine, Executive Director, Rockford Park District
• Panel Moderator: Lesly Couper, President, Workplace Staffing

Registration for this event is free and includes breakfast, with an optional lunch for purchase. During lunch, a Networking Expo will provide an opportunity for B2B connections, networking, and informal conversations. 

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For further information, please contact Kayla Eddy, Rockford University Marketing Coordinator, at keddy@rockford.edu. 

On Saturday, May 10, Rockford University will hold its 171st Commencement Ceremony at the Coronado Performing Arts Center. The ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. and will be livestreamed simultaneously on the Rockford University YouTube channel. 

Speaking at the ceremony is Judge Joyce Williams Warren. Judge Warren is a retired judge for the Sixth Judicial District in Arkansas. She attended both Rockford College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), where she received a BA in sociology and anthropology in 1971. When she was only 11 years old, Judge Warren and nine other Black students were the first to integrate West Side Junior High School in Little Rock, AK. Judge Warren went on to be the first Black female graduate of the William H. Bowen School of Law and Arkansas’ first Black female judge. She began her career as a clerk at the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1977. She went on to serve in the Arkansas government in a variety of positions, and for a time was in private practice. In 1990 she was elected as a judge to the Sixth Circuit of Arkansas, where she served until 2020. In 2023 Warren was inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame.

“I am looking forward, eagerly, to giving the keynote speech for Rockford University’s 171st Commencement Ceremony,” said Judge Warren. “It is a great honor to be a part of—and a witness to—this historical event. Rockford University marked the beginning of my post-secondary education and helped prepare me for the personal and professional accomplishments I have been blessed to achieve.”

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For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Rockford University Marketing and Communications department, communications@rockford.edu.

Each year, Rockford University recognizes Denim Day to raise awareness about sexual assault and advocate for survivors. This year, Denim Day is being hosted by Lang Health and the Jane Addams Center, in collaboration with students for a class project.

On Wednesday, students will host a celebration for the University’s Flag Football team and will have game-like drills for attendees to participate in. By uplifting women athletes in a traditionally male-dominated sport, the event highlights the importance of empowerment, bodily autonomy, and creating spaces where all people, especially women and gender-diverse individuals, feel safe and supported.

Community partners will host tables to share resources with students and the larger campus community. There will be two clothesline installations to exhibit personal stories and messages of resilience, healing, and hope. Additionally, an art exhibit in Fisher Chapel with prints, poems, and personal stories will be displayed. 

The event will take place on Wednesday, April 30, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Sam Greeley Field. 

Learn more about Denim Day at denimday.org.

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For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Rockford University Marketing and Communications department, communications@rockford.edu.

On Tuesday, April 22, Rockford University will hold its annual Internship and Career Fair. The event will take place from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in Regents Hall in the Burpee Student Center. 

The fair gives students the opportunity to connect with 40+ companies and explore diverse career paths. While networking with potential employers, students will also have the chance to get a professional headshot taken and learn about on-campus job opportunities. 

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For more information and to RSVP, please contact the Rockford University Marketing and Communications department, communications@rockford.edu.