Thanks to a gift from Richard Small ’50 and honorary alumna Norma Small, the staff in Alumni and College Advancement relocated from Old Sem to the Paul K. Scott Alumni Center at Rood House. Other offices in Old Sem have shifted so that only one-third remain in their former locations in the building. Phone numbers have not changed.

These moves are the first phase of a plan to improve student services by pulling together in closer proximity basic student services. Here is a list of building changes, with new office locations in bold:

Old Sem
First floor: Student Affairs Office, Registrar’s Office, Cashier, Shannon Amundson/Student Accounts & Loans, Residence Life Staff of Chris Wiltgen and Judy Goetschius, Susan Minger/Academic Advising.
Second floor: President’s Office, Special Assistant to the President, Dean of the College, Gayle Luck/Associate Dean, Human Resources, International and Off-Campus Studies, and Institutional Research.
Third floor: Business Affairs Office (except for cashier and student accounts, which remains on first floor), Chaplain’s Office.

Ebersole
Campus Safety has moved from Bowman-Carter Hall.

Paul K. Scott Alumni Center at Rood House:
Main House, first floor: Alumni Office
East House, first floor: Office of College Communications
Main/East House, second and third floors: Development staff

The student, who is in isolation now and will leave campus today to return home, was recently in an area within the United States that has reported confirmed cases of H1N1. Close contacts of the student have been notified.

It is important to note that most cases of H1N1 have been similar to a mild seasonal flu lasting less than a week. The student is expected to recover fully. Should any student experience flu-like symptoms, please seek medical attention by contacting the Student Health Center or a physician of your choice immediately.

Public health officials do not recommend quarantining people who have been in contact with persons with H1N1. The Center for Disease Control has recommended campuses not be closed, and Cornell will continue to follow the advice from the Iowa Department of Public Health in conjunction with the CDC. We will monitor the situation, but do not anticipate closures or cancellations at this time. Updates will be posted on the Web site as necessary.

Students should take general precautions, including  good hygiene and avoiding others with respiratory illnesses.

Any questions can be directed to Jill deLaubenfels, Director of Student Health Services, at x4292, jdelaubenfels@cornellcollege.edu.

Garner posits that the new economic reality facing the country will have lasting impact, on Cornell and on the nation. Working within that framework will take the support of alumni, friends, faculty, and staff alike. The message also addresses the specific changes Cornell will take in order to meet these pressing challenges.

Message to the Cornell Community
March 2009

Several months ago I wrote to you about the college’s well-being in these challenging times. It is clear that we are facing a recession unlike any we have encountered in decades. In this letter I report on the continuing impact of the downturn on the institution and the steps we are taking to ensure the viability of the college.

Like every other institution of higher learning, Cornell is facing a new economic reality. Our endowment declined by 30 percent during 2008, and current giving to the annual fund is, to date, lower than expected. Together, endowment income and annual giving account for 24 percent of our 2008-09 operating budget.

Applications for next year are strong, and student retention appears to be on a par with recent years. However, even if we meet our enrollment goals, we expect that our operating revenue will be no greater than in the current year. We have announced an increase of tuition and fees of 5.75 percent, which, with a modest increase in enrollment, is only enough to make up for the loss in endowment income and for needed increases in financial assistance. To accommodate other increases in costs, many of which are beyond our control, we anticipate making reductions in the range of 3-5 percent in most areas of the budget.

As we make these difficult choices, our commitment to the quality of teaching and learning on campus remains strong. The education of our students will always be our first priority. To the extent that we are able to strengthen the quality of teaching, for example in the addition of two new members of the full-time faculty, we are doing so by making reductions in other areas.

I am encouraged by the fact that the Extraordinary Opportunities Campaign continues to make progress toward its goal of $92 million. The pace of that progress has slowed in recent months. We now have $87 million in commitments and believe that we can reach our goal by the target date of December 2009. Many of the gifts to the endowment have been pledged to be paid in future years, giving us the opportunity to benefit from the recovery in the financial markets.

We continue to make progress on major facility projects funded through the campaign. Students moved into a renovated Pfeiffer Hall in January, and work is under way on the renovation of Rood House. Additions and renovations to The Commons will not be undertaken until we have pledges to cover the costs of the project and sufficient cash in hand to minimize the impact on the operating budget of any interim financing.

I believe that the financial plans we are developing in concert with the Board of Trustees will allow us to emerge from this crisis as a strong institution. Our commitment to our students will not waver, but we will need the continuing support of the full range of our alumni and friends to sustain that commitment. Thank you for all that you do for this wonderful institution.

Les Garner
President

For more information on how you can help, visit our giving page.

“I’m excited about the new position and am looking forward to beginning my work at Cornell and Cole Library,” said Whisler. “Our family looks forward to living in Mount Vernon and being part of this wonderful community.”

Whisler’s husband, Bruce, is a trumpeter and music instructor. Their daughter, Katherine, is nearly 7 and “looks forward to second grade in her new school,” said Whisler.

Whisler earned a B.A. in music at Earlham College, an M.A. in music at Pennsylvania State University, and an M.L.S. at Indiana University. She has held administrative positions in libraries the past nine years, and currently serves as the assistant director of library services and reference librarian at Southern Wesleyan University in Central, S.C.

Greg Cotton served as interim college librarian while the search was undertaken.

The article concerned the usefulness of Pell Grant funding in the stimulus bill. Some opponents of the stimulus package have argued that Pell Grants, among other things, are an example of “non-stimulative spending.” Garner sees things differently.

“In this environment, $500 makes a big difference,” Garner was quoted as saying. The article further quoted Garner saying that many students are “at the margin” of college affordability.

“Pell grants are going to be spent right away,” added Garner, while also pointing out that fewer students able to afford college could lead to layoffs accross the board in higher education.

The article can be found online by subscription only, or in the print edition of the Feb. 5 Congressional Quarterly.

Over 1,000 entries were submitted by member institutions of CASE District VI in six Midwestern states. Cornell tied with Avila University for the comprehensive Sweepstakes Award for the most awards received by a college with 1,000 to 2,999 students. Winning entries were:

Gold in Fundraising Brochures/Publications for a series of campaign case statements

Silver for Alumni Web Sites for the Alumni Web site

Silver for Electronic Newsletter for Alumni

Bronze for Single Web Page for the Cornell homepage

Bronze for CD/DV for the Extraordinary Opportunities campaign video

Bronze for President’s Report/Annual Report

Communications Director Dee Ann Rexroat co-presented on Web site redesign at the conference.

CASE is the professional organization for professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.

“The corridor is like six degrees of RJ. Need to meet someone? Start with him,” offers the article in the January 21 issues of Hoopla.

To view the entire article, visit hooplanow.com.

Darrell Aaron ‘05 was pictured and quoted in the article that discussed this leap forward in recruiting tactics, a leap in which Cornell is leading the way as “one of few colleges or universities in Iowa using the webcam technology for admission interviews,” according to the article.

“As a small college we really like to personally connect with students,” said Jonathan Stroud, dean of admission. “They are able to see each other and we think, as a result, relate a little bit more to one another as real people.”

To read the full text of the article, click here.

Residence Halls
Residence Halls will close at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and reopen Sunday, Jan. 4, at 9 a.m. Students will not be able to enter Residence Halls during winter break. Questions? Contact Residence Life, x4113.

Scramble
Regular hours through Lunch on Friday 12/19.
Dinner 12/19 5:00pm – 5:30 p.m.
Saturday 12/20 Breakfast 8:00a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Service will resume on Sunday 12/4 – Brunch – 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Rathskeller
The Rathskeller will close at 1:00 p.m.  Friday 12/19.
We will resume normal business hours on Monday January 4th.

Bookstore
Sat., Dec. 20 Sun., Dec. 28 Closed
Mon., Dec. 29 Wed., Dec. 31 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 1 Closed
Fri., Jan. 2 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Cole Library
Fri., Dec. 19 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 20 Sun., Dec. 28 Closed
Mon., Dec. 29 Wed., Dec. 31 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 1 CLOSED
Fri., Jan. 2 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 3 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 4 noon–4:30 p.m.

The Commons and Fitness Center
Sat., Dec. 20 8 a.m.–noon
Sun., Dec. 21 Sun. Dec. 28 Closed
Mon., Dec. 29 Wed. Dec. 31 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Thur., Jan. 1 Closed
Fri., Jan. 2 7:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 3 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 4 10 a.m.-midnight

The Info Desk
Sat., Dec. 20 8 a.m.–noon
Sun., Dec. 21 Thurs. Jan 1 Closed
Fri., Jan. 2 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sat. Jan, 3 TBA
Sun., Jan. 4 10 a.m.-midnight

Hilltop Fitness Weight Room
Sat., Dec. 20 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 21 1–9 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 22–Tues., Dec. 23 6–9 a.m., 11 a.m.-noon, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 24–Sun. Dec. 28 Closed
Mon., Dec. 29–Tue., Dec. 30 6–9 a.m., 11 a.m.-noon, 5:30–8 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 31– Thur., Jan. 1 Closed
Fri., Jan. 2 6–9 a.m., 11 a.m.-noon, 5:30–8 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 3 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (Arena closed)
Sun., Jan. 4 1-8:30 p.m. (Arena closed)
Mon., Jan. 5 Resume regular hours

Garner stresses that the college’s core values will not change in the face of national economic instability. Furthermore, he states that, while the college may be faced with difficult challenges ahead, “our commitment to teaching, learning, and the liberal arts will not waver. With the confidence and support of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends, this institution has overcome greater challenges than the current crisis, and together we can overcome this challenge as well.”

The text of the letter follows:

Message to the Cornell Community
November 2008

Recent global economic upheaval has raised concerns for all of us regarding personal and institutional well- being. I want to assure you that the President’s Council and Board of Trustees are monitoring the situation closely and are taking steps to ensure the stability of the college’s financial base and sustain the quality of our programs. While not immune to turmoil in the financial markets, Cornell College is positioned to weather the current crisis if we carefully steward our resources.

First, we are making every effort to help students and families finance their education. Last spring we restructured the financial assistance packages of 200 returning students in response to problems in the student loan market. We also are working closely with our entering students to ensure their ability to attend Cornell.

In the recent past we have experienced steady growth in enrollment. Enrollment is up over previous years, and applications for next fall are ahead of last year at this time. Admission is redoubling its efforts to engage a large pool of prospects and to recruit another strong class of students. Our Admission staff needs the support of the entire community to make certain these efforts bear fruit. Retention of current students is also crucial. By national standards, Cornell’s retention rate is high, and we must strive to retain this by providing extraordinary opportunities that keep our students engaged. In the coming years the retention of our student body will be that much more important, not only for the good of the students, but for the health of the college.

In recent years Cornell has enjoyed strong performance in endowment earnings. However, like many of our peers, we have experienced a downturn in our endowment levels this fall. As a revenue stream, the endowment provides just less than 10 percent of our operating budget, but these losses will have an impact on the campus.

We have taken and are taking steps to minimize this impact. In the spring we refinanced our debt in order to reduce our annual debt service payments. We plan to control and reduce spending for the remainder of the year and the following year, striving to do so with minimal effect on the student experience.

As part of the Extraordinary Opportunities campaign, we are completing capital projects that are fully funded by donations restricted for those buildings. Because of gifts earmarked for Pfieffer Hall, the Luce Admission Center at Wade House, and the Paul Scott Alumni Center at Rood House, those projects are either completed, in process, or soon to start. We continue to raise funds for The Commons and King Chapel.

Though the immediate future may be fraught with difficulty, the state of the college is strong, and our commitment to teaching, learning, and the liberal arts will not waver. With the confidence and support of alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends, this institution has overcome greater challenges than the current crisis, and together we can overcome this challenge as well.

Les Garner
President

Christ-Janer served as Cornell’s president from 1961-1967. During his tenure he shepherded the construction of more campus structures than any previous administration, including four residence halls—Dows, Pauley, Tarr, and Rorem—The Commons, the maintenance building, and Ink Pond.

“It really saddened me to hear of his passing,” said Terry Gibson, Cornell senior vice president (pictured at left are, left to right, Carey Downs-Gibson, Arland Christ-Janer, and Terry Gibson), who began his career at the college working as Christ-Janer’s assistant in 1961. “He made this college a stronger, more stable Cornell.”

He also oversaw the largest single gift to the college up till that time—a $1,400,000 Ford foundation Grant—that facilitated a major restructuring of the curriculum. Under his leadership the college experienced growth in its endowment, student body, and faculty, and strengthened its relationship with the Methodist Church.

“Arland Christ-Janer was a great president, a great leader, and a great friend to Cornellians. His passing is felt by us all,” said Cornell President Les Garner.

“He made an enormous contribution to every institution he served. He was always curious, always generous, and he inspired great confidence among those with whom he worked,” added Garner.

After leaving Cornell, Christ-Janer went on to serve as president of Boston University, the College Entrance Examination Board (which oversees tests including the SATs), New College, Stephens College, and later as interim president at Ringling College.

Christ-Janer returned to campus in 1999 to receive Cornell’s highest award, the honorary degree doctor of humane letters.

He is survived by his wife, Uta.

“We’re fortunate to be a part of this broad affiliation of Methodist institutions with a common heritage of access to higher education,” said Garner. “IAMSCU allows us to network with over 750 like-minded institutions around the world to better serve our students.”

Cornell College, established in 1853, is a Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college best known for its innovative One-Course-At-A-Time calendar, where students take one course each month.

“President Garner actively sustains and enriches Cornell’s relationship with The United Methodist Church in Iowa, nationally, and globally,” said Fr. Catherine Quehl-Engel, Cornell College chaplain. “His involvement with IAMSCU expands this commitment by tapping global United Methodist Church connections to include service learning opportunities for our students around the world.”

President Garner also serves on the boards of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges (IAICU), the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission, as well as the Board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). He has served as Chair of the Board of the NAICU, ACM, IAICU, and of the Iowa College Foundation. He is Past-President of the Board of the Cedar Rapids Symphony and Past-Chair of the Board of the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.

IAMSCU was established at the 16th World Methodist Conference in Singapore in 1991. At present, there are 775 Methodist educational institutions around the world. The vision of IAMSCU is to develop a dynamic, worldwide network of member institutions, resulting in effective inter-institutional cooperation and collaboration to prepare a new generation of leaders.

Among the highlights of the interview was Garner’s take on the advantages of Cornell’s unique calendar:

“We have the opportunity to create truly unique learning opportunities for a wide variety of students, both on and off campus. For example, we can teach ocean geology and biology in the Bahamas, and we do.  We use our calendar and its competitive advantage when we’re recruiting in and out of Iowa.  It’s a great point of distinction. As a bonus, it adds luster to cornell college in the eyes of high achievers, self-starters and people who flourish in collaborative learning environments,” said Garner.

The Greentree Gazette is a business magazine focused on higher education.

The first of the three-part interview, which covers the basics of what defines Cornell – from One-Course-at-a-Time to the close working relationship of faculty and students – can be read in full here.

The second part, on Cornell students and U-CAN, can be found here.

The third and final part, on stakeholders and endowments, among other topics, can be read here.

In the piece, which is part of an issue on politics and education, Garner highlights areas of higher education which are often glanced over in an election season.

“Many of the policy makers who will populate the next administration are now working in or close to the presidential campaigns,” said Garner. “We should be taking the messages of hope and partnership to them and to the two presidential candidates, explaining what we can do and suggesting what the next administration should do to make sure that our students are the best-educated in the world.”

The whole piece can be read online at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Karen currently works as a consultant and has served as vice president of business and administrative services for Graceland University for three years.  Additionally, Karen brings many years of experience in other senior finance roles. She attended Graceland College for three years and completed her bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA at Texas Christian University.  Karen is a certified public account and a certified treasury professional.

Since NAICU unveiled U-CAN on Sept. 26, 2007 -  with Cornell College President Les Garner providing leadership as NAICU’s chair – with 600 private colleges and universities on board, the number of participating institutions has grown by 19 percent.

NAICU has 953 member schools, which enroll 85 percent of all students attending private colleges and universities in America.

With a design driven by consumer focus groups, the U-CAN site has been lauded for its rich and consumer-relevant information, and colorful, user-friendly format—by students, parents, college admissions counselors, and policymakers. Since U-CAN went live, more than 358,000 users have visited the site, viewing more than 850,000 pages.

NAICU also announced that U-CAN “2.0″ will be launched in mid-September 2008, improving on a college search tool already noted for providing objective, comparable data on the factors that matter most to consumers: student costs broken out by category, tuition trends, admission and graduation rates, average student aid packages, average debt at graduation, and much more.

Site enhancements—growing out of user comments and focus groups with parents and students—will make it among the most searchable websites of its kind. The improved site will also provide guidance on how to prepare academically and financially for college, find the right fit, and navigate the admissions and financial aid processes. NAICU is exploring the development and addition of a new element that would allow consumers to see how colleges are spending their tuition dollars.

NAICU serves as the unified national voice of independent higher education. With more than 1,000 member institutions and associations nationwide, NAICU reflects the diversity of private, nonprofit higher education in the United States. They include traditional liberal arts colleges, major research universities, church- and faith-related institutions, historically black colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, single-sex colleges, two-year colleges, and schools of law, medicine, engineering, business, art, and other professions.

Visit NAICU at NAICU.org.

See Cornell’s UCAN page here.

Meanwhile, Brenda Tooley, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college since July 2005, is on leave pursuing other opportunities.

“We appreciate what both Mark and Bren have done for Cornell,” said Cornell President Les Garner. “Mark has done a wonderful job as chief financial officer and this is a terrific opportunity for him. Bren has brought a fresh and enthusiastic perspective to academics at Cornell and I wish her the best in her endeavors.”

Prior to Cornell, Zinkula was Global Head of Fixed Income at AEGON. The Mount Vernon native and his wife, Terri, will maintain their Mount Vernon home.

“It has been very rewarding to be part of the Cornell community during this period of tremendous positive momentum,” Zinkula said.

Tooley arrived on campus from Colorado College where she was acting dean.

“It has been an honor to be a member of the Cornell community,” Tooley said. “I have enjoyed working with departments and individuals on the many things Cornell has underway—especially curricular initiatives such as study abroad and civic engagement, and the expansion of internal funding for faculty development. Mike and I have made good friends here and will remember Cornell with great fondness. I wish the college community all the best.”

Since 2001, Cochrane has served as the first full-time commissioner of the IIAC. He was formerly with the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) in various positions, including Assistant Director of Championships where he was responsible for directing and coordinating NCAA championships in all three divisions from 1999-2001. Cochrane also served as Membership Services Representative and Enforcement Representative in the NCAA National Office.

“We are thrilled to have John at Cornell,” Cornell President Leslie H. Garner said. “He’s strongly committed to our athletics program, the quality of life on campus, the student-athlete, and our community.”

Cochrane has been an instructor in sports law, marketing and management at Cornell since 2003. He will begin his new duties June 16.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to be more directly involved in the day-to-day development of young men and women. This is something very important to me and is really the foundation for why we all pursue educational-related careers,” Cochrane said. “I’m convinced there is an institution-wide commitment to the improvement of success in athletics. There is no quick fix to turn around a Division III program. It will take a lot of work to attract the student-athletes we need at Cornell. I hope to build on the momentum from a facilities stand point that has been established the last two years. I believe there are a lot of exciting opportunities down the road.”

Cochrane replaces Dick R. Simmons, who has been Cornell’s Interim Director of Athletics since August 2007.

Cochrane is a member of the Mount Vernon school board, and was formerly chair of the NCAA Championships Committee, and the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel.

The conference will begin with an introduction from Cornell President Leslie H. Garner, followed by a question and answer session for the media. A campus welcome reception will be held at 12:30 p.m. in The Commons.

Dimitrov (left, seated), who was pictured in the article, is a former Cornell Fellow at Rockwell Collins who was hired by the company at the conclusion of his Fellowship. He’s one of a number of Cornell Fellows who have found employment with the same company.

Holmes, the director of the Fellows program, was quoted as saying, “I enjoy and feel fortunate to work with the students by getting to see students blossom and come back more energized, motivated, focused and matured.”

To read the article visit: The Corridor Business Journal

To learn more about Cornell Fellows visit: Cornell College Fellows

As a member of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Strategic Planning Commission, Rexroat championed the group’s top recommendation, which was to create a joint identity for the two communities. She became founding president of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Marketing and Tourism Board, which created the joint identity “Close to you, far from ordinary.” In 2007, the Tourism Board combined with four other civic organizations to form the Community Development Board, which applied for and was accepted into the Main Street Iowa program in March.

“Dee Ann has a strong sense of volunteerism which can be characterized as being dedicated, and consistently committed to quality,” said Chamber president Jennifer Miller at the awards banquet April 16.

Rexroat serves locally on the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Board and the Red Cedar Chamber Board. She also serves the Annapolis Group, a consortium of national liberal arts colleges, on its Public Relations Committee. Previous board service includes the local Chamber of Commerce, the Cedar Rapids History Center, and two terms as president of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon League of Women Voters.

Rexroat arrived in Mount Vernon in 1978 as a Cornell student. She left town briefly after graduation to pursue graduate studies at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and begin a decade-long career at the Cedar Rapids Gazette as an arts and entertainment writer, editor and music critic. In 1985 she moved back to Mount Vernon, and in 1994 she returned to work at Cornell.

Other awardees were Big Creek Market for Business of the Year, Beryl O’Connor of Lisbon for Above and Beyond the Call, and the Mount Vernon High School for its national Blue Ribbon award.

At issue is the “fight between federal officials seeking to hold colleges more accountable from the outside and college officials who prefer methods of assessment that focus on internal improvement,” writes reporter Doug Lederman.

Garner is a board member of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the country’s largest regional accrediting association. In the article, he said that while accrediting agency pressure helps colleges improve their performance, demands from the feds are less effective.

“I worry sometimes that with all the time and energy we spend collecting data, we’re going to spend more time collecting it than using it to improve ourselves,” Garner said.

The full article can be found at insidehighered.com.

MOUNT VERNON — Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admission Jonathan Stroud was featured in Inside Higher Ed discussing the recruitment of rural students.

The article details the struggles with recruiting and retaining rural students as an “underrepresented population.”

Stroud comments on the difficulties inherent in recruiting rural students, as well as the tendency of rural students to attend nearby public institutions.

The full article can be found at insidehighered.com.

“I think we’re all trying to look and see if we are positioned with the strongest, most attractive, programs given the students we’d like to attract. And if you look at the marketing data for what programs students are interested in, business is always at the top of the list,” said Garner in the article.

The article highlights the Berry Center as an example of a non-degree program that grounds students in business principles. Garner is quoted as saying the program has been an “unprecedented success.”

To read the full article, visit businessweek.com.

To read more about the the Berry Center, click here.

“For some people, organized religion just doesn’t speak to them or work for them. They’d rather create their own thing,” she said in the article.

Quehl-Engel was pictured on the front page of the Accent section of the paper.