April 2008

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Meg Rincker has been honored for her collaborative research on women’s pathways to political influence in new and developing democracies.

Rincker and her colleague, Candice Ortbals of Pepperdine University, were recently awarded the 2007 Carrie Chapman Catt Prize for Research on Women and Politics for their ongoing research studying the effectiveness of women’s organizations in countries with authoritarian histories, including Pakistan and Chile.

“Carrie Chapman Catt was one of the most charismatic leaders of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States,” said Rincker, who will use the $1,000 prize to continue surveys of women in Pakistan. “To receive an award in her name is a huge honor.”

The Catt prize, awarded annually for more than a decade, seeks to support research on women and politics in an ongoing effort to promote collaboration between political practitioners and academic researchers.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Illinois Wesleyan University has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, which will enable the University to implement an Advising Center on campus.

The Foundations, which concentrate on privately governed, four-year, liberal arts institutions, seek to support solid universities acknowledged for academic excellence.

The new Advising Center, which should be in place in fall of 2008, will provide a valuable resource for students and faculty, said Assistant Provost and Registrar Jeff Frick. “We are always looking for ways to make the experience of attending Illinois Wesleyan as smooth as possible.” The Office of the Registrar will oversee the new Advising Center. “This grant will enable us to offer more extensive help to our student population.”

The University will not be moving away from faculty-led advising, said Frick, rather it will support our faculty members in their knowledge of current requirements within departments. In addition, the University will institute a second-year advising program for students who have an undeclared major, which is modeled after the strong first-year advising program. “Faculty will still be very much involved in the process of helping students understand the academic programs,” said Frick. “The grant will allow us to hold workshops and training sessions which further sharpens our faculty members’ engagement in academic advising.”

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