Category Archives: Staff

Stewart Named New Director of Student Activities

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Colin Stewart has been named the new director of student activities and leadership programs at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Stewart is currently the assistant director of student life at Franklin College Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland. He will begin his duties at Illinois Wesleyan on July 11, which will include overseeing student activities in the 33,000-square-foot Hansen Student Center, as well as the new Titan Leadership Program.

According to Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Kathy Cavins-Tull, Stewart “brings an energy and excitement for students and student programming that will well serve our campus community and enhance the established Hansen Student Center program.”

Pilot Program Promotes Student Leadership

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A pilot program at Illinois Wesleyan University aims to help students develop leadership skills by exploring personal values, ideas and strengths.

The Titan Leadership Program, which is run through the Division of Student Affairs, is considered the next step in helping students hone leadership skills, according to Dean of Students Kathy Cavins-Tull. “Through students and alumni surveys, we were hearing that students get a lot of content and knowledge in the classroom, but not enough experiences putting that into action,” said Cavins-Tull, who taught classes on leadership through the business administration and sociology departments from 2006 to 2009.

The semester-long program, which enlists 15 sophomores and juniors from campus, combines group discussions, one-on-one meetings, speakers and networking – all with the goal of developing leadership abilities. The inaugural class of the Titan Leadership Program will celebrate graduation on Friday, April 15 at 6 p.m. in the Turfler Room of the Memorial Center (104 E. University St., Bloomington).

“Leadership has usually been a self-guided process for students,” explained Interim Director of Student Activities and Leadership Programs Sara Schaller, who oversees the program. “A student might become president of an organization and only be able to look at what the last president did for guidance. That can be a stressful process. Students let us know they wanted something more in depth.”

With the help of gifts from alumni, the division was able to create the program, which works to build an individual’s strengths and explores ways to bring those strengths to an organization.

TCU Names Cavins-Tull Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Texas Christian University (TCU) announced today that Kathryn Cavins-Tull, Illinois Wesleyan University vice president for student affairs and dean of students, has been named as its new vice chancellor for student affairs. She will begin her new duties at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas on July 1.

“While I am sorry to be losing Kathy, I cannot help but feel happy for her taking this next step in her career. I am indebted to her for her active engagement in the life of students on this campus, for her efforts to strengthen all offices and programs in student affairs and for her invaluable contributions as a member of my senior leadership team,” said IWU President Richard F. Wilson. “TCU is a fine institution and I am confident that they will benefit greatly by having someone as talented as Kathy leading their student affairs area.”

How to Survive Finals Week

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – While children across America are “nestled all snug in their beds” having hung their stockings “by the chimney with care,” Illinois Wesleyan students are more likely to be found snuggling next to their fifth cup of coffee as they frantically memorize those last few equations and read the novels that seemed to have slipped away earlier in the semester in preparation for finals.

While some students rely on tradition and superstition to survive finals week, such as Jaclynn Sullivan, a junior psychology major, who eats an entire Papa John’s pizza before taking her first test or Sarah Carlson, a senior nursing major, who has used the same pencil on every final since her freshman year on campus, others look for techniques that are a little more conventional. Bob Rogers, mental health counselor at Counseling and Consultation Services, offers tips to help students achieve their final goals.

• Avoid stressful people

Some people feel more relaxed when they can get others around them to feel stressed or worry with them. Avoid these folks during exam week because they will raise your anxiety and you will become less productive in your study habits. You may even find yourself taking care of them.

• Do Not Procrastinate

Procrastination leads to nothing good. It also increases anxiety and makes you feel overwhelmed. Most people procrastinate because it is a way to avoid anxiety. Anxiety and procrastination go hand in hand. Logically we know that it is not a good idea to cram a whole semester’s worth of information into one night of caffeine induced studying. The way to overcome this is to plan ahead. Attack your hardest exam and seek resources to help you if necessary. Set a schedule and stick to this schedule. Practice the 3 P’s of time management – Prioritize (your hardest exam/or what is most important), Plan (set up a schedule to study) and Protect (stick to this schedule and do not allow distractions).

Alumna Takes Business Training into Operating Rooms

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Alumna Jennifer Van Dyke ’99 was recently featured for her work as a Process Improvement Leader at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH). An Economics and Business Administration double major while at IWU, Van Dyke applies economic methods known as “Six Sigma” to improve hospital outcomes.

NMH credits Van Dyke for assisting with reducing a hospital complication, known as deep vein thrombosis, by more than 50 percent hospital-wide last year. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in a deep vein in the body, often occurring in the lower leg or thigh. DVT can lead to pulmonary embolism and is potentially fatal.

In order to reduce the likelihood that patients will develop these blood clots, Van Dyke worked with a team of doctors, nurses and pharmacists to develop a hospital protocol to help prevent this complication. Van Dyke spent hours in the operating room observing surgeries to better understand the problem.

Stroyan Named as Candidate for ALA Presidency

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University Information Services Librarian Susan Stroyan has been named as one of two candidates for the 2012-13 presidency of the American Library Association (ALA).

Founded in 1876, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with members in academic, public, school, government and special libraries. It serves the more than 122,000 libraries in the United States, working to strengthen libraries, the profession, and the public’s access to information.

“I am honored, humbled, and excited at the possible opportunity to serve ALA as President,” said Stroyan. “I’m inspired by our colleagues around the country that have achieved high levels of success by leading their communities to new heights of library awareness in these difficult economic times.”

Heaton Named Starkey Award Winner

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University’s Document Delivery and Copyright Coordinator Tony Heaton was named the winner of the University’s Max. L. Starkey Service Award at the Fall Breakfast in the Young Main Lounge of Memorial Center on Friday.

The Starkey Award, established in 2001, is presented to a member of the University staff nominated by his or her peers for extraordinary service to the University. The award is named in honor of the late Max Starkey, a 1957 Illinois Wesleyan graduate who was University comptroller from 1957 to 1996.

In his role at The Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan, Heaton coordinates all print items requested by faculty, staff and students. According to University Librarian Karen Schmidt, Heaton works with as many as 13,000 requests and transactions per year.

In one nomination for the Starkey award, Heaton was described as “instrumental for scholarly activity.” Another cites that the “flawless execution of his duties take away a potential source of daily stress for many of us.”

Wellness Program Offers Life-Enhancing Activities, Services

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – In 1990, Missy Smock came to Illinois Wesleyan University with a dream and a promise, to create a wellness program that would provide activities and services that would afford life enhancement opportunities for faculty, staff, immediate family members and retirees of the University. Twenty years later, the program has spread to students, alums and employees of collaborating organizations who desire the holistic philosophy offered by the IWU Wellness Program.

“Wellness goes beyond the physical component, “ said Smock, director of the IWU Wellness Program. “Wellness is about finding different ways to create balance in the many aspects that make up one’s life. There will be peaks and valleys accompanied by the emotional rollercoaster that goes with the highs and lows. So, connecting with resources, social connections among other things, to gain this balance is the key to a more holistic approach to achieving life enhancement.”

Students Rethink Fraternity-Sorority Life at Leadership Institute

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life sent four Greek-affiliated students to the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI) during the months of June and July. The conference promoting fraternity and sorority leadership was held at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.

This year UIFI hosted 80 undergraduate students from seven different chapters, including IWU’s Kappa Delta (KD), represented by Kasey Evans ‘12, Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), represented by Jo Howard ‘12, Sigma Kappa (SK), represented by Kylene Wolfe ‘13 and Theta Chi, represented by Chris Strzemp ‘12. Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Blake Bradley also attended the institute as one of the facilitators of the breakout sessions.

As a part of the five-day program, the participants were asked to make a personal commitment to leadership by example in the hopes that they will positively affect their chapter, council and community. The sessions centered around the theme of re-thinking fraternity and sorority.

“UIFI is trying to help us re-think how we can improve fraternities and sororities,” said Bradley. “I think we are going to see some really positive changes in the fall because the students are returning from the conference rejuvenated and with a renewed commitment level.”

Ross Named Director of Multicultural Student Affairs

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Roshaunda Ross has been named the director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at Illinois Wesleyan University.

Ross, who has been with Illinois Wesleyan since 2006, served as interim director for the office over the past year. Before that appointment, she was a residence director on campus, overseeing two residence halls.

“Roshaunda brings to this position a passion for working with students and solid experience in student affairs administration,” said Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students Kathy Cavins.

Ross earned a master’s degree from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 2005, following completion of her undergraduate work at the University of Tennessee in 2003. She holds a certificate in Non-Profit Organization Fund Development awarded from the Indiana-Purdue University School of Philanthropy.

During her time at Illinois Wesleyan, Ross has been active with the Alternative Spring Break Program providing advisement, assistance with fundraising and participation in service trips since its inception. As the interim director of Multicultural Student Affairs, she has coordinated many activities and events, including those for Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month and the Illinois Wesleyan Summer Enrichment Program.

IWU News Blog

Headlines From Illinois Wesleyan University