A jumble of 25 voices fills the Panther Call Center. While it may sound muddled to the casual observer, ea ch voice is focused on one person, a special person, a UNI graduate, parent or friend.
The voices belong to a dedicated, enthusiastic group of UNI students who help secure gifts for the Annual Fund in the fall and the Dean’s Funds for Excellence in the spring. Funds support student programs, student activities, athletics, student services, programming and scholarships. Private funding is vital to the success of current and future students. The connection between students and alumni is priceless.
“It is a great benefit to students,” said Vicki Collum, director of annual giving. “Students receive valued advice for their careers and alumni stay connected to what’s happening on campus.”
Callers are well-versed on university issues as well as the mechanics of calling. Tracy Brown, program manager and UNI graduate student, trains students through role playing and active listening. Brown said, “I pair new callers with seasoned callers to listen and observe. Within two days, students are ready to ask alumni for support and to thank them for the great opportunities and experiences students receive because of their generosity.”
“Working at the Call Center helped me develop communications skills, which will help when I begin my teaching career,” said UNI elementary education major Jenny Bates. “It’s exciting to speak with alumni and I’m giving back to my university by raising funds for scholarships and other programs on campus.”
The University of Northern Iowa has received four grants from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Support from the Carver Trust will help UNI students in fields ranging from special education to nanoscience: $52,000 to create a Polymer Research and Materials Innovation Service Laboratory to support the work of UNI’s Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center as well as student research; $200,000 to support building a studio teaching laboratory within a planned Center for Education in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Lang Hall; $51,290 to expand the two-year-old Teaching of the Visually Impaired program; and $128,893 startup funds for the Professional Science Master’s degree in ecosystem management.
Community-University Partnership Basis of Koob Endowment Fund
To honor retired University of Northern Iowa President Robert Koob’s dedication to building relationships between UNI and the community, an endowment fund is being created through the UNI Foundation. The Robert and Yvonne Koob Fund for Student Community Engagement will support student internships that may be served with non-profit organizations, city, county or state agencies or with one of UNI’s outreach programs.
In his 11-year presidency at UNI, Koob emphasized the collaborative relationship between the university’s responsibility to serve its home community and the ability of the community to provide students and faculty rich resources for learning.
“We are seeking funds that will permanently support community engagement experiences,” said Bill Calhoun, vice president for university advancement.
The endowment goal is to support several internships with stipends ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, which will require a fund of $300,000. In support of the fund, The R.J. McElroy Trust has offered a challenge grant for which every $4 in community contributions will be matched with $1 from the trust.
Koob served on numerous local organization boards during his tenure at UNI, including the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and the Waterloo Development Corporation. He also was one of the founders of Cedar Valley’s Promise. For more information, visit www.uni-foundation.org, or call 319-273-6078.
New University Vision Fund
The future of the university will be shaped by the commitment of today’s visionaries—alumni and friends who enable it to thrive and excel in the future. These special people can make unrestricted bequests or outright unrestricted gifts of more than $10,000 to the University Vision Fund.
The Fund, a flexible interest-earning account that will grow over time, can be used to support a variety of purposes, including scholarships, program enhancements, faculty and facilities. Trustees of the UNI Foundation, in consultation with the university’s president and vice presidents, may periodically allocate money in the Fund to the areas of greatest university need or opportunity. This kind of endowment has become the hallmark of a great university and a vital resource guaranteeing its future excellence. To learn more about the University Vision Fund, visit www.uni-foundation.org.
UNI Athletic Club Renamed Panther Scholarship Club
The UNI A thletic Club has changed its name to the Panther Scholarship Club to better reflect its mission, which is to raise money to assist the athletic department in providing scholarship support for student athletes. For more information, visit
www.unipanthers.com/psc. |
