The Exchange Club of Waterloo, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa Update

waterlooexch — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:12:27 +0000

Nancy Showers reintroduced UNI’s president, Dr. Ben Allen, who stopped by once again to give us an update on work the work at UNI. Dr. Allen visited us in April 2007, not too long after he had taken over in 2006 as UNI’s ninth president. At that time Dr. Allen gave us his early observations of UNI and outlined three broad goals he was thinking about: (1) to be known as an outstanding undergraduate institution; (2) for UNI to be seen as the go to leader for Pre-K through 12 education and (3) to provide assistance across Iowa in social, economic and cultural development. So, this was, in effect, a progress update on the work of implementing these goals.

First though, Dr. Allen began with the obligatory glance at the budget. Of course, he’s well qualified in that regard with his degrees in economics, including his doctorate. Dr. Allen summarized the financial issues this way. UNI funding has been reduced 25% since 2008 and they are expecting another 10% cut in FY2011. He reminded us of temporary layoff days the folks there are voluntarily taking. There have been cuts in benefits. A $100 tuition surcharge has been implemented. But probably the most noteworthy comment from that discussion was the quote from Winston Churchill that Dr. Allen used to frame the budget issue—”When you are going through hell, keep going.”





Dr. Allen told us that the new (since this past July) Provost, Gloria Gibson, is leading the effort of updating the 5 year strategic plan which will address the issues the University faces as a result of the difficult financial environment that appears to with us for an extended period of time. He said top look for major announcements to be rolled out in the near future…





Then Dr. Allen discussed actions underway in each of the three major goals. For the…outstanding under graduate program goal, he told us about UNI’s #2 rating in education in the Midwest for public education for the past 13 years. He went on to discuss the high regard the School of Business enjoys across the nation.

  In discussing the second goal …

Pre-K through 12 education, Dr. Allen described the active part UNI is playing in helping implement Iowa’s core curriculum project. He discussed the University’s role in collaborative efforts underway to improve math and science test scores across the state.





In the third goal area …community and economic development, Dr. Allen talked about the large number of businesses supported by the Institute for Decision Making led by Randy Pilkington. Plus a lot more.

Informative presentation by a seemingly very capable leader…

Exchangite Nancy Showers & UNI President Ben Allen

Awards

waterlooexch — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:57:25 +0000

Speakers

waterlooexch — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:56:31 +0000

Wild About The Child.

President-elect Glenda Husome introduced the program ―”Wild About the Child”, a fund-raising auction for the Wildwood Hills Ranch. Exchangite Jodi Verbraken and Lori McConville with the Barmuda Corp. are Co-chairs for the event which is scheduled for Friday, February 12.

Lori and Jodi showed us a video about the Ranch and the work being done there. Wildwood Hills Ranch is a 400 acre facility located in a scenic setting a few miles south of Des Moines. In operation since 2001, the Ranch serves at-risk and disadvantaged children from across the State of Iowa. Darren Beck is a friend of the founder of the organization and a big supporter.

Mary Lou Garcia, Executive Director of the Ranch and in her sixth year there, explained the program. She told us they focus young people on learning and practicing skills as well as behaviors in the areas of character, leadership and teamwork. They have children from the ages of 8-16 years in three different programs. She explained that the programs are progressive. Mary Lou said the participants start out at 8 years of age with a one week program. Following this first program, the children come back for longer, more advanced programs. The children in the more advanced programs work with the children in the beginning program. Mary Lou told us in conversation after the meeting that as many as 70% of the children at the camp at any given time are back for more advanced training.

The program is based on the premise that, in Mary Lou’s words “… children have everything in them they need to be successful, but they don’t have a chance in their environment.” She went on to describe the dysfunctional family environments we are all too familiar with that these children live in. At the Ranch, the children learn to break the cycle of dysfunction‖.

It works. Mary Lou quoted statistics from 40 children from the Des Moines schools involved in the Ranch for the past three years that showed a strong improvement in their behavior. The metric is Time Spent in the Principal’s Office. The first year they were involved in the Ranch program these 40 students were in the Principal’s Office 3,500 hours. The second year, 1,300 hours and 300 hours the third year.

Ranch website is here.

L to R: Lori McConville, Mary Lou Garcia and Jodi Verbraken

Fund Raisers

waterlooexch — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:54:48 +0000

Home Show
Sport Show
Rock & Roll Party II

Dick Cole has lined up the second annual Rock and Roll Party to be at the Electric park Ballroom on Friday, April 2nd from 7:00-11:00. Richie Lee is headlining the show again this year. In a new twist (sorry, couldn’t resist…), Mr. Cole is making arrangements for reserved seating.

Mollie Luze is considering a RAIN GARDEN project for this coming year.

waterlooexch — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:47:15 +0000

Kathy has set up the Exchange Club of Waterloo Blog as part of the web site for easy communications.
> The ecology committee will start to use the blog to interact about event planning, special interests web sites, and other points of interest.
>
> Presently the members of the ecology committee are:
> “Judy Estabrook” ,
> “Steve Harty” ,
> “Mollie Benning Luze” ,
> “Barb Berguam” ,
> “Charles Lott” ,
> “Richard king”
>
> I would like to have this committee membership participate with this blog.
> Kathy will help us with questions about blogging.
>

What we do.

waterlooexch — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:41:45 +0000

We give back to our community and aid others while enhancing the quality of the Cedar Valley.