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College Implements Emergency Alert System
A part of its overall emergency preparedness plan, Columbia has acquired an emergency alert system that can notify thousands of students, faculty, and staff immediately in the event of a crisis or urgent situation. Such emergencies might include imminent safety threats, unexpected building closures, or class cancellations due to inclement weather.
The system can simultaneously send alerts using email, phone calls, and text messaging. Members of the campus community have been urged to sign up for the system by providing contact information and delivery preferences. In November, the first test of the system was deemed a success, with approximately 99 percent of phone, email, and text messages successfully delivered within one to 15 minutes.
Comments (0)Three New Members Join Board of Trustees
Columbia’s board of trustees has named three prominent business leaders with strong ties to their communities as its newest members. The appointments of Lester N. Coney, Chester T. Kamin, and Paul R. Knapp this fall follow the election of two new trustees in May: Susan V. Downing and Barry M. Sabloff.
Lester N. Coney is executive vice president in the office of the chairman of Mesirow Financial, where he facilitates new business opportunities and maintains client relationships across several lines of business. He is board president of the DuSable Museum of African American History and founding chairman of the board of Congo Square Theatre. He also serves on the boards of several cultural and service organizations and has received numerous awards and honors for his work in community service and business leadership.
Chester T. Kamin, J.D., is a senior partner at Jenner & Block, LLP, where he has a business litigation practice that includes antitrust, intellectual property, real estate, and financial institutions litigation. Kamin has served on a number of charitable boards including Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Committee on Illinois Government, An Alliance for Action, and Sherwood Conservatory of Music. Kamin teaches at the University of Chicago Law School.
Paul R. Knapp is a senior executive with DST Systems, Inc., a publicly held, New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation offering information processing and computer software services to corporate and institutional customers. Knapp serves on the Local School Council for William B. Ogden Elementary School and is president of the board of Friends of Ogden. He is a member of the board and treasurer of Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre, and a supporter of many Chicago arts, political, and community activities, including a four-year college funding program for students in the Philippines through Children International.
President's Advisory Council Debuts
Columbia president Warrick L. Carter conducted the first meeting of the new President’s Advisory Council this fall. The council is an ad hoc body of leading figures in arts, fashion, and media industries, which will convene periodically to provide real-world counsel to the college about trends and opportunities in its members’ respective arenas of experience.
Members of the council include Peter Aronson, founding partner, Generate Holdings, LLC; Sherry Barrat, president, Personal Financial Services, Northern Trust; A. D. Frazier, chairman of the board/CEO, Danka Business Systems PLC; Catherine Hughes, founder and chair of the board of Radio One; Bill Kurtis, founder and president, Kurtis Productions; Ramsey Lewis, composer, pianist, and three-time Grammy award winner; Virginia Madsen, Oscar-nominated actress; Lewis Manilow, arts philanthropist and advocate, art collector, and real estate developer; Columbia alum Robert McNamara, retired CBS News correspondent; John Morning, president, John Morning Design; Paul Pressler, former president and CEO of The Gap; Gina Rugolo, president, Rugolo Entertainment; and Pamela J. Turbeville, CEO, Navistar Financial Corporation.
Trustee Among World's Most Influential Women
Forbes.com’s list of the “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” includes Columbia College Chicago trustee Renetta McCann as number 41. Ahead of her are American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (fourth); U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (twentieth); entertainment media mogul Oprah Winfrey (twenty-first); U.S. Senator and presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton; and U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (twenty-sixth).
McCann, who is chief executive of Starcom MediaVest Group, the largest media agency in the world, comes in ahead of Drew Gilpin Faust, president of Harvard University (number 47); First Lady Laura Bush (number 60); and Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of CBS Evening News (number 63).
We're Getting Greener: Columbia Recycles
Despite operating with little budget and no full-time employees, Columbia’s recycling program gathered about 180 tons of paper (360,000 pounds) and eight tons of commingled material (16,000 pounds of plastics, glass, and aluminum) from August 2006 through August 2007, the first year for which statistics are available. The college also recycled 476 pounds of alkaline batteries and 41 pounds of nickel-cadmium batteries.
Columbia’s recycling program began as a grassroots effort sometime in the early ’90s with students volunteering to pick up recyclables. John Wawrzaszek, a 2003 graduate of the radio department, took the program over in August of 2005 to make it more productive and effective. Wawrzaszek says the college has plans to increase the program, bringing in a consultant from a local waste management company to brainstorm ideas for different ways to recycle other forms of waste such as furniture, construction debris, and chemicals.
Wawrzaszek said he was impressed with the results so far, and optimistic participation would continue to rise.
Comments (1)Columbia Embarks on Re-accreditation Self-Study
All accredited colleges and universities are required to undergo a periodic, comprehensive review process to retain their accredited status. As Columbia approaches the 10-year mark since its last review by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), the college has launched a self-study evaluation to begin the re-accreditation process.
The self-study encompasses the entire spectrum of the college’s mission and function. A self-study committee comprising 33 members of the college community—including faculty, students, staff, and administration—is currently engaged in the extensive self-evaluation process in preparation for the spring 2009 visit by the HLC/NCA evaluation team.
An important part of this process involves gaining input and insight from all members of the college community through multiple forums and outlets. For information about the process and opportunities to be involved, visit the self-study website.
Comments (0)Columbia Gets Press: Center for American Places, Noted Publisher of Art Books
Leveraging the college’s image, vision, and continued ambition to contribute to the creative and cultural world, Columbia has signed an agreement of acquisition with the Center for American Places (CAP), an imprint known for its fine-art photography books.
The acquisition of CAP provides Columbia with the resource to publish books under its name. Renamed The Center for American Places at Columbia College Chicago, CAP is owned and operated by the college.
Provost Steve Kapelke considers this is a win-win situation for all, noting that the partnership will provide the college with another opportunity to “increase its impact on the creative and intellectual world” on a national level.
The publishing company has worked with Columbia since 2001, when George F. Thompson, founder and director of CAP, worked with Bob Thall, chair of photography, to forge an agreement to co-publish fine-art photography books. The first of these was Melissa Ann Pinney’s Regarding Emma: Photographs of American Women and Girls, published in 2003. Recent titles with connections to the college include Thall’s At City’s Edge: Photographs of the Chicago Lakefront (2005), Brad Temkin’s Private Places (2005), Scott Fortino’s Institutional (2005), and William Frederking’s At Home (2006).
Since its inception, CAP has published more than 320 books in subject areas including history, photography, geography, and creative nonfiction, winning more than 100 editorial honors along the way. Its first novel, The Great River by Chicagoan Charles Dee Sharp, is scheduled for release in 2008.
Comments (0)Fundraising Tops $13.5 Million
Fueled by substantial increases in government grants and giving by college trustees, Columbia recorded the best fundraising total in its history in fiscal year 2007.
According to Eric Winston, vice president of institutional advancement, the college raised more than $13.5 million in the fiscal year that ended on August 31, 2007. The figures are as yet unaudited.
Trustee giving jumped by $1.7 million, while government grants grew by $2.2 million. Corporate giving was up by $900,000. The increase in trustee giving may be associated with excitement surrounding the upcoming construction of the college’s first new-construction building, the Media Production Center, for which planning is currently under way.
New Student Spaces Constructed Campus-Wide
A slew of renovations around campus has resulted in modernized spaces, new services and resources for students, and operational efficiency for the college.
The 72 East 11th Street building, home to the theater department and the Getz Theater, now offers a box office for college-hosted plays. The student lounge, located on the lower level, was refurbished, and the Getz Theater, which seats about 375, was spruced up with new carpet and paint.
At 623 South Wabash, the first-floor lobby underwent a complete renovation, adding a “Database Center” where student workers assist other students with directions and answer questions about the school or its events. A projector displays student work above the elevators, and two modern lounges offer gathering spaces for students. Another area can accomodate student-organization activities such as bake sales, meetings, and other events. The adjacent Hokin Gallery has also been repainted and refurnished, and the Department of Art + Design has a new lab space.
At 731 South Plymouth Court, which is also a dormitory for Columbia students, a large, open student lounge has been constructed, including a stage that students can book for performances, open mics, readings, and lectures.
The building also includes a brand-new weight and fitness room, with a yoga studio and new lockers and showers. The new fitness center is close by the Student Health Center and Student Counseling Center, creating an overall Wellness Center for students.
Comments (0)New Dorm Opens; Record Number of Students Now Live on Campus
With the transformation of a historic, downtown building into a dormitory for Columbia students, the college now has over 2,600 students living on campus—about 22 percent of the total student population, and the highest number ever for the school.
Columbia converted The Buckingham, at 59 East Van Buren Street, into dormitories over the summer of 2007. Students moved into the apartment-style units before the academic year started, and construction on a twenty-seventh-floor common space, which offers a 360-degree view of the city, was completed later in the fall. Floors three to 26 have four or five apartments each, which include amenities such as high-speed Internet, basic cable, new appliances, and in-unit washers and dryers.
The building was built in 1930 by the Chicago-based architecture firm Holabird & Root. It became a nationally registered historic building by the National Park Service in 2000.
Comments (0)Carter Outlines Reasons to Eschew U.S. News Rankings
Adding his voice to those of a growing number of college and university presidents who are electing to forego the U.S. News & World Report college ranking process, Columbia president Warrick L. Carter wrote a letter to U.S. News last spring explaining his institution’s decision to stop participating in the rankings.
The survey is used to rank higher education institutions and assist college-bound individuals in choosing a college or university to attend. “The U.S. News rating system does not adequately reflect the impact or value of institutions that, like Columbia, open doors to the creative professions for vast segments of American society whose voices have long been muted by institutions and structures that perpetuate power and privilege,” Carter wrote.
The debate over the U.S. News ranking process has continued. On August 23, the Chicago Tribune published a letter from Carter that again outlines the college’s position on the issue, and its reasons for being critical of the U.S. News rankings. In September, Carter was invited by the Tribune's editorial board to speak with them about Columbia’s educational philosophy and generous admissions policy.
View the letter in its entirety here.
Comments (1)Students Create Smoke-Detector PSAs for Fire Department
When the Chicago Fire Department asked Columbia’s music department to come up with a jingle they could use to educate the public about smoke detectors, they were anxious to find alternative ways to get their message out to the people of Chicago. They were put into contact with faculty member Laurence Minsky, whose ad-agency classes have launched several successful campaigns for area non-profits.
“The smoke-detector campaign fit the mission for the ad-agency class perfectly,” says Minsky. “Having a real campaign for a real issue is such an important learning moment for my students. They can see the effects of their work and they are truly helping people at the same time.” For the class, students meet with clients, report back to their “agency,” and pitch and produce theme-based ideas for print ads, television commercials, and radio spots.
“Traditionally, smoke-detector campaigns soft pedal the issue with images of smiling children or instructional images of families installing smoke detectors in their homes,” says Minsky. “The Fire Department wanted to bring a more powerful message—something that would make them want to run out and either buy a working smoke detector or put new batteries in their existing home device.”
Showing the fires and devastation of the buildings was something the students felt very strongly about. The stories that are communicated in the images of this ad campaign come across loud and clear. One (see above) shows a black dog in front of a burnt-out house. Below the dog are the words, “This family of five didn’t have a working battery in their smoke detector. There was only one survivor.”
The ads appeared last summer and fall throughout Chicagoland on bus shelters and public transportation.
Comments (0)Faculty Member Is First Donor to the Alexandroff Legacy Society
As a music major performing at a Columbia commencement ceremony in the early ’70s, Albert “Bill” Williams listened to then-president Mirron “Mike” Alexandroff address the 800 or so in attendance. “I sat there and thought, the president of this college is hipper and more radical than the students,” says Williams. “I was so happy to be here.”
He still is. Williams, who graduated in 1973 and has taught at Columbia since 1985, is the first faculty/staff donor to the Alexandroff Legacy Society—a new giving society established to honor Alexandroff’s vision and recognize individuals who choose to remember the college in their estate plans.
“When I heard about the Alexandroff Legacy Society, I thought, this is great!” says Williams. “I wanted to do this for Mike, for his family, and for the college and the students. I’ve always considered the college my other family. I don’t have heirs of my own, so I’m happy to make the students my heirs.”
Eric Winston, vice president of institutional advancement, says he hopes Williams’ donation acts as a launching pad for more individuals within the college community to become founding members of the society.
“I believe this is one of the single most important gifts we have received since I’ve been here,” says Winston, who came to the college two years ago. “It’s so important because it demonstrates the commitment of our faculty and staff—our own ‘family’—to what the college is doing to establish a viable fundraising program.”
Faculty, staff and others can make contributions to the society in a number of ways, including naming the college as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan, committing to an irrevocable or testamentary pledge, or adding the college in a will or living trust.
“I’m so impressed with the changes and the growth in the college in the past 10 years,” says Williams. “I’m also impressed by the extent to which the college has stayed true to Mike Alexandroff’s vision of a cutting-edge, culturally, economically, and educationally diverse college. Aside from serving as a crucial long-term fundraising project, I hope the Alexandroff Legacy Society helps keep Columbia rooted in Mike’s vision.”
Price Family Presents Scholarship to Fashion Student
This year’s Vivian Price Fashion Design Award was given to graduating senior Erin Kaye Sanders. One of the few scholarships available for fashion design students, this award gives students $500 for fabrics and supplies to help complete their senior thesis. To be considered for the award, students must have senior status, possess a cumulative 3.0 GPA, and receive recommendation by the Columbia College award selection committee. Students must also be in the top 15 percent of their class, submit a portfolio of their work and complete an essay.
The award is named in honor of Vivian Price, who, along with her husband Milton, created two businesses in her time as a fashion designer. One focused on the design, production, and marketing of frames and other accessories for needle point, and the other was the creation of the Visorette, a sun-visor designed so as not to disturb women’s hair-dos.
Price was born in Chicago in 1914 and grew up in poverty. As a young adult, she became inspired to pursue a career in fashion after perusing shops along Michigan Avenue. She began her career in fashion design by creating children’s clothing.
Price, who passed away in 2004, was delighted that a scholarship would be established in her name to help make a difference in the lives of worthy fashion design students.
Sherwood Conservatory of Music Merges with College
The Sherwood Conservatory of Music, a community music school located three blocks from Columbia’s Music Center, has merged with the college. The merger will expand facilities and enable both institutions to maximize efficiencies in administrative and academic areas.
The conservatory operated as a college of music education during most of its history, but phased out its collegiate programs in 1986, shifting its focus toward being a community-focused institution specializing in meeting the music education needs of Chicago’s urban population.
Sherwood is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and offers a comprehensive program of music education for amateur musicians of all ages, as well as the opportunity for professional musicians and music educators to continue their educations. Three-quarters of Sherwood’s students are primary and secondary school age, and 60 percent of the student body consists of Asian, Latino and African American students.
Wind Power to Provide 30 Percent of Columbia’s Energy
The college has entered into a two-year agreement with Community Energy, Inc. to purchase 4,410 megawatt hours of electricity, approximately 30 percent of its annual usage, as Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) in wind power. Community Energy, Inc. is a nonprofit wind turbine farm developer.
The shift from traditional sources of electrical power to wind-generated power is expected to save the college about $1 million in energy costs over the next two years, in addition to upholding the institution’s increasing commitment to sustainable practices. The purchase also qualifies Columbia for membership in the Green Power Leadership Club, a national initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
College Names Two New Deans
This fall, Columbia welcomes Dr. Eliza Nichols as dean of fine and performing arts and Dr. Deborah Holdstein as dean of liberal arts and sciences.
Nichols has been vice provost at The New School in New York, where she oversaw faculty hiring, development, and promotion and the university curriculum, and played an active role in strategic planning the development of by-laws for The New School's eight divisions and schools, which include the Parsons School of Design, the Mannes Conservatory, and the Drama School.
Nichols’s previous positions include associate provost at The New School, director of the University Humanities Program, associate dean of Eugene Lang College (one of The New School's divisions), and director of student affairs and academic services. She has been associate professor of language and literature at The New School, and has held faculty positions at William and Mary University and Yale University. She earned Ph.D., M.Phil., and M.A. degrees from Yale University and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Holdstein comes to Columbia from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where she was chair of the English department. Previously, she taught at Governors State University, where she chaired the Graduate Council, held the position of faculty associate for graduate studies and research, and headed up the university's North Central re-accreditation process.
Her professional accomplishments also include a long involvement with both the flagship journal of Composition Studies, College Composition and Communication, which she has edited since 2005, and the Conference on College Composition and Communication. She has published and presented widely on scholarly subjects, ranging from literature to film studies.
Haskell Wexler Donates 'Hot-Head'
The film and video department is the recipient of a unique piece of film equipment courtesy of two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer, film producer, director, and Chicago native Haskell Wexler. Wexler donated a refurbished remote camera head known as a Hot-Head to the college.
The Hot-Head is designed to give camera operators the ability to manipulate camera movements by remote control. Wexler, among the first to utilize the equipment, had his original Hot-Head sent to Egripment USA, Inc., to see if it could be restored and donated to Columbia. While full restoration was not economically feasible, Egripment refurbished a Hot-Head of equal quality and donated it to the college on Wexler’s behalf.
Wexler’s relationship with Columbia dates back to the 1950s. In 1990, the college awarded Wexler an honorary doctorate degree.
Studio Gang to Design Media Production Center
Twenty-nine architectural firms from throughout North America competed recently for the opportunity to design Columbia’s Media Production Center, which will be the college’s first original-construction building. After reviewing multiple proposals, the college’s architectural selection committee chose a local firm—Jeanne Gang & Studio Gang Architects—to head the development.
Emerging as one of the most innovative architectural firms in the country, Studio Gang has designed a number of local buildings, including the Starlight Theater in Rockford (known for its unique movable roof) and the Chinese American Center in Chicago’s Chinatown.
At roughly 40,000 square feet, the Media Production Center will feature two sound stages, a motion-capture studio, and an animation lab. The building is proposed to be built at the southwest corner of 16th and State Streets on a vacant lot currently owned by the City of Chicago. The land sale to Columbia, allowing for the construction of the facility, is on its way to the Community Development Commission and the City Council for approval.
DEMO Receives CASE Award
DEMO magazine, after publishing just four issues, has received a 2007 silver medal in the College and University General Interest Magazines category from CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The award, part of CASE’s Circle of Excellence awards program, is considered among the most prestigious in the field. DEMO has also received top honors in both 2006 and 2007 in the American In-House Design Award program from Graphic Design USA.
The college’s 2006 President’s Report, created by the same team (Ann Wiens/editorial and Guido Mendez/design), received a gold medal in the Individual Institutional Relations Publications from CASE.
Critical Encounters to Address Poverty and Privilege
Last year the college launched its Critical Encounters initiative with a focus on HIV and AIDS, which aimed to raise awareness of the disease among both students and the community. In the coming year, the initiative explores a new topic: Poverty and Privilege. Cultural studies faculty member Stephanie Shonekan will serve as Critical Encounters Fellow for the 2007-2008 academic year.
During the first year of the Critical Encounters series, the college examined the effects of HIV and AIDS by looking critically at the history and current status of the epidemic through both public programs and curricula. Public events included exhibitions, performances, and lectures.
“Most people view civic engagement as simply voting or volunteering,” said Amy Hawkins, 2006-2007 Critical Encounters Fellow and English professor at Columbia. “It is and can be so much more than that. The Critical Encounters initiative gives students the opportunity to understand social problems at a very deep level, and provides them with some of the skills they need to take action and work toward constructive social change to help relieve those problems.”
Honorary Degrees for 2007 Awarded
A record-setting 2,500 students gathered at Navy Pier and received their degrees at Columbia’s 2007 commencement in May. But for three others receiving degrees that day, the experience was a little different.
The college awarded honorary degrees to three individuals whose work embodies the college’s goals, ideals, and spirit. The honorees included recording artist Dionne Warwick, screenwriter Army Bernstein, and Joe Adams, the manager and producer for Ray Charles.
College Launches Public Television Series
Students from the television department received hands-on experience last spring, as the college launched “MusiciansStudio,” a series of hour-long interviews with musicians and music-industry insiders. The program was taped before a live audience in the Music Center, and aired on local PBS station WYCC last spring.
Hosted by DownBeat magazine editor Frank Alkyer, “MusiciansStudio” featured interviews with punk rock pioneer Bob Mould, jazz trumpeter and conductor Jon Faddis, and blues singer Shemekia Copeland, among others. The program began production in March 2006.
The show’s one-on-one, conversational format offers an intimate look into the minds of these musicians, and insight into how they succeeded in the evolving and complex music business.
Columbia Gets a Second Life
Joining a list of other higher education institutions, including Stanford and Harvard, Columbia purchased a virtual island in Second Life, a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) populated by over five million registered users. Columbia used the virtual land to host a nine-story exhibition center that presented student films, time-based work and other interactive art in conjunction with the end-of-the-year urban arts festival, Manifest.
The project, dubbed Manifest SL, was sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs and headed by the Department of Interactive Arts and Media—which added a degree in game design in the spring of 2006.
Second Life is a three-dimensional virtual world where users create an avatar—a digital alter ego—and interact with others in a digital reality. The game also has a commerce component, conducted via the in-game unit of trade, the Linden dollar, which can be exchanged to U.S. dollars at online Linden dollar exchanges. In addition to the exhibition, Columbia activities “in world” have included publication of The Columbia Chronicle and a Spectacle Fortuna parade of costumed avatars.
New Trustees Join Columbia’s Board
This past year, the college welcomed five new members to its growing board of trustees. The members, each with distinctly different backgrounds, are Loranne Zeman Ehlenbach, Brent Felitto, Daniel McLean, Susan Downing, and Barry Sabloff.
Ehlenbach, former president of the Zeman Family Foundation, is the director of the John and Loranne Ehlenbach Foundation. She’s also the co-manager for Team E-I, a real estate development organization, and Team E-II, which specializes in intellectual property development.
Felitto manages William Blair & Company’s banking efforts. Having accumulated over 15 years of banking experience, he joined the Chicago-based investment firm in 1993 and worked in the corporate finance department.
McLean is the president and chief executive officer of MCL Companies, a construction and development firm he founded in 1976. MCL has developed retail stores and residential units in Chicago, as well as development projects in Denver and New York.
Downing is a philanthropist and has been a member of Columbia’s President’s Club since 2000. She’s also co-director of the Columbia College Parent’s Fund. Her son graduated from the college in 1999.
Sabloff served as executive vice president and head of the international group for Bank One, where he held numerous leadership roles throughout his 30-year career with the institution. He is the current vice chairman of the board of directors for Marquette National Corporation and Marquette in Chicago.
