- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff exceed national fundraising average in Campus Campaign

John Hill — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 15:39:02 +0000

More than 50 percent of faculty and staff members at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock contributed to the 2019 ALL IN Campus Campaign. Nationwide, just 25 percent of college employees give to their institutions. Participation increased from 46 percent in 2018 to 53 percent in 2019. More than 650 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees rallied together to raise more than $321,000 through the campus campaign.�� “This year’s campaign brought an exciting level of interest, and it was wonderful to hear so much discussion around campus on the importance of supporting our university,” said Dr. David Montague, a faculty member of the Campus Campaign Steering Committee. Chancellor Christina Drale set the tone for the campaign during University Assembly in September, when she announced a personal donation of $25,000 to create an endowed scholarship to support the university’s Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence (ATLE). Shortly following that proclamation, Chancellor Drale decided to match all gifts from first-time donors dollar for dollar up to $1,000. Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement, pledged the same. Through this matching initiative, 41 first-time donors gave gifts totaling more than $3,000.

Members of the Office of the Chancellor receive tote bags after participating in the Campus Campaign.

“I witness the impact annual giving has on our students every day,” said Anthony Buttrum, scholarship coordinator and campus campaign ambassador. “Most of our students are in financial need, and I am proud to help support them as they pursue their degrees. I am grateful that our department as a whole was able to support students and the university this year through the campus campaign.” The real demonstration of unity was realized when faculty and staff members rallied to support Helping Hands, an annual Staff Senate campaign that provides holiday gift baskets for those in need. Through both the donation of canned goods and monetary contributions, many families were provided with food baskets to ensure they had a warm meal over the holidays. “Because of the outpouring of Trojan Spirit, 50 families were able to receive help during the holidays,” said Rosalie Shahan, chair of the Staff Senate Helping Hands Committee. “I’m so grateful for a campus that comes together to meet such an important need. I hope that next year we will be able to meet the need again!” �� Members of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Department of Public Safety were among 19 departments to achieve 100 percent participation for the campaign. The department went all in and donated canned goods to the Trojan Food Pantry. Collectively, they donated more than 20 pounds of food to assist students and staff members who experience food insecurity.�� “This campus is like my second home, and the faculty, staff, and students here are like a second family to me,” said Shawna Diaz, a member of the Campus Campaign Steering Committee. “It is very rewarding to be a campus campaign ambassador and to volunteer on the campus campaign steering committee, while also pledging my personal support to the Trojan Food Pantry and the Helping Hands Program. I am proud to be able to contribute in part to the mission of the institution and also to assist fellow co-workers and, most importantly, the student body.”

Study Abroad staff members Leslie Parker, left, and Emily Bell, right, receive tote bags after donating to the Campus Campaign.

Departments with 100 percent participation received reusable ��Vlog��ý Little Rock canvas tote bags. They include Alumni and Development, Business Micro Computer Lab, Chancellor’s Leadership Corps, Chancellor’s Office, College of Arts, Letters, and Science’s Dean’s Office, Counseling Services, Facilities Management – Engineering, Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education, Mail Services, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Office of Military Student Success, Office of Title IX, Office of Transfer Student Services, PEAW First Year Experience, Public Safety, STEM Education Center, Sequoyah National Research Center, Study Abroad, and University Affairs.�� “As both a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumna and a long-time employee, I’ve seen the different ways our students need financial help. Most need help paying for tuition, fees, and books. Many also need food, tire repairs, and appropriate clothes for job interviews,” said Linda Stipsky, chair of the steering committee. “I said ‘yes’ without hesitation when asked to chair ALL IN 2019. The high percentage of our faculty and staff who donate is a sign to other donors of how much we believe in and support our students and their higher education goals.”�� Members of the 2019 Campus Campaign Steering Committee include Linda Stipsky, J.R. Andrews, Aresh Assadi, Dr. Mark Baillie, Jesse Ball, Yuliana Barajas, Dr. Amy Barnes, Dr. Greg Barrett, Dr. Hollis Bray, Reed Claiborne, Shawna Diaz, Cassie Gehring, Dr. Tony Hall, Darius Maize, Dr. David Montague, Ashley Nipp, Angela Parker, Michael Singleton, Dr. Cynthia Taylor, and Samantha Wiley.��

Professor’s $25,000 donation boosts rhetoric and writing graduate program

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 19:07:59 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor has donated $25,000 to support and build up the Department of Rhetoric and Writing graduate program. �� Dr. Joyce Carter’s donation will be used for educational needs including but not limited to graduate student stipends, funded teaching assistantships, travel to national conferences, merit-based stipends, and updates to student labs and facilities.

Dr. Joyce Carter

Carter began serving as chair of the ��Vlog��ýLR Rhetoric and Writing Department in the College of Social Sciences and Communication in July. She is a professor of rhetoric and technical writing and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in argumentation, hypertext, usability research, publication management, and rhetoric and technology. Carter also is the chair of the Conference on College Composition and Communication and a national leader in her field. Prior to coming to ��Vlog��ýLR, she worked as associate professor at Texas Tech University in the Department of English. “I am continually impressed with the dedication of our faculty and academic leadership to the success of our students and growth of our academic programs,” said Dr. Lisa Bond-Maupin, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Communication. “Dr. Carter is a relatively new member of our college community, and this underscores for me the significance of her generosity.” Carter’s contribution is a leadership gift for the university-wide campus campaign and another example of the ��Vlog��ýLR community giving back to its students. “I am excited to start this fund to support our graduate students,” Carter said. “This fund is an important strategy to grow our graduate program, raise our national visibility, and enable our program to be competitive with other programs.” Members of the public and the university community are invited to help build the fund by donating online.��

Employee giving hits new level in 2015

Shanna Fitzgerald — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 23:28:26 +0000

If employee participation during the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s 2014 fundraising campaign was special, ��Vlog��ýLR’s performance in 2015 sent campaign director Derek Boyce searching for new superlatives. After ��Vlog��ýLR hit the 60 percent participation mark in 2014, seven out of 10 employees donated to the 2015 campaign. “Employees care about the university,” said Boyce, a member of the ��Vlog��ýLR Office of Alumni and Development and director of the campaign. “That’s evident because we’ve exceeded our goals.” The Choose ��Vlog��ýLR 2015 “Your Campus, Your Choice” campaign gave donors the option of designating their gifts to specific scholarships, departments, or programs. ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor Joel E. Anderson said it was a “remarkable” accomplishment when the percentage of faculty and staff who gave to the campaign topped 50 percent in 2012. “This year’s figure of 70 percent is nothing short of phenomenal,” Anderson said. “It shows ��Vlog��ýLR faculty and staff are generous people. It also shows they believe they work for an institution that has a noble purpose and does very good things for our students and many other people.” The 2015 annual campaign raised $347,000 — about $370 per employee. Forty-five departments had a 100 percent employee giving rate, and a couple of colleges nearly reached that level. The College of Education and Health Professions finished at 99 percent employee participation in the annual fund, and the College of Engineering and Information Technology had the second-highest college performance at 90 percent.

EIT group photo

One of the advantages of a participation-based campaign is that anyone can get involved, regardless of the amount he or she chooses to give, Boyce said. A high participation rate by employees resonates with outside donors and demonstrates the strong philanthropic culture at ��Vlog��ýLR, he said. And, this level of giving provides an important revenue stream to the university’s annual fund. “If people are giving, that means they’re believing in and supporting our mission and vision,” said Boyce, who noted that the 2016 campaign is now underway. For more information, call 501.569.3194 or click here.�� Photo: Pictured in the upper right:��College of Education and Health Professions

Holiday season perfect time to thank faculty, staff for support

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 16:20:32 +0000

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, now is the perfect time for members of the ��Vlog��ýLR Campus Campaign steering committee to say “thank you” to those who pledged financial support or gave in-kind gifts to the annual campaign.

100 percent giving! Office of Campus Life: Dr Jan Austin, Jenny Dodson Hunt, Kenny Early, Emily Bell Cox, Richard Wolford, Leah Vaughan.

This year’s theme, “Our strength is in our numbers!” is also a perfect time to remember that every gift, like every employee, is vitally important, according to the 2014 Steering Committee Chair Aresh Assadi. Assadi said the dollar amount is not nearly as important as the the percentage of faculty and staff who participate. “A gift of any size, even a dollar, is greatly appreciated,” he said. When the Campus Campaign began in 2001, 6.5 percent of the campus participated. By 2013, that support had risen to 50 percent. Interestingly, outside donors often make a decision to support ��Vlog��ýLR based the level of faculty and staff support. “My first thoughts about giving are hope and joy,” said Campus Campaign Ambassador, Sabrenna L. Rodgers-Lee, director of finance for the College of Social Science and Communication. “(Donating) allows me to offer hope��to someone or something other than myself. The joy comes from being able to just give. When we give, we become part of the big picture … All I have to do is my part,” she said. ��Vlog��ýLR supporters, both on and off campus, may designate their money toward a particular program or scholarship. Donors may also designate that their money supports the general fund.

100 percent giving! Office of Admissions/ Office of Recruitment: Chelsea Bishop Ward, Jared Jacks, and Valerie Breashears.

Any donation ensures students receive a great educational experience such as senior Angela Johnson, a philosophy and psychology major, whose travel expenses for study in Oxford, England, last spring was fully covered through the generosity of donors to ��Vlog��ýLR’s fund. As of Thanksgiving week, 100 percent of employees in the following departments across campus have participated at in the annual campaign:

100 percent giving! Community Connections Center: Dr.Lillian Wichinsky, Edna Mack-Pettigrew, and Barasha Hiloidhari.

Accounting Department
Office of Alumni and Development
Office of Communications
Chancellor Leadership Corps
Community Connection Center
Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering
International Student Services
Department of Public Safety
Department of Marketing and Advertising
Office of Admissions
Office of Campus Life
Office of Government Relations
Study Abroad
Testing and Student Life Research
Veterans Affairs

To learn more about the campaign and various ways to give, visit this link. Employees may contact their office’s campaign ambassador or the Office of Development to donate or ask further questions. Employees may choose any area of campus or program to show their support.

Keep up with what’s happening;��subscribe to ��Vlog��ýLR Now.

‘Strength in numbers,’ Campus Campaign kicks off

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 16:41:58 +0000

Beginning Sept. 15, the ��Vlog��ýLR Steering Committee and ��Vlog��ýLR Ambassadors are hosting informational sessions about the 2014 ��Vlog��ýLR Campus Campaign, with treats – free donuts to all departments provided by Sodexo. When the Campus Campaign began in 2001, 6.5 percent of the campus participated; by 2013, participation rose to 50 percent of all benefits-eligible employees. For 2014, the goal is to reach a 53 percent employee participation rate, with a dollar goal of $300,000. Since participation is so important to having a successful campaign, this year’s theme is “Our strength is in our numbers!” “Employee participation in this year’s campaign is critical, and every gift matters,” said new Campus Campaign Steering Committee Chair Aresh Assadi. “Many areas rely on our gifts to maintain services and develop and grow programs that support our students, our research, and our faculty and staff development,” said Assadi. “Equally important is that our support demonstrates to alumni, friends, corporations, foundations and community partners that we believe in ��Vlog��ýLR and that it’s worthy of their support, too.” Assadi agreed to serve as chair because he strongly believes education is the key to changing lives. In fact, if it weren’t for education, he says his life would have turned out completely different. Having earned his undergraduate and master’s degree in counseling, Assadi is now working toward his doctorate and is putting his education to work as a counselor in the ��Vlog��ýLR Counseling Services Office. For more information about the campaign, contact Laura Wentz at 501.569.3249.

Keep up with what’s happening;��Subscribe to ��Vlog��ýLR Now.

Support ��Vlog��ýLR with a Hot Dog, April 17

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:46:39 +0000

Come by the Office of Development from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, for a hot dog lunch from . He is donating a portion of the day’s sales to the Campus Campaign and the Fund for ��Vlog��ýLR.

Join the 100 Percenters Club

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:10:14 +0000

Six offices and departments at ��Vlog��ýLR have reached 100 percent participation in the 2010 Campus Campaign, and are in store for a pie or cake as a congratulatory reward, compliments of the Arkansas Federal Credit Union. “The idea is it is ‘easy as pie’ and ‘a piece of cake’ for an office or department to post 100 percent participation in the ��Vlog��ýLR’s Campaign effort,” said Tonya Oaks Smith, director of communications for the ��Vlog��ýLR William H. Bowen School of Law and the 2010 Campus Campaign chair. The Department of Construction Management in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology (EIT) was the first to reach 100 percent, and they celebrated with chocolate cake. Since then, five others reached the 100 percent goal:

Budget Office
Campus Life
Development Office
Sequoyah Research Center
Academic Success Center

The deadline for 2010 gifts is midnight, Dec. 31. No gift is too small, and every gift giver can direct their gift to a specific program, scholarship, or operation. Visit the Campus Campaign website and track the progress of the campaign on the Trojan Meter. Last year, 47 percent of the campus community contributed to the campaign. So far, 31 percent are participating.

��Vlog��ýLR Exceeds, Raises Goal to $100 million

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:12:26 +0000

Despite an economy that rivaled the Great Depression, ��Vlog��ýLR’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign has met its $75 million goal one-and-a-half years before the seven-year campaign ends. With 18 months to go in the $75 million campaign, ��Vlog��ýLR has raised $76.9 million. Chancellor Joel E. Anderson, announcing the early success of the University’s first-ever comprehensive campaign Tuesday, said ��Vlog��ýLR will recalibrate the fundraising objective and raise the campaign goal to $100 million. “The realities in our state and community require an ambitious vision, and hitting the target of $75 million early shows there is a lot of support out there for what ��Vlog��ýLR is doing,” Anderson said. “We aren’t slowing down.” The campaign –“It’s Time for ��Vlog��ýLR” — has processed more than 75,000 gifts from 15,800 donors. The gifts were earmarked to benefit four areas of need:�� student support, faculty support, program support, and facility improvements. Haskell Dickinson, volunteer chair of the comprehensive campaign, said 60 percent of the seven-figure gifts ��Vlog��ýLR received are targeted to enhance STEM education — science, technology, engineering, and math. “It is gratifying to see private resources directed to our STEM-related programs so important to the economic future of our state,” Dickinson said. Because of campaign gifts, ��Vlog��ýLR has created 73 new, fully endowed privately funded scholarships and 23 more that are building to endowment. Dozens more annually awarded private scholarship accounts have also been created. All told, the campaign has created more than 100 new private scholarship accounts. Private gifts have helped fund the construction of four new campus facilities and aided in the renovation of two others. The Trinity Foundation’s $6 million gift to create electrical and mechanical engineering options in systems engineering is the largest single academic endowment gift in ��Vlog��ýLR’s history. The Bowen School of Law, the College of Engineering and Information Technology, and the Nanotechnolgy Center have all benefited from key faculty support gifts. “While many priorities have been met, many more student, faculty, and program support needs remain,” said Provost David O. Belcher. “We must create additional endowed deanships and support for rapidly growing ��programs critical to the economic and cultural success of Arkansas.” Anderson, Dickinson, and other campaign managers are most proud of the $2.5 million contributed by ��Vlog��ýLR staff and faculty through the Campus Campaign. Jennifer McDonough, a Minneapolis-based philanthropic consultant, said more than 50 percent of all ��Vlog��ýLR employees made contributions to the campaign — one of the highest percentages of participation in the country. “The past few years have been difficult economically, yet so many have embraced ��Vlog��ýLR’s mission, students and campus community,” said Bob Denman, executive director of development and campaign manager. “We all value and appreciate their generous support and will do everything possible to merit the continued confidence they place in us,” he said. The 2008 Wall Street crash and resulting financial instability forced other institutions to cancel or postpone their fundraising campaigns. ��Vlog��ýLR’s success in the face of unprecedented financial uncertainty is a strong endorsement of ��Vlog��ýLR. “��Vlog��ýLR is to be congratulated on the success of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign. ��Vlog��ýLR’s campaign was launched roughly 5.5 years ago and has already exceeded its $75 million goal,” McDonough said. “This represents a significant achievement especially for a first campaign. Nationally, campaigns had been averaging seven years with many institutions extending their time frames due to economic challenges over the past couple of years.

Campus Campaign Posts Increase in Dollars

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:30:25 +0000

Dr. Tom McMillan, chair of ��Vlog��ýLR’s Campus Campaign Steering Committee, announced today that ��Vlog��ýLR faculty and staff raised $428,228 in the 2009 campaign, an increase in participation and tied the second all-time high participation in the fundraising effort. “Even in difficult economic times, our faculty and staff continue to further validate their work through their generous support,” said Bob Denman, executive director of development at ��Vlog��ýLR.�� “Our campus community believes in the institution’s mission and that is an example for all constituents to follow.” The totals show that 47 percent of ��Vlog��ýLR faculty and staff made pledges to support University programs and scholarships. The total exceeds the previous campaign by $60,000. Chancellor Joel E. Anderson encouraged new participation in the campaign by pledging to match $15 of each new participant’s pledge. Sixteen University departments and offices posted 100 percent participation. They are:

Chancellor’s Office
Athletics
Budget Office
Construction Management
Bowen School Dean’s Office
Development Office
Gifted Programs
Graduate Institute of Technology
Law School Physical Plant
Mail Services
Nursing Department
Physical Plant-Administration
Physical Plant-Warehouse
Sequoyah Research Center
Small Business Development Center
Study Abroad Program
VC Education and Student Services

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and staff exceed national fundraising average in Campus Campaign