State of the College (2012)

Adrian College

Rooted in Tradition, Inspiring Change Dr. Jef f rey R. Do cking, Pres iden t

State of the College March 23, 2012

We believe in creativity, passionate, collaborative learning and innovative leadership.

We invite you to hear our story.

Letter from the Chairman of the Board of Trustees

K ath ry n M . M o h r Chairman, Board of Trustees

a culture of creativity and a commitment to excellence continues to be the catalyst for the tremendous growth of the College.

Dear Friends of the College: It is my pleasure to serve on the Board of Trustees for Adrian College and to be involved in its growth, innovation, and boundless initiatives. Under President Jeffrey Docking’s leadership, a culture of creativity and a commitment to excellence continues to be the catalyst for the tremendous growth of the College. It is exciting to stand witness as our faculty, staff, and students experience unique opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom walls.

The trustees are fortunate to be involved in the many decisions that shape the future of this prestigious institution including improvements in academic programming, development of new facilities, increased experiential opportunities, and the restoration and renovation of historic buildings on campus.

As we continue through 2012 we look to new graduate programs, additional majors, and creative initiatives to engage our students and community.

Certainly there are many who contribute to this creative imagining that becomes reality, and we thank each of you who have contributed to this effort. To our donors, who give generously to assist in funding remarkable changes on campus, to our alumni who loyally endorse and support the College, and to the faculty and staff who give of themselves on a daily basis to continue the mission of what we do, we say thank you. But most of all, we thank our students who are the reason we strive to achieve distinction.

I look forward to continuing to build this future together.

Kathryn M. Mohr ’84

C h a i rm a n , Bo a rd o f T ru s t ees

Letter from the President of Adrian College

Jeff r e y R . D ocki n g , P h . D. President

The traditions of caring and compassion, as well as intellectual rigor, responsibility, and hard work have endured for over 150 years.

Our State of the College is a time to share and celebrate what we have accomplished, how we have worked together to achieve our goals, and to thank you for your commitment to making us — Adrian College — a better place to educate students.

We go back to our roots of tradition with our first president, Dr. Asa Mahan, where higher education was made accessible to men and women of all races and creeds. We reach out beyond our campus borders to help others, and expect excellence in our faculty and academic programs. We continue to challenge our students to reach higher than they have before. The traditions of caring and compassion, as well as intellectual rigor, responsibility, and hard work have endured for over 150 years.

How are we different from any other small institution? We believe we are inspiring our students to live the Ribbons of Excellence in their everyday lives: caring for humanity and the world, learning throughout a lifetime, thinking critically, crossing boundaries and disciplines, and developing creativity. These ribbons incorporated into our academic, athletic, student life, and campus culture cause us to appreciate this opportunity and our accountability to shape men and women who will make a difference in their careers, families, neighborhoods and beyond.

We are here today because of the many faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni, and friends who have offered their creative ideas, their research, their time, talent, and resources to bring us to experience the amazing growth we’ve enjoyed in recent years.

The State of our College, and those who embody it, inspire us all to reach higher, spark innovation, creativity, and positive change here. With my sincere gratitude to all of you, this is our story.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey R. Docking, Ph.D. Pres i d en t

the

S t a t e of College

Rooted in Tradition, Inspiring Change March 23, 2012

P r esident Jeffr ey R. Docking

Guest speakers Ron Reeves ’6 4 Sarah Hanson Andrea Milner Megan Anzures Kayla Morrison Mallory Frailing ’06 Linda Depta Ron Fogarty Janet Creque ’06 Michael Neal Dave Beachnau ’84 Jim Van Doren Laurie O’Connor Matt Armentrout ’97 Brad Maggard Bill Bachman Gabrielle Piazza Oded Gur-Arie Andrew Dovey (for Jeff Young ’11) Prenella Semma

Welcome

R o n Reev es ’ 6 4, Vice P r esiden t fo r Developme n t Ree v es Good afternoon and welcome.

What a great, great turnout for the 2012 State of the College. I am Ron Reeves, Vice President for Development and pleased to be with you today.

Welcome, members of the campus community: students, faculty and staff, and welcome to our special guests: our trustees, alumni and friends from the community.

It is now my pleasure to introduce somebody who at this point needs no introduction. He is in his seventh year as the 17th president of Adrian College, Dr. Jeffrey R. Docking, and will share with you the 2012 State of the College “Rooted in Tradition, Inspiring Change.”

Pr es iden t DOCKING Thank you, Ron.

I want to thank all of you for joining us today and for another tremendous year at the College. Once again we set new records in enrollment, retention, and in fund-raising.

We built beautiful new structures on campus like the new terrace at Caine Student Center, we started new academic programs, and we hired several new faculty bringing our total to 97, the largest number in our institutional history. This increase in faculty has allowed us to continue with our small classes and personal attention that faculty and students enjoy so much.

On this occasion, I want to take a special moment to thank the Board of Trustees.

These individuals are the unsung heroes at Adrian, very busy people who travel to Adrian College three times a year often at great expense to themselves to provide guidance and support for the innovative changes we continue to make at this college.

With us today are Chairman Kathryn Mohr, Linda Depta, Travis Pearse, Rick Gurdjian, and Dave Hickman.

I also want to thank the Senior Staff who are here today: Vice President and CFO Jerry Wright, Vice President Frank Hribar, Vice President Ron Reeves, Vice President

8 ADRIAN COLLEGE

Agnes Caldwell, Athletic Director Mike Duffy, Alumni Director Marsha Fielder, as well as my assistants Andrea Burt and Cindy Beaubien, and our new Dean of Students Troy Schmidli, a 2002 graduate.

I also want to introduce my wife Beth and daughter Julianna. They are the two women in my life who give me support and help.

The students don’t know this, but every time I want to try something new, I go home and ask my kids, is this a cool change or not?

Julianna has a lot of input as to what we do here. She is the first one to let me know when my ideas simply aren’t cool.

And now to the heart of today’s program.

As many of you know from attending past State of the College events, we have incorporated members of our College and Adrian community in this speech—after all, you, the employees and students at AC are our greatest resource, and so it is fitting that you should deliver this speech. The “State of the College” can be no better or worse than the “State of the Employees and the Students” who make up this institution. We will feature you again this year to celebrate the wealth of talent in our midst and the wealth of wonderful, unique, crazy, creative ideas that make this an amazing place to work

and a college on the move.

Our agenda will be as follows: we will begin with a short video to follow up on the ideas presented last year at the State of the College address. Those of you who attended may recall that 21 people took the stage with 17 creative ideas to improve our College.

The thing I like about this video is that it highlights that we continue to get things done; we do what we say we are going to do.

We don’t hope, wish, simply plan, and dream

about what we are going to do; we make real change here—tangible, practical, cool, substantive improvements to make this College one of the most amazing success stories in

Michigan in recent years. We are an achievement oriented community and we celebrate real results.

Following the video we will introduce 19 new people with 14 new ideas and stories of how we are and how we can create an even better Adrian College this year.

VI D EO HIGH L IGHTS

We are Adrian College In its 2011 State of the College address, “Unleashing Creativity,” Adrian College introduced 17 innovative ways in which the campus community would continue to evolve, change and grow. Several of those inspiring additions are shared in this video narrated by student Garrett Beitelschies and videographer Michael Miller ’11.

Wat ch full vi deo onl i ne

0:22

V i d eo

vimeo.com/40519762

we continue to get things done; we do what we say we are going to do. We don’t hope, wish, simply plan, and dream about what we are going to do; we make real change here—tangible, practical, cool, substantive improvements to make this College one of the most amazing success stories in Michigan in recent years.

DOCKING, Con ti nu e d I think that is quite a year … And that’s not all, a few ideas that didn’t make the video:

1

We hired Dr. Jennifer Ellsworth to lead the Institute for Creativity.

4

We initiated the Institute for Education.

2

We put a process into place to select our first recipient of the Faculty Hall of Fame to be presented at Commencement.

5

We started Blackboard mobile for faculty.

3

We put the pieces into place to start our Accounting master’s program and did the same for the new Criminal Justice master’s program that will begin this fall.

6

The Honors Program was given an Honors House so some of these students who want to live together can enjoy a unique intellectual living and learning experience.

7

Professor Oded Gur-Arie’s idea in which he suggested we start a creativity award to encourage all of you to think creatively about how to make Adrian College a better place, was unveiled. The winning idea is funded up to $10,000 and the person who submitted the idea will receive $1,000. This year we received over 70 ideas to create a better school, ideas that were dropped in yellow boxes around campus.

Later in the program, we will announce our inaugural winner of the Creativity Award and the six runners up for this recognition.

State of the College 2012 9

do ck ing Let us begin this year’s program with Professor Sarah Hanson. A few weeks ago I joined Professor Hanson in the Robinson Plan-

etarium to look at the new seats that were donated by Stubnitz Foundation. While there, she showed me an amazing piece of equipment that will completely change the types of shows we can utilize. This projector, titled ‘Warped Media’, projects simultaneous video on nearly 360 degrees of the planetarium’s dome subsequently changing the remarkable programming available for use.

New equipment in the Planetarium will enable students to visualize the stars and beyond.

Photo from panoramicuniverse.com

Planetarium Ha ns on A planetarium can bring the

Like the universe, the possibilities are endless.

magnificent night sky into full view at any time of the day or night and, perhaps more importantly, during those long stretches of cloudy Michigan winter nights. Throughout the years, frequent use of the planetarium has taken its toll on the infrastructure. Additionally, new high-tech projection systems have been developed that can take us to the edge of the solar system and beyond.

We’re thankful for the gift from Stubnitz Foundation that recently gave the planetarium a new look: we have new seats, a new floor, freshly painted walls, and a refurbished dome to project the stars and video.

What’s even more exciting, however, is previewing new projection systems that will provide not only astonishing starry nights but breathtaking video that can be projected on all 360 degrees of the dome. This technology could be used to provide educational experiences for Adrian College students as well as for local school groups, scouting groups and the general public. This would also give students from across our campus the opportunity to develop educational programs, create their own video, and perhaps even make music videos. Like the universe, the possibilities are endless.

S arah Ha n s on, P r o fess o r

Sarah Hanson

DOCKING Thank you, Sarah. Many of you have probably not even been in our planetarium. But you will once you hear about the new

$37,000 projection system we plan to install over the next year. When I viewed this remarkable new system, I was placed into an alternate reality of swimming with Sarah sharks, flying in a helicopter over cliffs and valleys, and more. It is quite a viewing experience.

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Andrea Milner is a wonderful director of our new Institute for Education. Working with her colleagues she continues to expand the reach of this institute to develop partnerships in our community. Andrea will tell you about one partnership that will serve elementary children very close to our campus.

DOCKING

International Baccalaureate Partnership with Lincoln Elementary Andrea M i l n e r , D i r ect o r o f t h e In stitute for Education M ilner Our Teacher Education Department is partnering with

the Adrian Public Schools in a special pilot program to expand the district’s elementary curriculum. The International Baccalaureate program will include the addition of a preschool, as well as foreign language offerings for students at Lincoln Elementary School, just one block from campus. The College will support the operation of this preschool through its early childhood degree program. While helping area students AC undergrads gain practical experience through their interactive learning opportunity. Megan Anzures, a senior from Hazel Park, Michigan, is in this program.

Andrea Milner with Kayla Morrison and Megan Anzures

M EGAN I’m really excited to see the preschool develop while I can

still participate. Working with young children is such a rewarding experience…and to do so right in our neighborhood is very exciting.

ANDREA The College will also support the foreign language offer-

ings through certifying elementary foreign language teachers who are trained in the IB method. Third grader Kayla Morrison, daughter of our faculty member Dr. Vanessa Morrison, has some thoughts about this part of the program: KAYL A Hello, my name is Kayla Morrison, and I love to learn about

different languages and cultures. Next year when I am in the fourth grade, I would love to learn some Spanish and later on in life, I would like to learn Japanese.

AND REA In addition to giving our education students practical,

hands-on learning, our employees will have a new preschool option for their young children nearby and Adrian College is currently pursuing the right to award IB certification to our students. Conversations for this program have been underway for over a year and we are delighted that it has come to this reality.

D OCKING Thank you, Andrea, Megan and Kayla. That

was wonderful.

DOCKING Over the last six years you’ve seen our student body grow and our residence halls have overflowed. We need to continue to ex-

pand our housing. We need better housing options for our students. Assistant Dean of Students and 2006 alumna, Mallory Frailing, will tell us more about a recent agreement to give our students vastly improved housing.

Future Student Housing

Mallory F r ail i n G ’ 0 6, A ssista n t dea n of students M a ll ory Spring housing sign-up is always a good indication of where “dream” or “preferred” housing stands with our students. At the top

of the list are our apartments and houses, along with the renovated Pellowe Hall. Of course, freshmen and other students still witness some similarities to their parents’ experiences of college days gone by…but in the 21st century, students’ expectations and desires for more comfortable living spaces are one topic that makes the ultimate college choice a competitive one.

The College will further expand its options this fall by purchasing two more apartment buildings on Charles Street – College Court and Argyle Apartments adding 72 student spaces.

We’ll also add new parking for students in the nearby vacant lot that will hold about 125 cars.

These are great additions to our student housing options. Discussions are also underway regarding new, modern residence options in the future.

College Court Apartments Mallory Frailing

State of the College 2012 11

D OCKING Thank you, Mallory. Students, I have viewed these apartments and they have

kitchens, living rooms; they are beautiful, spacious, and you are going to love them … little by little we are working on better housing and of course, parking, which will be well received by students.

At our recent October trustee meeting, our board members expressed a desire to be more supportive of students. We have 32 trustees who really want to help students with their careers and beyond. Dr. Robyn Arrington offered one creative idea that you will hear about from Trustee Linda Depta. Linda is the Marketing Director for Kalamazoo Valley Community College and she has been a wonderful board member for many years.

Trustee Student Meet & Greet Li nda Depta , T r ustee

De pta Good afternoon! Your Adrian

College Trustees count it a privilege to work alongside of President Docking, our wonderful faculty and staff. We are always looking for ways to enhance our students’ experiences.

Recently Trustees offered several specific ideas to assist the College -- including serving as guest lecturers, promoting entrepreneurial ventures, and student recruitment.

Another idea which was heartily endorsed by other trustees, and originally suggested

by Trustee Dr. Robyn Arrington, was the idea of “Meet and Greet” opportunities between students and Trustees in a reception-like, relaxed setting where we can talk more intimately face-to-face.

We enjoy hearing student stories! And we want to be able to offer personal career and employment insights while opening up doors for our students.

We all enjoy the multiple opportunities we already have as trustees, and look forward to continuing to meet more of our wonderful students. Thank you.

l e f t Linda Depta RIGHT Trustees converse with students at a meeting in February

“Meet and Greet” creates opportunities in a relaxed setting allowing students and trustees to talk face-to-face.

DOCKING Thank you, Linda, for joining us and representing our Board of Trustees today.

The Board, as all of you know, is comprised of highly successful individuals from a variety of fields, who give generously of their time, treasure and talents. I hope that you will take the opportunity to join them in the meet and greet sessions next year and get to know them and begin to network. So much of what you’ll need in the future is networking and our trustees can help you make great connections.

12 ADRIAN COLLEGE

DOCKING I never thought I would see such green grass in March and I never thought I’d see green grass growing out of the ice at Arrington

Ice Arena. Our very capable hockey coach, Ron Fogarty, is here to tell us more about it.

New turf in the Arrington Ice Arena

Turf in the Arena

R o n Fog a rt y, M e n ’ s va rsity H o cke y C oach Fo ga rty Thank you, President Docking.

Unfortunately the ice has to come out of the arena but during the first week of April inside the walls of Arrington Ice Arena, the transformation of the Weston Rink will change from a skating surface to a multiactivity arena.

We’ll replace the ice with green synthetic turf carpet covering the arena floor, where summer programs such as indoor soccer, lacrosse and other events will be possible not

only for our students, but for the Lenawee County community.

Plans are already underway for student activities before the end of the academic year.

And one date to remember is April 14, when the Women’s Soccer team will conclude their season on the indoor turf for their Black & Gold Scrimmage. Be sure to check it out.

Unfortunately for me, the ice will be melted, but only for a few months.

Ron Fogarty

We are replacing the ice with synthetic turf carpet so that summer programs and more will be possible for our students and the Lenawee County Community.

DOCKING Ron, as you know, is one of our great hockey coaches, and had another great season. He also has one of the great Canadian

accents on campus! Though he will miss the ice, this indoor soccer and lacrosse arena will be open to the public and offer a great new venue for your children, family and friends to play. New ice arena manager, Jeremy Symington, will be planning the schedule. I think it will be a great addition to campus.

State of the College 2012 13

DOCKING One day as I was walking through Valade Hall, Dr. James Spence, associate professor in our philosophy and religion department,

pulled me aside and shared a great idea he had to feature the many trees and benches that have been donated to our campus. Janet Creque, our web content editor and 2006 AC graduate, will share the rest of his idea.

Janet Creque ‘06

Web Project - Benches & Trees Janet C r e que ’ 0 6, web c o n te n t edit o r Cr eque A few years ago, I picked out my

favorite bench on campus –just outside the library—and always wondered about the story behind the name on the plaque. The plaques often state that they are in honor or in memory of an individual or group. Dr. Spence recently proposed an online directory that would include photographs and information about the donors and honorees.

We would invite donors to voluntarily share their stories about those they are honoring and who inspired them. Visitors to the website could then learn about the names associated with their favorite bench or tree

and perhaps be inspired to do the same.

An extension of this project could include all the species of our campus trees as an educational guide with a map for our biology department and other interested parties.

As a person who works with our website daily and anticipating some great upcoming changes, this is a project that could easily be included. I look forward to helping implement this idea — and lucky for us, spring seems to have arrived — so I can get started on taking photos of the amazing 85 benches and 45 trees that have been donated to our campus thus far.

Benefits of the proposed directory Accessibility Remote access to directory from any location.

Community Photographs, memories and stories can be readily shared to inspire students, alumni, and the community.

Growth The project has potential to evolve into a useful tool, both in and out of the classroom.

D OCKING Thank you, Janet. So now when you walk around campus, and you see a name

under a tree or on a bench, you’ll be able to go online and find out more about that person as well as the donors and the story behind those who have inspired them.

14 ADRIAN COLLEGE

DOCKING When we renovated Rush Hall a few years ago into a beautiful Communication Arts building with television studios, radio sta-

tions and computer editing labs, we knew it would unleash great creativity in our students and this is just what has happened. Michael Neal, aka Wireless Mike, a senior from London, Ontario, Media Arts major, is here to tell us about the Adrian College Media Group and the top award they recently received from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.

Student Media Group Award Mich ae l Nea l , se n i o r nea l Thank you, Dr. Docking.

The Adrian College Media Group travelled to East Lansing on March 14 to attend the Michigan Association of Broadcasting Awards banquet. Typically, we are no more than spectators and fans of the awards but this year we were recognized for the first time—winning in the Video Play-by-Play category and taking an honorable mention for our talk show the Bulldog Sports Bite.

We were up against the biggest programs in Michigan for these awards and we believe there is no reason we cannot continue to come out on top.

This recognition is the result of several hard-working devoted students, our passionate faculty advisor, and the modern equipment and facilities provided in Rush Hall. My work with the Media Group has quickly become the most enjoyable part of my time at Adrian College and every Friday at our staff meeting I look forward to new ideas and challenges to tackle. This is just the beginning for the Media Group so expect to hear great things for years to come, and don’t forget to tune into 107.9 WVAC! Please join me now in taking a quick look at our show that received honorable mention — the latest Bulldog Sports Bite.

VID EO HIGH L IGHTS

Bulldog Sports Bite

Watc h fu ll v i d eo o n l i n e y o utube . c om / WVACV ID EO

bulldogs in action Online Visit us on YouTube (WVACVideo) to watch these videos and learn more.

On air Hear the Bulldogs on the Adrian College radio station 107.9 WVAC FM, or hear them online at www.adrian.edu/radio.

Michael Neal

This recognition is the result of hard-working students, our passionate faculty advisor, and The modern equipment and facilities in Rush Hall.

D OCKING Thank you, Wireless Mike. What Mike tells me is that this recognition will

embolden our students to understand that we can go against the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan—huge schools—and know that our students can win these competitions against them. Congratulations to you and the team.

State of the College 2012 15

DOCKING As we creatively search for new majors to attract and serve our students, one obvious choice comes to mind. A 1984 alumnus and

current Adjunct Professor Dave Beachnau will tell us about one new major that will start this coming fall. Dave is the Executive Director of the Detroit Sports Commission and a very popular Adjunct Professor on campus.

Sports Management Major

Dave Beach n au ’ 8 4 , E x ecuti ve D i rect o r of the D et r oit Sports Commissi on & Adjun ct P r ofess o r

A successful internship with Michigan International Speedway (MIS) led to a full-time position with Richmond International Raceway after graduation for Greg Bartosch ‘11.

Dave Beauchnau ‘84 B ea c h nau I have had the privilege of

teaching a Sports Event Marketing & Management class the past two spring semesters.

I’ve been able to share some of my industry knowledge, share some practical experiences for my students, as well as providing internship opportunities. As a matter of fact, we just offered an Adrian student an internship yesterday. I can say firsthand, that there is a significant appetite to learn more about the business of sports and what it offers.

Some of our past Adrian interns have gained experience in social media, grass roots event marketing, and event management.

As an alumnus who is in the industry, I’m pleased that a Sports Management major was approved, and will begin in the fall.

This program will provide our students the opportunity to learn more about what has become a significant global industry.

Vice President and Dean Dr. Agnes Caldwell recently hired Dr. Keith Christy of

Perrysburg, Ohio, as the program leader. He brings a wealth of experience in the field as a professor and program coordinator and will guide students interested in this new major.

In my role at the Detroit Sports Commission, we are always looking for talent, and what better way to develop this talent than through a program like this.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this effort.

This program will provide our students the opportunity to learn more about what has become a significant global industry.

DOCKING Thank you, Dave. Dave is another one of our alumni who travels great distance and comes to campus to give back to students.

One of the great things about Adrian that I tell prospective students is that we are like a family … and once you’re a part of this school, you’re always a part of it. Dave has been very, very helpful to students and the College.

16 ADRIAN COLLEGE

DOCKING Much of our success in recent years has positively impacted the City of Adrian and Lenawee County. Today we welcome Mr. Jim

Van Doren, a long-time friend of Adrian College, and Executive Director of the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation to talk about this impact that the College is making on so much or our region.

Economic Impact on Community

Jim Va n D or e n, E x ecutive D i rect o r o f the Le nawee Economic D evelopment Cor poration va n Doren In this economic climate

when so much of the country and especially Michigan is experiencing a downturn, we are grateful for Adrian College’s astonishing growth that helps support our city, county, and state.

At a recent event, Vice President Ron Reeves shared some breathtaking data about Adrian College: in the last six years the College has invested over $31 million in brick and mortar, spent about $50 million with local vendors, $75 million with regional vendors, and hired over 100 new employees. The student body has nearly doubled from 860 to over 1600, all new customers to our region

for retail, restaurants, and services.

It is both refreshing and fun —to cautiously drive through campus today and see the many young men and women walking the sidewalks and crisscrossing the streets!

All these exciting additions – from the athletic fields and venues – to the music, theatre, symphony and special speakers, and now, the WOW Café, have been a boost to our economy and our culture. I am pleased to be a resident of this celebrated commuJim Van Doren nity and enjoy the amenities associated with Adrian College.

Thank you, Dr. Docking, and your trustees, many contributions to the city of Adrian, our administration, staff, and students, for your county, and this great state.

DOCKING Thank you, Jim. Jim and I have gotten to be terrific friends over the last seven years but it is his great work with the LEDC that

should be mentioned. For those who do not know, the LEDC, the Lenawee Economic Development Corporation, works to attract new business to our area, developing new partnerships, resources and opportunities.

These macro level changes in Adrian and the positive results they have for our region find their true meaning when they help individuals and families. People who need a job, want to job, and who simply need an opportunity to earn a good living. One person like this is Laurie O’Connor who was unemployed for some time, but because of our recent growth and need for additional employees found a job here. Laurie is a member of our Campus Services custodial staff; she currently works the 2nd shift in the Merillat Sport & Fitness Center and she has her own story to tell.

The impact of growth

Laurie O ’ C on n or, Campus S e rv ices custodial staff O’Co nnor For the past year and a half I have called the campus of Adrian College my second home. Being employed here is more than a job – it literally saved my family.

With the struggles of the economy in recent years, my husband and I fought to save – but lost - our jobs and our home of more than 13 years. My son had difficulty at school through our trials but would tell anyone who asked that he wanted to be like his mom.

“She shows such strength when things happen. She keeps us thinking positive and trusting in God to lead us through challenges.”

When I was laid off I didn’t give up. I stuck with it until I could get back to work. Finally, that call came. I was brought back to Adrian College and back to work. More than that, we were finally able to have the insurance that would enable my children to go to the doctor.

You never realize how the simple things – a job, health insurance, and a place like Adrian –can make you so grateful. Adrian College gave me hope. They gave me a job. And they gave my family a better life.

I thank God every day I am blessed to have the opportunity to work here in such a

Laurie O’Connor

wonderful place – it is my second family. I am truly, truly thankful.

You never realize how the simple things – a job, health insurance, and a place like Adrian – can make you so grateful. Adrian College gave me hope.

State of the College 2012 17

DOCKING Thank you so much, Laurie, it takes great courage to stand up and tell your story … and we appreciate it. And we thank you for

sharing your experience and for your great work here at Adrian College. Laurie is one reason why the work we do here is important, what we do every day to make this a better place for our students and the rest of the community.

You’ve probably heard over the last few years about another entrance to campus coming off of US 223. We continue to move ahead very quickly with preparations that will eventually open up that area. Matt Armentrout, Maintenance Manager for our Campus Services department and 1997 alumnus, will tell you a little more about this exciting change.

Moving Plant to Back 40

Matt A r men t r out ’ 97, Main te n a n ce Manag er for Campus Services D epa rtme nt Ar me n trout Our home on the corner of Michigan and Charles will make a big move this year to the far north end of the Back 40.

For those who are not sure where that is, imagine the area behind the softball field on the north side. A brand new campus services building will be constructed and provide space to reorganize maintenance and repair supplies, equipment, central stores and much more.

The staff at Plant is excited to be in the new building one day, after all the work is done— or should I say the building is completed— because the work is never done! Because the building will be near the softball field, it will also house another concession area and much needed locker rooms for our women’s softball team.

This will take the College one step closer to opening up the current area for future development of a new access to the campus.

By Plant moving, a beautiful new green space will open up at the proposed front door of the College and highly visible from US 223. Work will begin to create plans for walking paths, fountains and other attractive landscaping that we will maintain and keep beautiful for all to enjoy.

Matt Armentrout ‘97

This will take the College one step closer to opening up the current area for future development of a new entrance to the campus.

D OCKING Thank you, Matt. CFO Jerry Wright tells me we have the money to move the

plant building and work will commence sometime in the next month or two. I expect it will be completed about November. Matt, the campus looks fantastic and we thank all the staff at Plant for giving us such a beautiful campus. We are proud to bring visitors to campus.

18 ADRIAN COLLEGE

DOCKING A fast and reliable information technology system is of paramount importance on a College campus. We need to stay at the fore-

front of IT if we want to offer an attractive choice for new students and a quality educational experience for our undergraduate and graduate students. Brad Maggard of Information Services will tell us what is happening there and plans for the year ahead.

IT Upgrades

Brad M a g g a r d, Assista n t D i r ect o r o f I nfor mati on Services M a g gard The Adrian College Information Services

department has big plans for 2012.

As we continue to emphasize technology in learning, we will be converting more teaching spaces into tech-driven Smart Classrooms this summer.

I’m also pleased, very pleased, to announce that in residence halls and student housing campus-wide, we will be installing over 150 additional new wireless network access points before fall semester begins.

Adrian College has also been selected as an anchor institution for Merit Networks’ Reach 3MC broadband project. Once construction is completed, Adrian College will become part of Merit’s fiber optic backbone network that connects major universities and institutions across the state. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2012, and will allow Adrian College to immediately triple the speed of our campus Internet connection, with the ability to easily further expand in the future.

Brad Maggard

Hardware necessary to triple the speed of current on-campus internet access

Merit Networks’ Reach 3MC broadband project

Adrian College will become part of Merit’s fiber optic backbone network that connects major universities and institutions across the state.

DOCKING Thank you, Brad, I’m sure our students will truly appreciate it come fall. We’re

all looking forward to faster phone and internet reception. To you and the rest of the IT staff who supports the campus community, thank you.

State of the College 2012 19

DOCKING In recent months Jones Hall has been inundated with construction workers.

Business Professor Bill Bachman will tell you what has been going on in the building and how it will serve professors and students.

Jones Hall Lecture Room Bill B ach man, Busi n ess Pr o fess o r B a chman I've been

around Jones Hall for a number of years now and was extremely pleased when the alumni initiated corporate-like board room became a reality.

Little by little we've seen some areas improve at this corner of campus including the new professional-looking, small lecture room in

Bill Bachman

our adjoining Peelle Hall. Now, in Jones Hall, with thanks to a donor trustee and alumnus Chuck Baer ’59, the largest lecture hall on campus is getting a complete makeover. Jones 110 lecture hall, currently under construction, will offer 96 comfortable seats, an 18-seat break out room, very nice cherry wood trim and desks, a drop-down screen and white boards.

The plan also includes a unique addition — ­ a real-time stock ticker similar to what one sees on a trading floor. Our students will be able to analyze how changes in national and world events immediately affect the valuation of companies and industries, and give the students a new tool to continue to learn about stocks, bonds, hedge funds, and Wall Street trading.

It will be a perfect small auditorium for presentations by faculty, students, and special guests as well. We look forward to enjoying this great finished lecture hall for the fall semester.

Jones 110 Lecture Hall Restorations, with special thanks to donor trustee and alumnus C h u ck Ba er ’ 5 9

students will be able to analyze how changes in world events affect Valuations of whole industries.

D OCKING Thank you, Bill. About a year ago, I was teaching a philosophy class and I asked

the students to write what they liked best about Adrian College. Fourteen of the seventeen students said the same thing—our faculty. Our faculty deserve a great round of applause for what they do and give to our students.

20 ADRIAN COLLEGE

DOCKING I hope by now you’ve taken a little time to visit Downs Hall and see the remarkable and beautiful restoration made possible by

the generosity of Sage Foundation. The most historical building on campus still has some needs and Gabrielle Piazza, a senior musical theatre and math double major, from Vassar, Michigan, will share a few words.

Downs Hall Theatre

Downs Hall Theatre Gabrie l l e P iazz a , S e n i o r

P ia z z a It has been amazing to see the

transformation of Downs Hall and even more amazing to realize it has been here since 1860, the early years of our College.

The students and faculty are truly excited to learn that through the continued generosity of Melissa Sage Fadim and Sage Foundation, they will also fund the renovation of the second floor theatre over the next few years.

As theatre students, we live in Downs Hall and it’s incredibly satisfying to see what we can accomplish with our hard work. Hours spent in rehearsal, building the set and costumes, hanging the lights —

watching all of the elements come together just in time for opening night is our passion and the reactions of the audience make every second worth it all.

A new theatre will draw more students and patrons to enjoy the beauty of the building and experience the play brought to life on the stage. It is the combination of old and new that makes Downs Hall so unique, a combination that, thanks to Sage Foundation, will continue for years to come. I have loved being involved in Adrian College theatre and I am so thankful for all of the opportunities that I have here.

Gabrielle Piazza

A new theatre will draw more students and patrons to enjoy the beauty of the building and experience the play brought to life on the stage.

D OCKING Thank you, Gabrielle, we’re looking forward to enjoying many more plays in this

beautiful historical building on campus. Melissa Sage Fadim and Sage Foundation recently committed $625,000 to renovate the theatre which will be beautiful when it is done.

State of the College 2012 21

2012 Creativity Award

Preside n t D ocki n g & o ded Gur -A r ie , D ir ector of institute for entr epr eneur ial studies Do ck ing As we come near the end of

today’s State of the College we want to return to the creativity award. As I mentioned earlier, we are represented today by the authors of the top seven ideas as selected by the Creativity Committee under the leadership of Jennifer Ellsworth. And the individual who came up with the idea of a creativity award, Dr. Oded Gur-Arie, will help me announce the finalists. We ask the authors of the ideas to stand as we announce your name and your idea. The finalists for the 2012 Creativity Award are: Memo r ies L a s t a L i f e t i m e The College would buy a giant, oversized book in which each member of the graduating class could write their favorite memory to preserve for years to come.

— Kevin Stevens Senior, Media Arts Stu de n t O r ches t r a Ch rist m a s Alb u m A Christmas musical collection on CD performed by the Student Orchestra and sold in the bookstore.

— Janet Creque ’06 Public Relations Ta k e Y o u r B u lld o g t o Wor k Day A job shadowing project involving local businesses and alumni whereby students can learn about careers through the practical experience of shadowing others.

— Dr. Stephanie Jass, Faculty Member History Department Givin g B a ck T hr o ugh Mis s i o n s Work in the community to train children to care for humanity – teach them about mission trips, community service, etc.

— Katie Weber Junior, Business Administration & Marketing Major

22 ADRIAN COLLEGE

Senior Taelor Grier rode this bike onto the stage to deliver the winning entry for the Creativity Award

AC “ Y e llow B i k es Pr ogr a m” Make free bikes available throughout campus for people to share. Bikes will be available for trips throughout campus or into town. It’s a program that would also be very eco-friendly.

— Dr. Scott Elliott, Faculty Member Religion/Philosophy Department C r e at i vi ty “Pou n d” Designate an area to inspire creativity with whiteboard walls, Lego tables, iPads, swings, bean bags, massage and exercise balls, outdoor area hammocks, fountains, Chinese lanterns, etc., for all to use.

Dawson M ovi e Ni g hts Special nights at which movies, new movies would be shown in Dawson Auditorium with student workers being paid to be ushers and work a concessions stand.

— Rochelle Hyde Senior, Business Administration — Andrea Heide Junior, Media Arts — Garrett Waidelich Senior, Business Administration — Kellie Fisher Junior, Musical Theatre

— Janna D’Amico ’02 & Kellie Carnahan Career Planning D OCKING Let’s give a round of applause to these finalists.

Now a special delivery is coming from the back of the room to announce the winner. Taelor Grier, a senior in Media Arts and active student on campus will give Oded the winning envelope. Taelor rides a bicycle to the stage and up a ramp; hands big envelope to Oded.

GUR-ARIE And now the moment you’ve been waiting for, the

winner of the 2012, the first Creativity Award is #5 AC Yellow Bikes Campus Share Program submitted by Dr. Scott Elliott.

A $1,000 check will be presented to Scott and the AC Yellow Bikes Program will be funded up to $10,000. Scott could not be with us today but his wife Meredith is here. Meredith will you come forward? Presented Meredith with large check and congratulations.

DOCKING Our congratulations to Scott and thank you,

Meredith, for being here today. Thank you also, Oded, for your wonderfully creative idea.

To our other top finalists, a small token of our appreciation is at your seat and we thank you for sharing each of your creative ideas. Very well done, thank you.

President Docking and Professor Oded Gur-Arie presenting check to Dr. Scott Elliott’s wife, Meredith Elliott

The idea is to make bikes available for students, faculty, staff, whomever to check out and use to get around campus, town, or however they choose to use them, then check them back in whenever they’re done.

VI D EO HIGH L IGHTS

Creativity Award Presented On March 20, members of the Creativity Committee (from second left to right) Professor Oded Gur-Arie, Professor and Institute for Creativity Director Jennifer Ellsworth, Director of Public Relations Jennifer Compton, and Director of Planned Giving Lynn Schefsky presented this year’s award winner, Dr. Scott Elliott Wat ch full vi deo onl i ne

(far left) with a check for $1,000.

V i d eo

www.vimeo.com/adriancollege/ creativity

State of the College 2012 23

Orchard Apartments Fire

Preside n t D ocki n g & A n d rew D ove y, J unior (for J eff Young ’11) Do ck ing And so we end today with an

example of our caring community that happened on a late summer day, not long ago, when fire broke out in the Orchard Apartments next to campus. Thirteen students and two faculty members lost many of their belongings as the blaze swept through the building, however, the quick response from emergency personnel ensured that there was no loss of life. Word quickly spread throughout the community and people appeared from all over to help those in need.

One student who was personally touched by the fire was Jeff Young, a senior at the time and who graduated in December.

Jeff and his wife now live in Canada but he shared his story in an email that will now be read by his former hockey teammate, Adrian College Captain, Andrew Dovey. Andrew is a junior, Physical Education and K-12 Teacher Education Major. do v e y (for Jeff You ng ) I still

remember vividly the day of the fire as there was an emotional attachment to the events of that day. I was sitting in class right across the street from the apartments—my wife Katelyn and I left our apartment together 10 minutes earlier—and one of the guys in class sitting next to the window exclaimed that the building was on fire–and just then a fire truck pulled into the parking lot. Everyone in class rushed to the window and I remember my initial reaction: I was relieved it wasn’t our apartment that started the fire.

Then I realized how big the fire actually was, and the severity of the situation began to sink in.

Class was immediately dismissed as our professor was also a resident of the apartments. By the time we got outside, there was already what seemed like hundreds of students watching the situation develop. The next half hour I spent trying to get in touch with Katelyn and we finally met up. Once we found each other we decided we didn’t want to stay and try to guess how bad our place might be damaged.

24 ADRIAN COLLEGE

Andrew Dovey speaking on behalf of Jeff Young ’11

Jeff and Katelyn Young

tragedy brings out the best in people as they find a way to come together.

Later that night we were allowed back into our apartment to see what we could recover.

We were surprised to find that there was not a lot of fire damage in our place, but since it was a rafter fire and we were on the top floor, the ashes from the rafters filled our apartment and were mixed with water from the fire trucks. It was more of a huge mess than anything else but the work ahead of us seemed enormous.

That evening the entire hockey team came to our place and helped us dig through the rubble. We took everything we could salvage to the rink where all the guys helped us clean the ashes from our belongings.

The amount of support Katelyn and I received from those around us was overwhelming and humbling. To see people go over and above eagerly giving of their time and resources is something that we will never forget, and will do our best to pass on to those in need around us. The list of people to thank is endless but there are a few groups that stood out.

First off, the guys on the hockey team for willingly giving their time to help us recover our belongings. We wouldn’t have regained near the amount that we did without them.

They also started a collection to help us

replace items that could not be recovered.

To Coach Ron Fogarty who opened up his house to us the night of the fire and provided me with a new laptop to continue my school work.

To President Docking and Adrian College for providing temporary housing and meal plans for us. It made the intense stress of the situation seem much less, knowing our most essential needs would be taken care of.

And finally, Pastor Dan Crist and his wife Kayla and the entire congregation at One Mosaic Church in Adrian. They were an infinite supply of encouragement and financial support helping us get back on our feet.

I know it may sound cliché, but tragedy really brings out the best in people as they find a way to come together. Katelyn and I have been truly blessed by the community of Adrian and we are so grateful to God that we were able to get back to normal so easily and that no one was hurt. Thank you.

D OCKING Thank you, Andrew.

THIS PAGE After the fire, a glimpse at the devastation left in the aftermath.

Ph o t o g ra p h y Erik Gable Courtney Walsh, Junior

State of the College 2012 25

WITNESSING MIRACLES Prene l l a S emma

D OCKING And one final student who also

wanted to say a few words about the fire.

Prenella Semma, a senior majoring in Exercise Science is in New York today but she shared her story and the story of her little dog, in the following video.

VI D EO HIGH L IGHTS

Story of a survivor For Prenella Semma, the events on the afternoon of August 29, 2011, remain firmly imprinted in her heart. As the fire raged, emergency personnel would fight to contain the impressive blaze as flames danced through the roof of the structure. All the while, Semma, a senior at Adrian College, anxiously awaited word on the fate of her beloved companion, Gizmo. In the hours following the destruction, Semma would wait beyond the barriers urging firefighters to look one Wat ch full vi deo onl i ne

more time. On the third trip they emerged holding a saturated and shaking little black dog. Gizmo would be reunited with his owner — soaking wet, but otherwise unscathed.

This is their story.

V i d eo

www.vimeo.com/40317052 D OCKING And that’s our story. So I thank all of you for coming today and for the wonderful

year that we now close the book on. I look forward to sharing the exciting changes ahead with all of you.

26 ADRIAN COLLEGE

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