AU Family Winter 2018

AU Family A publication for families of Aurora University undergraduate students

WINTER 2018

Dear Friends, Welcome to the 2018 spring semester! This edition of the newsletter provides updates on a variety of important subjects.

Here you will find information about our May commencement ceremonies. It is never too early to make plans to celebrate your student’s achievement.

Winter weather always brings questions about travel.

Remember that AU will provide information about class cancellations directly to your student via a text message. The website (aurora.edu) is also a good resource on this subject.

As always, I welcome your questions or comments. Feel free to drop me an email at sherrick@aurora.edu or to phone at 630-844-5475. I promise to respond right away.

Speaking of commencement, plans are underway to hold our first mid-year ceremony at the conclusion of the fall 2018 semester. As soon as details are finalized, we will share information about the mid-year ceremony with students and families.

All of us on campus are excited about the new 4+1 programs that will be introduced later this spring. If you have a son or daughter contemplating graduate study, you will want to learn more.

Class of 2018 families: Save the date for commencement With the start of the new year, plans for spring commencement are in full swing. The undergraduate ceremony will take place Sunday, May 6, 2018, at 2 p.m. on the University Quadrangle. If your student has not done so already, please remind him/her that all degree candidates scheduled for graduation in December 2017 or May or August 2018 must file an application for graduation through their WebAdvisor account. Even if they choose not to participate in the ceremony, they need to complete the graduation application. A cap and gown should be ordered at the same time. Information packets, which will include tickets for the ceremony, will be available during Cap and Gown Days on campus Tuesday, April 10, and Wednesday, April 11. For more information about commencement, visit aurora.edu/commencement.

Sincerely,

Rebecca L. Sherrick President

University chaplain ministers to all University Chaplain Mark Woolfington knows Aurora University well, having graduated from the institution in 1993.

He later earned a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Seminary and then a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Seminary.

Woolfington connects with AU students along their faith journeys and provides guidance to those in the AU community seeking support and counsel.

What types of programming and support do you offer students?

My colleagues at the Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action and I plan programs and activities around three pillars: community service, leadership and faith. In my role as university chaplain, I work with each of the faith-based student groups on campus, and I lead some regular gatherings for students. I host a monthly “Coffee with the Chaplain” as a way to meet students and build relationships with them. I also collaborate with the Office of Residence Life to offer a blessing or devotional to on-campus students.

Does a chaplain serve students of all different faiths?

Yes, I serve students of all faiths and those who don’t identify with any particular religion. Some of the best conversations that I’ve had have been with students who didn’t really know what a chaplain is or does. One freshman said that I was the first member of the clergy that he’d ever talked with outside of his own faith. I took that as a compliment! Students can find spiritual resources from many different traditions in Lowry Chapel on the third floor of Eckhart Hall.

The AU Choirs will be joined by the Fox Valley Orchestra during the annual spring concert.

AU AND ARTS GO HAND IN HAND Students performing in a Shakespearean comedy, an opera workshop and eclectic choir concerts added to the culture of arts on campus during fall semester. Such experiences continue this spring when students present the dark musical comedy “Into the Woods” in Perry Theatre in April. Concerts with the AU Band and Flute Ensemble as well as a collaborative presentation with the AU Choirs and Fox Valley Orchestra will also be featured. For more information about free cultural arts events on campus, visit auartsandideas.com.

How do you work with students and other professional support colleagues on campus?

Students have come to me with a wide range of questions or problems. They might ask me to pray with them or have a question about their faith. Other students have wanted to find a place to worship in the area. I’ve also helped students with class projects and interviews.

Once in a while, I meet a student who needs more than a listening ear and a prayer, so I work closely with the Counseling Center for referrals. My colleagues there are great and truly care about our students. I’m also in regular contact with the residence hall directors and the Student Life staff. The Athletics Department has also been very supportive of my work as chaplain and the Wackerlin Center in general.

Students presented “Twelfth Night” during the fall semester.

Katie Vondra

Julia Wood

Spartan Athletic Park

ANOTHER GREAT SEMESTER FOR SPARTANS Spartan Spirit is taking off just south of the main campus. Twelve games were hosted at the new Spartan Athletic Park during fall semester, including football and men’s and women’s soccer contests. This winter, the park will open with a women’s lacrosse game on February 21, followed by a men’s lacrosse game on February 28 and a softball game on March 15.

AU Athletics continued to make history last fall. Women’s volleyball made the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time. Men’s cross country won its third straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) championship. Thirty-five Spartans were named NACC All-Conference along with one NACC Player of the Year (Kam Dawtyne for Football Defensive Player of the Year) and two NACC Freshman of the Year honors (Henry Zehnal, men’s soccer, and Madison Erickson, women’s golf). Five Spartans were named All-Region, including freshman women’s volleyball player Julia Wood being named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Region Freshman of the Year. Senior volleyball player Katie Vondra was also recognized as the AVCA Second-Team All-American.

MORE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS HELP STUDENTS DISCOVER WHAT MATTERS Aurora University students have new areas of study to consider with the addition of several majors in the arts and sciences. Students can now choose to major in graphic design, parks and recreation leadership, software engineering, and writing. The new options add to more than 40 majors and minors offered to students on the main Aurora campus.

Students wanting to explore a new discipline are encouraged to meet with advisors in the Crouse Center for Student Success.

Henry Zehnal

Kam Dawtyne

Madison Erickson

Men’s Cross Country Team

4 + 1 = 2 ACADEMIC DEGREES Aurora University undergraduate students can soon pursue a one-year, full-time Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration or Master of Science in Accountancy immediately following their undergraduate program, earning two degrees in five years. While enrolled, students are immersed in premier internship experiences and networking opportunities. For more information, visit aurora.edu/plusone.

INCREASED EARNING POTENTIAL

STREAMLINED APPLICATION PROCESS

U.S. workers holding a master’s degree earn 30 percent more in average annual salary than those with a bachelor’s degree.

No application fee and no GMAT/GRE required.

U.S.News & World Report, 2012

A BEST VALUE

Affordability and impressive outcomes define the AU graduate programs.

Crain’s Chicago Business, 2017

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Students participate in premier internships and networking opportunities with area business executives.

Campus Connections SPECIAL EVENTS

CONTACTS

Campus Public Safety 630-844-6140 | cpsafety@aurora.edu Office of Financial Aid 630-844-6190 | finaid@aurora.edu

Author Barbara Brown Taylor presents “Downtime: The Sacred Art of Stopping” March 12, 2018 | 7:30 p.m. | Crimi Auditorium Illinois Supreme Court Justices Anne M. Burke and Rita P. Garman present “Women in Leadership” March 27, 2018 | 7:30 p.m. | Crimi Auditorium

Office of Residence Life 630-844-5446 | reslife@aurora.edu Office of Student Accounts 630-844-5470 | student.accts@aurora.edu

Spring Musical: “Into the Woods” April 13–14 and 18–21, 2018 | 7:30 p.m. | Perry Theatre April 14 and 21, 2018 | 2:30 p.m. | Perry Theatre AU Spring Choral Concert with the Fox Valley Orchestra April 28, 2018 | 7:30 p.m. | Crimi Auditorium

Stay on top of the latest AU news, events and photos: aurorauniversity

@aurorau

@aurorauniversity

news.aurora.edu

Follow the latest athletic news and events: @au_spartans

Lora de Lacey, Vice President for Student Life @LoradeLacey

Sammy Spartan (AU mascot) @AUSammySpartan

@auspartansports

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WINTER 2018