The Columbia Chronicle November 3, 2014

Page 1

Arts & Culture: Friends paint mural in Pilsen to

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commemorate slain newsman James Foley, See pg. 17

Online exclusive video

Miss Black Illinois pageant fosters female empowerment

Opinions: Chicago police begin random screenings on the CTA, See pg. 32

FALL 2014

WEEKS LEFT

No. 1 Non-Daily College Newspaper in the Nation MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014

THE OFFICIAL NEWS SOURCE OF COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO

VOLUME 50, ISSUE 10

Illinois grants Columbia $7.2 million

Carolina Sánchez THE CHRONICLE Gov. Pat Quinn discusses the $6.2 million grant that the state awarded to Columbia for the 2014–2015 academic year to improve curricula and pay for construction costs. Quinn visited the Conaway Center, 1104 S.Wabash Ave., on Oct. 28. He is up for reelection Nov. 3.

CARISSA DEGEN Assistant Campus Editor AS THE GUBERNATORIAL race comes

down to the wire, incumbent Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is vocal about his administration’s commitment to higher education. Quinn appeared on campus Oct. 28 to announce that the state government would give the college a $7.2 million grant to improve curricula and defray developmental costs. In speaking at the Conaway Cen-

ter in the 1104 S. Wabash Ave. Building, Quinn discussed why the state chose to invest in the institution. “I always like coming to Columbia College,” Quinn said. “Democracy depends on education for everyone, and this institution, for decades, has been making education available and helpful to so many different students.” Although the total amount of the grant is $7.2 million, only $1 million is going toward aspects of the curriculum for the 2015–2016 academic year. The remaining

funds are a final payment of a previously awarded grant, according to Alicia Berg, vice president of Campus Environment. “The grant was awarded to the college [and] all the other [Illinois] colleges several years ago, and it has been paid out in several different payments to build the Media Production Center [located at 1600 S. State St.],” Berg said. “Essentially, the grant is reimbursing us for costs already expended.” Quinn said he invested in the college to help it continue its cre-

ative educational mission. He said the $1 million in new funds will go toward an innovation studio to enhance Columbia’s role as a media school and allow students to make a difference. “When you make an investment of millions of dollars, you want to have something pay dividends, and the students who come through these doors are going to change and make life better in Illinois for hundreds and hundreds of people over the course of their lifetime,” Quinn said. “Making this investment will

help the institution impart knowledge to young people, and not-soyoung people, to get degrees here and make a difference in our state and in our world.” The innovation studio will partner with Pilsen-based Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, a new presence on campus, to give students a hands-on relationship with the field they are studying, according to Mark Degnen, chief financial officer for Cinespace Chicago.

xx SEE QUINN, PG. 9

College solicits Strategic Plan feedback KATHERINE DAVIS Campus Editor

COLUMBIA LAUNCHED A feedback

campaign Oct. 30 to aggregate and review comments from the campus community as it refines its Strategic Plan, an initiative designed to implement six goals the college plans to accomplish in the next five years. The feedback process runs through Dec. 8 and will allow contributors the choice of giving input through two methods—on Civic Commons, a nonprofit online forum, and through various 90-minute roundtable discussions on campus, both of which will continue through the end of the feedback phase, according to Stan Wearden, senior vice president and provost.

The plan, which was presented to the college in September by a committee consisting of 20 student and employee representatives, addresses six goals that include improving student success and curriculum, diversifying the student body, increasing enrollment, raising the college’s profile and responsibly managing the college’s fiscal budget, according to Wearden. He said Columbia’s decision to consider input from constituencies such as students, staff, faculty and alumni was part of an all-encompassing initiative to enlist feedback from all sectors of the community. “You often make better decisions if they are more inclusive and if you listen to a lot of ideas from a lot of different people,” Wearden said. “We want to make sure we’re as open as pos-

Paula Cole delivers Grammy-worthy advice • PAGE 3

sible to good ideas and that we take them from all possible areas.” The first roundtable discussion, which will be held Nov. 5 at the Ferguson Auditorium in the 600 S. Michigan Ave. Building, will address enrollment. Following the initial gathering, five other discussions will address specific goals and be held through the end of November, according to an Oct. 30 collegewide email. In addition to roundtable discussions, feedback can also be given online on Civic Commons. Wearden said new prompts inquiring about each of the six goals will be posted every Monday and Thursday for contributors who cannot make it to the roundtable discussions. Wearden said because

xx SEE STRATEGIC, PG. 9

U.S. health care most expensive worldwide • PAGE 11

Kelly Wenzel THE CHRONICLE President Kwang-Wu Kim discussed the strategic plan process Oct. 24 during a Town Hall meeting with faculty at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.

Ghouls overtake Columbia campus • PAGE 20

Who’s our next governor? We tell you. • PAGE 35 T HE COLUMBIA C HRONICLE


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