Field dedication Sept. 9 
Central College will dedicate its new football field before the home opener against Hope College Saturday, Sept. 9, at 10:30 a.m. A tailgate lunch will be available starting at 11 a.m. The Central vs. Hope football game is the first time in history the two RCA schools have matched up in competition.
Volunteer at the elementary schools
Are you interested in volunteering with Pella Community Elementary students? Individuals are needed to read weekly with students in grades K-5 for 30 minutes to an hour. Reading has to be done between 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. the same time and day of the week at Webster, Lincoln and Jefferson Elementaries. Central employees are allowed 16 hours per fiscal year for community volunteer time. Hours are prorated for less than full-time employees. Contact Mary Glendening at 641-628-1545 or glendeningm@central.edu for more information.
Lunch at Allied/Nationwide
A lunch for alumni and friends employed at Allied/Nationwide in Des Moines is Monday, Sept. 25, from 12-1 p.m. Faculty and staff are invited to attend to reconnect with our alumni www.central.edu/alumni/events.html.
Peace pole dedication
The peace pole dedication will be Thursday, Sept. 21, on the lawn southeast of Geisler Library at 5 p.m. Sept. 21 is the International Day of Peace as designated by the United Nations.
Staley Lecture
Leonard Sweet, voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America in 2006, will be at Central College Tuesday, Sept. 19, as this year’s Staley Lecture speaker. He will speak at 11 a.m. in the Upper Chapel and again at 7:30 p.m. in Cox-Snow Recital Hall.
Currently, he’s the E. Stanley Jones professor of evangelism at Drew Theological School in Madison, N.J., and visiting distinguished professor at George Fox University in Portland, Ore. Sweet is the author of more than 100 articles, 600 published sermons and 30 books, most recently The 3 Most Difficult Words in the World To Get Right (2006).
Homecoming/Family Weekend
The schedule for Homecoming/Family Weekend Friday-Sunday, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, is available at www.central.edu/alumni/homecoming.html.
Central ranks in U.S.News & World Report again!
U.S.News & World Report released its rankings for America’s best colleges and Central College ranked among the best in three categories.
- Central ranks in the top 10 in the Midwest in comprehensive colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree at number 10.
“These institutions focus on undergraduate education and offer a range of degree programs in the liberal arts, which account for fewer than half of their bachelor’s degrees and in professional fields. There are 320 comprehensive colleges ranked within four regions (North, South, Midwest and West).”
- Central ranked 10th in the Midwest in comprehensive colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in “Great Schools, Great Prices.”
Great Schools , Great Prices: “The formula used to determine which colleges and universities offer the best value relates a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its U.S. News ranking, to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in the top half of their categories are included, on the premise that the most significant values are among colleges that are above average academically.”
- Central also was among schools listed in study abroad in the “programs to look for” section.
“Programs at these schools involve substantial academic work for credit ... and considerable interaction with the local culture.”
Highlights of the college rankings are in the Aug. 28 edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine. For more information and rankings, go to www.usnews.com/rankings.
IPCW at Central Aug. 7-11
Central is one of 29 private colleges and universities that participated in Iowa Private College Week Aug. 7-11. Over 500 prospective students visited campus.
CAE report 2005
Though the Center for Academic Excellence’s one-to-one tutorials decreased last year, the Supplemental Instruction program picked up the slack. From the executive summary, here is how the CAE retains its role as an active player in meeting the needs of our at-risk students:
- During academic 2005, the CAE served 64 percent of Central’s on-campus enrollment;
- During academic 2005, 55 percent of Central’s on-campus enrollment used both the tutoring and SI programs;
- During academic 2005, the SI program served 45 percent of Central’s on-campus enrollment;
- During academic 2005, 33 percent of our grant population, Student Support Services students, used the CAE;
- During academic 2005, all of the evaluation data — surveys from CAE users, CAE peer tutors, faculty, SI users and SI leaders — showcased high marks in all categories from its various constituencies.
The CAE’s success is attributed to the collective work of all those in this unit and for the guidance received from Nancy Kroese (student support services) and Vivian Rippentrop (academic affairs).
Employee Spotlight - Abby Gonzales
Name: Abby Gonzales
Department: marketing and
media relations
Title: news and marketing writer
About me: A 2002 Central graduate and native of Guthrie Center, Iowa.
Starlight Scholarships for 2007
As of Aug. 1, 15 faculty, retired faculty and administrators have pledged to sponsor new Starlight Scholarships for 2007. They include: Phil George (education); Jim (political science) and Louise Zaffiro (chemistry), one each; Don and Maxine Huffman, one each; Chad Ray (philosophy); Mary Stark (English); David ErkenBrack (biology); Marty Feeney (communication studies); Chia Ning (history); Kim Koza (English); Jon (sociology) and Lori Witt (history); Dale (sociology) and Kris DeWild (music); Tim Hoekstra (media center); and one mystery benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous.
Approximately 20-30 others are considering this opportunity with the goal of 50 new private scholarships of $500 each beginning in 2007. These will provide a small extra incentive to aid the most gifted students who are undecided in their choice of a college.
This year, there were only six new scholarships, with those accepting averaging 30 on the ACT.
Witt published
Jon Witt’s (sociology) book, The Big Picture: A Sociology Primer, was released by McGraw-Hill July 27. There also is a blog in support of the book available at www.soc101.com.
Summer graduate courses receive high enrollment and high praise from teachers
Graduate courses were held this summer in nine cities across Iowa, receiving an enrollment of 163 students. The courses were administered by Diane Van Wyngarden (extended education) and were a response to a request from Iowa teachers asking Central College to offer graduate-level teacher license renewal courses in locations closer to their homes. Pella classes were taught by Matt Diehl (student support services). The enrollment was enthusiastic, as were the course evaluations. A music teacher in the Pella class wrote, “This is definitely the best graduate course I have taken;” and an Oskaloosa high school teacher/coach stated, “This is the most useful course I have ever taken. I have been coaching for 31 years, and it made me re-evaluate some of my coaching techniques.”
Van Wyngarden selected to administer new national Elderhostel program
National Elderhostel Inc. of Boston, Mass., selected Diane Van Wyngarden (extended education) to be the administrator and instructor of its new Elderhostel programs about the Upper Mississippi River. The announcement follows an intensive two-year proposal and interview process. The new programs, which will be added to Van Wyngarden’s existing Iowa Elderhostel programs, will be marketed to a national audience and begin in 2007.
Kellar receives certification
Michelle Kellar (counseling) attained certification as a National Certified Counselor through the National Board for Certified Counselors Inc (NBCC). The NBCC is the largest national counselor credentialing organization in the United States. There are more than 40,000 certified NCCs through the NBCC. National certification promotes professional accountability and ensures consumers’ rights are protected through the NBCC code of ethics.
Jones completes course, certified
Eric Jones (student life) recently completed a two-year process pursuing the course of study leading to reality therapy certification. Reality therapy is a psychotherapy founded by Dr. William Glasser in the 1960s. The curriculum also explores choice theory and lead-management practices. As part of the certification process, Jones traveled to Jersey City, N.J., and presented curriculum from the Central College ACCESS classes.
Zaffiro at seminar
Jim Zaffiro (political science/environmental studies) participated in an international faculty development seminar sponsored by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE): “International Institutions and the Challenge of Globalization” at the Institute for European Studies, Free University of Belgium (VUB), Brussels June 4-12, with thanks to the Faculty Research and Development Committee and dean of faculty for major financial support.
Babcock featured recitalist
Aug. 27, Mark Babcock (music) was the featured organ recitalist for the rededication of the recently renovated Reuter Pipe Organ at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mason City, Iowa. Babcock was a consultant for the three-year organ renovation project.
Pavlat at leadership summit
Dave Pavlat (exercise science) attended the Leadership Summit in Barrington, Ill., Aug. 10-12. The summit is sponsored by the Willow Creek Association. Over 80,000 people participated in Barrington and via satellite locations around the world.
Den Adel at annual meeting
Kevin Den Adel (accounting) attended the American Accounting Association’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., Aug. 7-9.
Mathematicians graders for placement test
Wendy Weber (mathematics) and Al Hibbard (mathematics) were readers/graders for the advanced placement calculus exam at Colorado State University in Fort Collins June 1-8.
Weihe on conservation and preserves committee
Paul Weihe (biology) was appointed to the Conservation and Preserves Committee of the Iowa Academy of Sciences (IAS). This advisory committee reports to the IAS on matters of Iowa natural resources and makes recommendations to the governor for appointments to the State Preserves Advisory Board.
Webber part of Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau
Once again, Phil Webber (modern languages) is part of the Humanities Iowa Speakers Bureau. His first event for the current season was a media-rich presentation at the Kendall Young Library in Webster City Aug. 28. Webber presented a variety of photographic images that suggest some of the major historical settlement patterns in Iowa and current trends in new immigration areas from areas as diverse as Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Oyen at Web developers conference
Jacob Oyen (marketing and media relations) attended the eduWeb conference in Baltimore, Md., July 30-Aug. 1. The conference, intended for higher education Web professionals, covered podcasting in admission, search engine marketing, Web site benchmarking and blogging in higher education.
Council reports new to CampusTown
To update you on the work of the Enrollment and Financial Support Council and the Student Learning and Development Council, each council will report its work monthly in CampusTown. Enrollment and Financial Support Council will report in the first issue of the month and the Student Learning and Development Council the second issue.
The Enrollment and Financial Support Council meets weekly. Most recent discussions included review of the U.S.News & World Report rankings, its methodology and opportunities for Central to influence indicators used to measure academic quality. Summer work included discussions on brand marketing; communication flow; RCA initiatives including relationship building; the new RCA Classis Scholarship and the new RCA admission and advancement liaison position; and the new transfer initiative. Area updates and a report from the Student Learning and Development Council are given each week.
Also, Larry Erenberger, senior vice president of the National Research Center for Colleges and Universities Admissions led a professional development seminar for admission counselors, coaches, Central College Abroad, marketing and media relations and council members.
Strategic Planning Initiatives
AQIP report and Continuous Quality Improvements
The Strategic Plan was presented at the President’s address Aug. 31. You will find the three-year plan on http://my.Central.edu along with the president’s state-of-the-college adress. MyCentral allows the college to improve communication and employees to access information, which will help in grant writing, understanding the outcomes of our programs and registration information. You will find a Quality and Strategic Planning Documents folder with Central’s benchmark and tracking schools, enrollment documents, standardized assessments summaries and the series of reports that have been filed in the AQIP office. You will want to spend quality time to become well informed by using the following instructions:
Instructions:
Log in to http://my.Central.edu and click the content collection tab in the upper right corner;
In the gray box on the left, select Central’s Content;
For the menu, choose Quality and Strategic Planning Documents;
Select either internal or public documents;
Click the document of your choice.
Students Doing Interesting Things
Students at ACCESS retreat 
Ninety-seven first-year students enrolled in ACCESS class participated in a 24-hour retreat at the 4-H Center in Madrid, Iowa, Aug. 25-26. The students engaged in personal challenges and team building activities and were encouraged to apply the skills they learned to the process of transitioning to college.
The instructors facilitating the class were Nic Nelson (athletics), Adam Stevens (athletics), Lisa Hetzel (student life) and Matt Diehl (student support services). Peer instructors who collaborated on the project included sophomores Owen Haberman, Natalie Cardamone, Bridget Prescott, Ben Heithoff and Jen Schooley. A big thank you goes out to the following Central College staff members who volunteered their weekend to spend with the students: Kevin Sanger (athletics), Tim Hoekstra (media services), Kelsey Kaska (VISTA) and Abby Gonzales (marketing and media relations). 
Christine Day is visiting instructor of education.
Becky De Hart is visiting assistant professor of mathematics.
Rachel Fleming is visiting assistant professor of library science.
Keith Jones is associate professor of psychology.
Nicole Kaplan is associate professor of French.
David Kauper is instructor of economics.
Mathew Kelly is visiting assistant professor of art.
Arthur Mask is assistant professor of library science and technical services librarian.
Beth McMahon is assistant professor of library science and reference and instruction librarian.
Elena Vishnevskaya is assistant professor of religion.
Yuan Jing is a visiting Chinese scholar.
Edwin Zehner is visiting assistant professor of anthropology.
Claire Anderson and Tim Bates joined student life as residence hall directors.
Don Efinger joined campus ministries as Catholic campus ministries coordinator.
Ron Fadness is the mock trial coach and adjunct instructor of business management.
Bryan George joined marking and media relations as sports information intern.
Betsy Kuecker joined Central College Abroad as coordinator of admission.
Sara McMahan joined dining services as quality control supervisor.
Alicia O’Brien joined admission as coordinator of transfer students and joined athletics as senior woman’s athletic administrator and associate head softball coach.
Gina Santi joined Central College Abroad as director of the Merida, Mexico, program.
Shea Stamp joined admission as an admission representative.
Sarah Williams joined dining services as catering chef coordinator.
Anna Bates (advancement) is director of the Central Fund. Bates previously was an admission counselor.
We extend our sympathy to Teuy Baccam (dining services) in the passing of her son, Patrick Baccam, Aug. 8. Patrick was 25 years old.
Upcoming holidays
The campus will be closed the following days for the holidays:
Thursday-Friday, Nov. 23-24;
Friday, Dec. 22 (close at noon);
Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 25-26 and Jan. 1-2.
Tuition exchange
Central College has been a member of the tuition exchange (TE) program since 1991-92. The TE program provides the opportunity for eligible dependents of faculty and staff to receive undergraduate scholarships at one of the participating member institutions. A list of over 570 colleges and universities that participate in the TE program can be found on the TE Web page www.tuitionexchange.org. Applications for new and returning dependents for the TE program must be submitted to human resources by Wednesday, Nov. 1, for the 2007-08 academic year. The form to submit for Tuition Exchange can be found on the HR module under “forms.” In addition to the application form, you will also need to submit a copy of your 2005 tax return showing verification of dependent status. TE eligibility is limited to full-time employees and may be limited based on point criteria established by the college in 2005.
Tuition reduction
Tuition reduction benefits are available for spouses and dependent children commencing in the academic period following two years of continuous employment for a full-time employee, or 3,328 accumulated hours for other than full-time employment, as an employee of the college, you receive this benefit immediately upon employment. Minority-time employees (less than 1,000 hours or less than .50 FTE) are eligible only for tuition reduction benefits for child dependents as stated in the most recent policy (April 2005). Temporary employees are not eligible for this benefit. The form to submit for tuition reduction can be found on the HR module. Please submit this form for new and returning students to the human resources by Wednesday, Nov. 1, for the 2007-08 academic year. In addition to the application form, you also will need to submit a copy of your 2005 tax return showing verification of dependent status.
Reminder
The phone list and departmental directory can be found on the HR module. These resources are updated on a monthly basis (usually by the end of the first week every month). You can access these resources by following these steps:
- Click on Internet Explorer;
- Go to http://my.central.edu;
- Enter your username and password;
- Click on the infocentral tab at the top of the page;
- Locate the human resources section of the Web site and where it says newsletters, documents and helpful Web sites, click on resources.
Open Positions
Central College invites applications for a tenure-line position as assistant professor of psychology. Ph.D. or Psy.D. is required. Please visit the college Web site at www.central.edu for a full position description and application procedures.
Administrative Staff Openings
Support Staff Openings
Administrative Assistant, Intercultural Life and Total Success/Early Alert
Grounds and Utility Worker – Part-time
Please click on the position that interests you to see a detailed description. If you would like to download an application, click here or visit the college Web site at www.central.edu for more information.
Central College is strongly committed to creating a diverse community. In furtherance of that commitment, the college encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds, under represented groups and/or those who have had experience working with and/or interacting with individuals from diverse populations to apply. Central College is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and actively seeks a diverse pool of candidates.
News items should be submitted to Abby Gonzales by noon Friday, Sept. 15.