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CAMPUS NEWS New employee recognition award announced ATHLETICS Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame takes on a new look WESLEYAN SUCCESS Wesleyan welcomes one of its biggest classes in almost two decades VOL NUM FALL 57 01 15 IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: 06 A BOLD MOMENT I AM WESLEYAN JASON AND TRACI BENDER Seeing the educational, economical and cultural benefits of Iowa Wesleyan University Also as part of her Lomont has enthusiastically supported Iowa responsibilities at IWU she Wesleyan in the past and will continue to do works with internal and so, Jason said. external groups scheduling events on campus, from Recently, he participated in the room set-up to billing. She Commission on the Future of Wesleyan stays busy, she said. and was impressed with the community’s involvement. “The turnout was amazing,” Jason, who grew up he said. in Wapello, Iowa and graduated from Iowa He enjoyed the opportunity to offer a Wesleyan in 1998 business perspective on the importance of with a degree in sports the university’s presence in the southeast management. He received Iowa community. Business is different today, his master’s of business he said. It’s important to offer training administration in 2005 opportunities to employees. “Business and and has been president technology are changing at a rapid pace of Lomont Molding in and Iowa Wesleyan provides a resource for Mount Pleasant, since educating our employees.” August 2014. Michael Adams That’s where the university can help raci and Jason Bender ’98 The couple married in 2000 in Mount businesses. “We want Lomont employees to both hail from small towns in Pleasant. The way Jason describes the have a well-rounded background,” he said. southeast Iowa and embrace the relationship is, “We’re both very family “We’re looking for people who have the virtues of a community where oriented and enjoy doing things together.” skills of starting something and finishing it.” everyoneT knows each other, especially when A degree from Iowa Wesleyan shows that it comes to raising their three boys. Today, that mostly involves supporting the potential employee has had exposure to a the boys’ activities. It appears there’s not number of different disciplines. The Benders have their plates full. Raising a sport the boys don’t love, with a short three children would keep any family list that includes football, basketball, He sees two simple reasons why businesses busy—and the Bender boys are an active wrestling, baseball and track. “They love should support Iowa Wesleyan: “First, bunch, immersed in school and sports. Traci participating,” Traci said, “and we love going it is important to the community that and Jason have active professional lives, also. to their games and meets.” Iowa Wesleyan stays viable,” he said. Iowa Wesleyan impacts everyone in Traci, who grew up in Morning Sun, works Jason has had a steady climb up the Mount Pleasant and the region, not just as the assistant to the dean of students, and corporate ladder at Lomont. He started out educationally, but economically and helps students with all their needs from in sales and marketing and since then has culturally, as well. setting up a doctor’s visit to helping with had a number of different roles, including residential life. She gets to experience Iowa vice president of new business development, “Secondly, I see Iowa Wesleyan as a hiring Wesleyan up close and personal, and she vice president of sales and executive vice tool,” Jason said. Just the ability to tell a enjoys her work, especially the chance to president. His responsibilities have taken prospective employee that you have a four- work with the students. “Everyone is like a him to China, Singapore, Japan, Mexico and year university in your community is so family,” she said. all over the United States. beneficial to recruiting, he said. TABLE OF CONTENTS Features In This Issue 06 A bold moment 03 Wesleyan Success 10 Igniting our passions 08 Presidential Student Profiles 14 Iowa Wesleyan’s vision is good for business 12 Commencement 2015 16 Historic precedent as a university 20 Board of Trustees 18 Homecoming 2015 23 Campus News 28 Athletics 33 Class Notes The Purple & White is published two times a year by Iowa Wesleyan University for alumni, friends, faculty and staff. Send Class Notes and contact information changes to the Alumni Relations Office, Iowa Wesleyan University, 601 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641-1398. Ph: 319.385.6215 Fax: 319.385.6296 Email: [email protected] Website: www.iw.edu Left: Iowa Wesleyan University hosted a booth at the Iowa State Fair in partnership with the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, Midwest Old Threshers and the City of Mount Pleasant. University information and prizes were distributed by faculty, staff, and alumni and questions from inquiring youth and adults were answered. Over 150 prospective students filled out IWU interest cards and more than 200 alumni and friends Anita Hampton Anita signed the alumni book. IW.EDU 01 EDITOR LETTER FROM Ashlee Whipple [email protected] FREELANCE WRITER THE EDITOR Michael Adams PUBLICATION MANAGER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sheri Michaels [email protected] PRESIDENT Dr. Steven Titus [email protected] SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT Meg Richtman am delighted to share with you that in May the Iowa Wesleyan Board of Trustees took [email protected] unanimous action to change the name of Iowa Wesleyan College to Iowa Wesleyan DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI University, effective August 10, 2015. As you may know, Iowa Wesleyan was a “university” RELATIONS from 1855-1912. So while this change reflects a bold move forward, it also honors our Ihistorical roots as an innovating and leading institution of higher education. Anita Brent Hampton ’71 [email protected] The Board of Trustees directed the appointment of a “University” Task Force to continue to SPORTS INFORMATION engage alumni, students, faculty, staff, friends, volunteers and community leaders through town DIRECTOR hall meetings, focus groups, conversations, alumni events around the country and through Anna Jones Zander ’12 electronic surveys. Approximately 5,000 surveys were sent and nearly 1,000 responded. Over [email protected] eighty percent both agreed or strongly agreed that the time was right for Iowa Wesleyan to again become Iowa Wesleyan University. The support for this transition was overwhelmingly positive and it reflects the present and future direction of Iowa Wesleyan. Iowa Wesleyan has been serving students since 1842 and our goal is to continue to do that. By transitioning to University, we recognize the wants, needs and expectations of higher education and the southeast Iowa region. The term “university” speaks to the learning already happening on IWU’s campus for both undergraduate and graduate students. As the Commission on the Future of Wesleyan studied economic and industry trends and analyzed information gathered from faculty, staff, alumni, students, parents, community member and business leaders, it became apparent that in order to meet the needs of today’s students and the demands of the workforce, we needed to invest in change, in growth and in our ability to serve. The name change also complements Wesleyan’s new mission of being a transformational learning community passionate in educating, empowering and inspiring students to lead meaningful lives and careers. It’s simple; the term “university” really describes who we are and what we are doing at IWU. Iowa Wesleyan University is a place for possibilities—173 years strong in history and in tradition and ready to chart a new course for our future. [email protected] 02 IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | FALL 2015 WESLEYAN SUCCESS THE LAUNCH OF OASIS Strategic plan calls for elevating the role of academic support services on campus and in the process moving from a reactive model to a dynamic proactive program designed to ensure student success he Academic Resource Center (ARC), a long-time fixture on the Wesleyan campus, got a new name, and more importantly, a newT mission. “ARC was a place for students to get extra help with their classes,” said Nicole Briell, director of the Office of Academic Success and Inclusive Support (OASIS). “It was more of a drop-in atmosphere and in that respect, more reactive. As OASIS it is a more proactive place for students.” The move from ARC to OASIS began, in essence, with recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Wesleyan to boost the academic support services Michael Adams provided to students. As a result of the Directed by Nicole Briell, far right, the OASIS program broadens the mission to ensure student success, commission’s recommendation, a proposal offering not only academic support but the life skills needed to succeed following graduation. was developed in 2014 and submitted to the Students from left are, Brandi Stewart, Theresa Maestro and Noah Conley. Seated is Zoie Spurr. president’s cabinet for consideration as a part of the college’s, now university’s, strategic plan. is able to help with all subjects taught on Her team includes a part-time assistant and the campus and is available to traditional nine to 10 peer mentors—student tutors— As part of the proposal development, residential students and non-traditional who are trained to help students with class Briell researched what other colleges and Adult and Graduate Studies students. And work, research papers, proofreading and universities offered their students in the part of the program’s charter is to assist study skills. In order to work as a peer academic support realm and incorporated international students as they adjust to the mentor, students must have exemplary best practices into the drafting of the academic culture in the United States and grades in their subject matter, receive a OASIS proposal.

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