ENHANCED CAMPUS
The year began with over $3.3 million in campus projects completed in the summer of 2018. These improvements were designed to support student success and the diverse needs of IC’s growing student body. Work included revamping the classrooms located in IC’s iconic Sturtevant Hall and transforming the house that was gifted to IC in 2017 by Ernst “Chet” ’36 and Louise Bone into the new Center for Global Studies. Today, the center has been established as the campus hub for international and
intercultural learning.

A new fitness center and weight room for use by all students, new field turf for Green Athletic Field at England Stadium, a refinished floor in Sherman Gymnasium and
several additional improvements to the Bruner Fitness and Recreation Center were also completed. These upgrades reaffirmed IC’s commitment to the overall health and wellness of students. A major portion of the funding for these projects came from generous gifts to the College by donors. The impact of the upgrades has been felt campuswide among IC’s nearly 500 student-athletes and the overall experience of all IC’s 1,048 students.

GROWING ENROLLMENT 
In fall 2018, Illinois College’s Class of 2022 was the largest cohort of first-year students that the College had experienced in 15 years, contributing to the highest total
enrollment in a decade.

This year’s enrollment is again record-setting. It is the largest first-year class and the largest total student body in IC history with 375 new students joining campus.
Donations to the IC Fund play a big role in attracting students to the College. The fund has a goal of raising $1,000 per student and provides scholarships, enhanced
academic programs and life-changing experiences like study abroad opportunities, internships and community-engaged learning.

REVITALIZED DEBATE AND SPEECH
Illinois College has a long history of success in debate and speech. In June 2018, Shawna Merrill joined the College as a coach and advisor for the Debate and Speech Team with hopes of building on the momentum of the past three years. Under her leadership. IC has continued to re-establish itself as a national leader. Last year, the team was small, but finished well among fierce competition at the national conference. Donna Jenkins ’22 was named the Novice National Champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, while Greg Saiki ’22 was a semifinalist in the junior varsity division of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate. This year, the team has grown and is already off to a strong start.

EXPANDING ONLINE DEGREES
In May 2019, IC launched its first ever fully online degree platform with programs in three areas: nursing, agribusiness and business administration. These programs
leverage traditional and growing areas of strength at Illinois College. IC’s new online RN to BSN program was established through a grant from Passavant Area Hospital Foundation. Pamela Brown, founding director of the nursing program at IC, says IC’s expansion of its nursing program comes at an ideal time for the central Illinois region, which has a growing demand for highly skilled nurses. Over the next seven years, IC plans to start 16 other programs online, focusing on needs in Central Illinois and building on the academic strengths of the College.

RECORD-SETTING GIVING
With the support of more than 750 donors from across the country, Illinois College’s second annual Day of Giving, ALL IN FOR IC, on March 13, 2019, raised over $270,000. The initiative was led by the Illinois College Board of Trustees, who collectively matched all gifts, dollar-for-dollar, made to the IC Fund during the Day of Giving.

STRONG DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS TEAM
In January 2019, Illinois College welcomed two alumni back as members of its development and alumni relations team. Chloe Neisler Lucca ’14 joined the office as the director of development and alumni relations, and Taylor Smith ’15 now serves as associate development officer. The two joined a strong team which is now led by Vice President of External Relations Stephanie Elpers Chipman and recently hired Monica Pitman Bucek ‘86, who joined the team in November 2019.

TRANSFORMATIVE GRANT
In early 2019, Illinois College announced it had been awarded a $2.1 million Title III Strengthening Institutions grant by the U.S. Department of Education. The grant
targets key areas to improve student success, retention, and graduation. Since receiving the grant, IC has expanded support for students through academic coaching, enhanced technology and professional development for faculty and staff. Several new staff members have joined the College to provide academic coaching to help students, especially those in their first year, with course selection, test-taking strategies, and other academic support. The grant also provided a match for every dollar donated to endowed scholarships at Illinois College up to $240,000 by the Department of Education. The grant also inspired major renovations to Lincoln Hall to complete a campus HUB that was completed in August 2019. The new HUB houses several departments that were previously spread across campus, including the
Campus Writing Center, Career Readiness and Experiential Learning, Center for Academic Excellence, Chesley Health and Wellness Center, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and Religious and Spiritual Life.

MOMENTOUS CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
When the Campaign publicly launched, over $36 million had been raised, representing 72 percent of the goal. More than 100 members of the Illinois College Society celebrated the Campaign launch at the Gala, an annual event for the College’s premier annual giving circle which brings together visionary donors in IC’s philanthropic community with College leadership. Over the summer, President Farley traveled on a Midwest Tour with stops throughout Illinois and in Missouri and Indiana.