Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 1 of The Illinois Commitment
Dean’s Club
Eureka College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
Being a small residential campus some distance removed from the cultural opportunities of a large urban area
puts many world class experiences beyond the reach of our students. The traditional response to this is to bring
the “Arts and Lectures” to campus, but this limits exposure to those persons and groups who tour and make
public appearances. The Dean’s Club seeks to provide students and faculty the financial support necessary to
ensure access to cultural events and opportunities off campus and outside of the immediate Central Illinois
region, as well as to fund curriculum-related programming on campus that might not otherwise be possible.
Description of the effective practice:
The Dean’s Club provides funding to faculty who wish to supplement their course content with world-class
lectures, exhibits, museums, concerts beyond the immediate Peoria-Bloomington area. Funding for the Club is
provided through solicitations to alumni and other donors through our Development Office. Faculty may then
apply directly to the Dean for the necessary monies to cover transportation, admission fees, etc. In order to
maximize the benefit of the fund, trips are limited to one-day turnarounds, and events are kept to a maximum
cost of $250.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
Funded largely through solicitations through our development office, the overwhelmingly positive response
from our donors has assured sustainability through the coming year and beyond. Additionally, although the
program’s founding dean has returned to teaching, he has agreed to continue administering the program, thus
seeing it through the transition.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
In all, over 50 students, some 10% of the student body were beneficiaries of the Dean’s Club trips in its first
year. Students attended a total of eight class trips (four museum trips, two literary conferences, one opera
performance, and one lecture) and seven on-campus programs. The goal of seeing every student attend at least
four Dean’s Club events over their four years at Eureka College now seems achievable, given the positive
response in this first year.
Contact Information
Name: William J. Staudenmeier, Jr.
Email: wjstauden@eureka.edu
Phone: (309) 467-6418
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