Knox in the News

From the Associated Press (Belleville News Democrat, Belleville; CBS-2, Chicago):

Knox College has received a $400,000 grant that the school says it will use to pay for several different efforts, including faculty research.

The western Illinois college on Tuesday announced the grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The school says it is the fifth grant it has received from the foundation in the last seven years for a total of nearly $1 million.

According to the Galesburg school, the $400,000 also will fund new faculty orientation and mentoring, enhancements to current courses and development of new courses.

Knox College president Roger Taylor says the grant money, “recognizes the quality of Knox’s faculty and academic program.”

From WGIL radio:

An administrator at Knox College says enrollment at the school continues an upward trend, and there are a lot of factors that help make that happen.

Knox Dean of Admissions Paul Steenis says 1,407 students are currently enrolled in classes at the school — the highest level since 1971. 1,384 of those are degree-seeking students, which Steenis says is well above college targets.

Steenis tells WGIL students spreading the word about the school, recruitment efforts, and quality faculty all help, but there’s one other factor that’s just as important.

“Each year, the Admission Office brings in more than 5,000 visitors — just prospective students and parents — and their first impression of Knox is that of Galesburg, and their interactions with the folks in Galesburg, in the shops in the hotels, other businesses — even the gas station attendants. It’s their interactions with the folks in Galesburg that all contribute to the positive experience that they’re considering when they’re considering spending four years of their lives here in the community,” Steenis said.

Steenis says the college is also very proud of its student population. He cites statistics that indicate a great cultural diversity, and ones that indicate that a third of students attending were at the top of their high school classes.

From the Register-Mail:

Knox College alumni from near and far are expected to flock here this weekend for the college’s 2009 Homecoming.

An estimated 1,000 alumni are expected to attend events on the Knox campus and in Galesburg during homecoming, today through Sunday. Events for alumni include reunions organized for class years, clubs, athletic teams, fraternities, sororities and academic majors; inductions into the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame; and presentation of Knox Services Awards by the Knox Alumni Association and Scrolls of Honor awarded by the Knox-Lombard Fifty Year Club. Alumni have also been invited to attend selected course sessions Friday.

From the Peoria Journal Star:

Knox College on Thursday announced enrollment levels are at their highest since 1971 and the fourth-highest in the college’s history.

Knox saw 394 new students this fall in a total enrollment of 1,407. This year’s total is 2 percent above last year and more than 25 percent higher than Knox’s total enrollment in 2002, the college said in a news release.

Of the students who entered Knox for the first time last year, 90 percent returned for their sophomore year this fall.

“The figures reflect students choosing Knox for several reasons - an outstanding faculty that has created a compelling and challenging educational program, dedicated and skilled admissions and student development staffs, and a campus community that pulls together to recruit new students and provide a great experience once they arrive,” Knox President Roger Taylor said. “Even during a recession, a community effort works wonders.”

From the Register-Mail:

Members of the City Council got a glimpse of campus life Tuesday when they were given a guided tour of Knox College.

Knox College President Roger Taylor escorted Mayor Sal Garza, City Manager Dane Bragg and three City Council members around the campus, making stops at Old Main, the Seymour Library and the Knosher Bowl.

Garza said it was important to broaden understanding of the role Knox plays in the local community and the many benefits the college brings to Galesburg. “It is a great stabilizer for the local economy. The jobs at Knox are really recession proof and they are always very inviting to the local community,” he said.

Knox College Chief Financial Officer Tom Axtell gave a presentation to the City Council at Old Main that underlined the importance of the economic contribution the college makes to Galesburg.

The college employs 378 faculty and staff with an annual payroll of about $16 million. “Most of those people live in Galesburg and they buy stuff in Galesburg,” Taylor said.

From the Register-Mail:

Approximately one in four Illinois college students will be left out in the cold come Jan. 1, 2010. Many highly motivated, bright students will not be able to continue attending Illinois colleges and universities because the state of Illinois has eliminated funding for the Monetary Award Program….

In this current recession, Illinois students forced to drop out of college are unlikely to find jobs. And students who drop out of college before graduating rarely return. Some of those students may well leave the state, taking with them one of Illinois’ most valuable natural resources — tomorrow’s teachers, business leaders, inventors, doctors and artists.

For these students, a quality education like that offered by Knox College, Monmouth College, and Carl Sandburg College is the step up they need to become successful citizens in Illinois. Help us remind the governor and General Assembly of how important MAP is to our common future. Contact your state representatives and senators in the next few days and urge them to find a funding solution to restore the MAP grant.