My Favorites… Janice Kinsinger
Janice M. Kinsinger is instrumental to ICC’s internal operations as the associate dean of instructional innovation and learning resources at Illinois Central College.She works to assimilate new faculty members and orchestrate the school’s annual August Celebration of Learning—a week filled with events for faculty and staff. She also supervises the libraries and learning labs, and handles curriculum and scheduling services for the college. When she’s not busy at ICC, she loves to golf, bike and visit with family—“wherever they may be,” which meant recent trips to Colorado, Senegal and France. Here are some more of her favorites.
Favorite Books
- What Happens When Women Pray by Evelyn Christenson. We studied this during one of my first women’s Bible studies as a young mother at Bethel Lutheran Church in Morton. I truly learned to pray from my heart.
- Some Wildflower in My Heart by Jamie Langston Turner. A remarkable book about friendships and the power of Christian love.
- Creating Significant Learning Experiences by L. Dee Fink. Probably the best professional read for my career.
- The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. I read this as I began my clinical laboratory science studies at U of I in 1969. I loved the blend of microbiology and criminal investigation, long before all of the CSI-type programs of today!
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I always loved this “relationship story”…but I loved the Broadway musical even more.
Favorite Peoria-Area Foods
- Lightly Buttered Popcorn @ Lou’s Drive-In. A recent, sinful discovery!
- Crab and Shrimp Nachos @ Jonah’s Seafood House. Always shared with a good friend and colleague for an off-campus lunch!
- Half Slab of Ribs and Salad @ Texas Roadhouse. Tender, juicy ribs—and don’t forget the rolls and butter!
- Iced Mocha (skim, 1 pump, 1 shot, no whip) @ ICC’s Café Breve. The best special-order iced mocha with the best service around.
- Thin Crust Pizza @ Monical’s Pizza. Have to get the “Family Pleaser Meal” with the salad bowl & creamy Italian and French dressings!
Become a Meeting Master
Workplace meetings can be overscheduled, unstructured, overloaded wastes of time. Don’t let meetings become dramatic productions. Business etiquette experts Barbara Pachter and Marjorie Brody offer the following tips on how to become a meeting master.
- Start promptly. Remind people a day in advance via email. Start within five minutes whether everyone is there or not. Don’t backtrack for latecomers—that is rude to those who were on time.
- State the objectives. List them at the start of the meeting and re-emphasize them as needed to stay on track during discussion.
- Manage time and follow the agenda. Keep a clock in view and assign a timekeeper. This is not rude, but shows you recognize it’s important to focus on leading the meeting and respecting others’ time. Limit the time allotted to each item to what is stated on the agenda. Politely discourage irrelevant interruptions, and don’t return to finished items.
- Facilitate discussion and allow for questions. Be sure everyone involved has been introduced. Ask that everyone come to the meeting “prepared to discuss.” Use openended questions, and call on participants. The leader of the meeting should engage in active listening and state his or her opinion last to encourage everyone to participate.
- Clarify action and summarize. Restate the items that have been agreed upon at the conclusion of the meeting. Assign a point person to each action item, if relevant. Set deadlines and be sure everyone knows their responsibilities. Check the meeting outcomes against the original objectives. Thank all participants for their time.
Source: Complete Business Etiquette Handbook by Barbara Pachter and Marjorie Brody
The Richest Colleges
Tuition costs continue to skyrocket, but some universities are sitting atop gold mines. Although some endowment funds come with restrictions on spending, many leading universities have been criticized for sitting on collected money while raising student costs. Last year, the National Association of College and University Business Owners, in its evaluation of the endowment funds for 839 institutions in the U.S., found there are more than 75 with over $1 billion in the bank. Here are the top five richest colleges. See the whole list at thestreet.com.
1. HARVARD
Endowment funds last year: $31.7 billion
Undergraduate tuition: $52,652 for tuition, room and board, 2011-12
2. YALE
Endowment funds last year: $19.4 billion
Undergraduate tuition: $52,700 for tuition, room and board, 2011-12
3. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS
Endowment funds last year: $17.2 billion
Undergraduate tuition: $9,816-residents, $32,594-nonresidents, tuition only, 2011-12
4. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Endowment funds last year: $17.1 billion
Undergraduate tuition: $54,780, estimated, for tuition, room and board, 2012-13
5. STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Endowment funds last year: $17 billion
Undergraduate tuition: $52,860 for tuition, room and board, 2011-12. iBi
