In This Section:
Calhouns champion cardiology health
'Teachers for a new era'
Leaving a UConn legacy
Campaign UConn increases momentum

Photo: Peter Morenus

The UConn Health Center's cardiology program will operate under the auspices of the newly named Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center in recognition of the Calhouns' many years of support for cardiology research at the Health Center. The couple has actively supported cardiology research at the UConn Health Center since 1998, raising nearly $1 million. The announcement was made during a news conference by Bruce Liang, chief of cardiology; Peter J. Deckers, UConn's executive vice president for health affairs; and head men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun.

UConn receives $5 million gift for excellence in education

The Carnegie Corporation of New York has designated UConn as a "Teachers for a New Era" school, and has awarded the University a five-year, $5 million grant to be shared by the Neag School of Education and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to improve the quality of teachers.

Making the grade for this award was no small feat. The RAND Corporation was hired by Carnegie to conduct an independent analysis of all schools of education in the nation. As a result, 15 were identified as being the best and were invited to submit a preliminary proposal for funding. Seven, including the Neag School, were then selected to undergo an extensive evaluation. During a site visit, the Carnegie team met with UConn faculty and administrators and toured several public schools partnered with the Neag School's teacher education program.

Faculty in education and liberal arts and sciences will work hand-in-hand, with assistance from the University's cultural institutes and centers, to increase research collaboration, analyze and redesign curriculum in general education and content courses, and develop new tools for assessing how the quality of teachers affects student performance.

"Research has shown that high quality teachers directly impact student learning and achievement," says Richard Schwab, dean of the Neag School.

For the last decade, the Neag School, unlike most education schools, has required students to acquire a firm grounding in the liberal arts and sciences as the cornerstone of their preparation as teachers. Before being accepted into the integrated Bachelor's/ Master's Teacher Education Program, prospective students are required to take general education courses and declare an academic major through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

"The Carnegie grant provides the college with the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research, implementation, and assessment in a national initiative to improve K-12 teaching," says Ross MacKinnon, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Teachers for a New Era is aimed at "developing state-of-the-art schools of education focused on evidence-driven teacher education programs."

A network of higher education institutions has been established to serve as a source for education policymakers involved in setting the nation's agenda in terms of best research, practice, and results in preparing teachers for the classroom, explains Vartan Gregorian, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The UConn proposal met three critical design principles required by Carnegie: Graduates' effectiveness must be measured by documenting their students' achievements; the arts and sciences must be involved in the teacher training program; and new teachers will continue to be evaluated in the classroom while undergoing continuous professional development.

Catheys endow a football scholarship for teachers

As a tribute to his UConn experiences, Peter J. Cathey '76 (ED) and his wife Patricia, known as PJ, plan to leave their estate to the University and to endow a football scholarship for students considering a career devoted to teaching.

A student-athlete who attended UConn on scholarship, Peter Cathey recognizes that he has benefited enormously from the guidance and support he received at UConn. Over his career he frequently called upon his UConn experiences in his years as a mathematics teacher, in global retailing, and in his current business activities. Cathey recently became president of GreenFix Golf, Inc., an Arizona-based company that manufactures a comprehensive greens maintenance system for golf courses worldwide.

"I wouldn't be where I am today if not for what the University did for me. Starting with [assistant coach] Joe Gianelli, who recruited me; Andy Baylock, my freshman football coach; and [assistant] coach Dave Zimmerman," he says. "All helped to create a focused and disciplined learning environment and gave me the right perspective for meeting the challenges I would face later in life."

After several conversations with Dee Rowe, former UConn basketball coach and special adviser for athletics, Cathey and his wife decided that leaving a legacy to help scholar-athletes at the University would be a good way to demonstrate the importance of a quality education.

"We both firmly believe in UConn's student-athlete philosophy and the importance of a college education as a basis for the future of young athletes," says Cathey.

Contributions to the University of Connecticut for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, recorded $49.7 million in new gifts and pledges, an increase of $3.5 million, or 7 percent, over the last year, according to the UConn Foundation. It is the second highest yearly total in UConn history. Such growing support for UConn represents a breakthrough against trend in national giving to universities, which last year declined for the first time in 14 years by 1.2 percent, says the Council for Aid to Education.

This unique situation has kept Campaign UConn on track to achieve the goal of raising $300 million in private support for the University by June 2004. As of Sept. 30, 2003, more than $257.1 million in gifts and pledges had been raised.

"UConn is a rising star nationally in higher education, and our donors recognize that and want that trend to continue," notes John K. Martin, president of the UConn Foundation. "While we are on pace to reach our goal, we'd like to have our biggest year in 2004 and exceed $300 million."

The University posted a record high 38,483 donors in 2003, an increase of 9 percent over last year, and now ranks seventh in the nation among public universities with an alumni participation rate of 24 percent.

By area of campaign priority, $24.3 million has been raised for faculty support, $39.9 million for scholarships, and $192.9 million for programs.

As Campaign UConn moves toward its conclusion, there is an emphasis on faculty support and scholarships. During the past year, 48 new endowments were established, including 29 for scholarships. Since the beginning of the campaign, the number of endowment funds has increased from 601 to 941.

In fiscal 2003, gifts were designated as follows: $16.9 million to Storrs, regional campuses and the School of Law; $13.07 million for the UConn Health Center; and $19.77 million for athletics, aided by surging enthusiasm for Division I-A football.

The UConn Foundation also has substantially increased the size of the University's endowment, which currently stands at $209.1 million.