Top Stories
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Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunion 2007 brought nearly 2,000 Bucknell alumni and guests to campus, with attendees coming from as far as Singapore, London, and Turkey. Twelve classes celebrated milestone years with three days of dinners, parties, and events. [full story]
Plenty of music, fireworks, themed tents, good food and good friends kept alumni hopping. They gathered at the Weis Center for Reunion Rally, where they celebrated the generosity of the Reunion Anniversary classes giving to Bucknell and enjoyed the premiere of a new Bucknell video, "Bucknell—The Movie." After the four Alumni Award winners accepted their honors, President Brian C. Mitchell presented Ken Langone '57 with the Stephen F. Taylor Award, the University’s highest honor.
Alumni showed their love of the Orange and Blue through record-breaking giving. This year, classes celebrating Reunion donated over $33 million in gifts and pledges of future contributions. Donor participation by Reunion-year classes doubled that of Reunion 2006. Six Reunion classes met the “Reunion Challenge” and enjoyed a champagne toast with President Mitchell – special congratulations to the classes of 1957, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, and 1987.
A new addition to the event gave attendees a fun way to say hello to classmates who couldn’t make it to Reunion. The Pod Squad, two teams of roving student and staff reporters equipped with audio and video equipment, helped alumni record personal messages to share their Reunion experience with the world. To see more images, check out the Reunion web page.
“Bucknell has always placed great value on its ideal size and deep sense of community, so Reunion Weekend is a signature event for us,” said President Mitchell. “It is a very special time to share memories, catch up with classmates, visit favorite old campus haunts, and discover what is new as well.”
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Plan for Bucknell update
The Office of Strategy Implementation (OSI) continues to gather and analyze tactical ideas submitted by the University community in support of The Plan for Bucknell. To date, it has developed a database of nearly 300 tactics that have been suggested from across campus and the wider Bucknell community. [full story]
The database also charts the crucial interrelationships among those tactics. The University is now developing a web-based tool that will enable the Bucknell community to review these tactical ideas, follow their progress, and offer feedback.
The OSI has begun a search for a new full-time director, a position it expects to fill by the start of the 2007-2008 academic year. Dennis Swank, associate vice president for finance, continues to guide the OSI in the interim.
“One of our top priorities is to respond to those of you who submitted tactical ideas,” said Swank. “Rest assured that all ideas received by the OSI are being included in the database and will be reviewed and considered by the Tactics Team.”
In addition, the Academic Planning Group has finished reviewing the 80+ tactical ideas put forward by academic departments and programs during the first phase of idea submissions.
At the April Board of Trustees meeting, Provost Mary DeCredico '81 and Jim Rice, associate vice president for academic affairs and development, presented to the Board a draft Academic Vision designed to identify how Academic Affairs can realize the specific objectives identified in The Plan for Bucknell. The Board requested this draft at its January meeting, and has now approved its distribution for consideration by the campus.
The APG will review the Academic Vision, with the final version expected for consideration by the Board at its November meeting. The draft version of the document is available from the Office of the Provost.
Please contact the OSI with your suggestions for implementation of The Plan for Bucknell.
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Bison win 13th Presidents' Cup
On the strength of six Patriot League championships in 2006-07, Bucknell has claimed its 13th Patriot League Presidents’ Cup in the 17-year history of the conference. [full story]
“Winning the Presidents’ Cup for the 13th time in 17 years is a tremendous accomplishment, and we commend Bucknell’s student-athletes and coaches for continuing to set the pace for excellence,” said Bucknell President Brian C. Mitchell. “The honor shows the commitment our hard-working student-athletes have made to excel athletically as well as academically.”
The Bison racked up 126.25 points in the Cup standings, the most ever for Bucknell and the second most in league history - just .75 points shy of Army’s 13-year-old standard.
In addition, Bucknell swept the Patriot League all-sports trophies for both men and women, winning the women’s trophy for the 13th time and the men’s for the sixth time.
In 2006-07, Bucknell captured Patriot League titles in women's cross country, men's soccer, women's indoor and outdoor track and field, men's golf and women's rowing.
Bucknell has now won 65 championships since the Patriot League's inception in 1990-91. The six championships this year equals the second-best total in Bison history.
“It is satisfying to know we can have this remarkable athletic success in such a competitive league while also holding true to our student-athlete model,” said John Hardt, director of athletics and recreation. [Read more about the Presidents' Cup]
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National speakers series announced
Beginning this fall, the University will inaugurate a national speakers series, “The Bucknell Forum: The Citizen and Politics in America.” [full story]
The Bucknell Forum will pursue a wide range of distinguished thinkers and commentators, including novelists, sociologists, technology experts, environmentalists, scientists, business leaders, presidential candidates, and news analysts, among others. It aims to provide a model for civil discourse from a multi-disciplinary perspective with a diversity of viewpoints.
“The Forum theme provides a touchstone for exploring key issues from this election cycle, notably those driven by America's public conversations,” said Pete Mackey, chief communications officer and chair of the Bucknell Forum task force appointed by President Mitchell. “Bucknell’s position at the center of
Pennsylvania – a state of crucial importance to candidates – and the breadth of intellectual discourse here make the University an ideal forum for exploring emerging campaign themes.” The task force encourages Bucknell alumni to submit suggestions for speakers – particularly leaders or specialists with whom they share a personal or professional connection and might help the University secure for the series – at speakersforum@bucknell.edu.
The series will run through the inauguration of the new
U.S. president in January 2009.
