CHICAGO, IL (06/13/2013)(readMedia)-- The following local students received degrees from the University of Illinois at Chicago at the May 2013 Commencement:

Margot Brobst of Eldridge, earned a MS in Forensic Science.

Emily Johnson of Moline, earned a PHARMD in Pharmacy (PharmD).

Rajendra Mishra of East Moline, earned a PHARMD in Pharmacy (PharmD).

Melissa Armstrong of Lyndon, earned a MS in Nursing.

Lisa Blixt of Moline, earned a BSN in Nursing-R.N. Completion (BSN).

Peggy Creamer of Wilton, earned a MS in Nursing.

Reena Dhakal of East Moline, earned a MS in Nursing.

Gregory Jasper of Clinton, earned a MS in Nursing.

Jennifer Junis of Rock Falls, earned a MS in Nursing.

Amy McCormick of East Moline, earned a MS in Nursing.

Catherine Roche of Davenport, earned a MS in Nursing.

Kelli Rutledge of Moline, earned a BSN in Nursing-R.N. Completion (BSN).

Stephanie Spinosi of Muscatine, earned a MS in Nursing.

Elizabeth Zelnio of Moline, earned a BSN in Nursing (BSN).

Matthew Wolf of Erie, earned a MD in Medicine - Chicago.

Francisco Castaneda of Rock Island, earned a BS in Biological Sciences.

Darby Finnegan of Coal Valley, earned a BA in Psychology.

Roman Poon of East Moline, earned a BS in Biological Sciences.

Matthew Collier of Rock Island, earned a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Irene Patricio of East Moline, earned a BS in Finance.

Jacquelyn King of Rock Falls, earned a MS in Health Informatics.

UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state's major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.

A record 33 percent of 25- to 29-year-olds hold bachelor's degrees, up from 17 percent in 1971. Today's high school graduates know that a college degree means earning power so, despite the rising expense of post-secondary school, the business of higher education is more competitive than ever, says industry-leading social architect and entrepreneur David Porter.

An often-overlooked component in the coveted "three Rs" - Recruitment, Retention and Alumni Relations - is the dining hall and student meal plans, he says.

"During the mid 1990s, campuses throughout the country were dealing with widespread disenchantment with their aging dining facilities and stale menus, so many paid food contractors to take over management. That was a big mistake," says Porter, who designs dining programs and dining halls at colleges throughout North America. He shares tips for keeping students on campus, where they're more likely to bond with each and their schools, in "The Porter Principles: Retain & Recruit Students & Alumni, Save Millions on Dining and Stop Letting Food Service Contractors Eat Your Lunch" (www.porterkhouwconsulting.com).

"For most universities that contract out, the foodservice provider that controls tens of millions of dollars in purchases for the school is also its sole source of guidance on student dining. No matter how you slice it, there is a blatant conflict of interest here."

Porter, who has worked with the University of Georgia, University of New Hampshire, Ferris State University, George Mason University and the University of Richmond, among others, identifies three areas schools should focus on in their meal program and facilities:

• Do they make students want to eat on campus? Social architecture is the conscious design of an environment to encourage social behaviors that lead toward a goal. In this case, the goal is solidifying students' connections to one another and commitment to their school by drawing them together in a leisurely way at least once a day. Gathering together and socializing over meals on a regular basis helps students develop relationships that increase the odds they'll stay in school, and that they'll be active alumni after graduation. Students who live and dine on campus tend to have higher GPA's and are more likely to graduate.

• What do prospective students see? When giving tours to prospective students and their families, is the dining hall a destination, and if so, is it one to be proud of? The kitchen is a non-negotiable element in creating a home. If a future student sees the dining hall as an uninviting ghost town with drab food, then he or she will feel less inclined to live on campus, and may even seek another school simply for its more accommodating campus.

• Are good meals available when students want them? Parents and students both know what time young people tend to get up in the morning and how late they go to bed. Many classes extend well into the evening and lots of students avoid early morning classes. Meals need to be available well beyond the outdated 9-to-5 time frame. Trying to accomplish that by including off-campus restaurant deals in the meal plan, or having too many locations available on campus, will be counter-productive. That decentralizes the dining experience.

About David Porter

David Porter, FCSI, is chief executive officer and president of Porter Khouw Consulting, Inc., a foodservice master planning and design firm based in Crofton, Maryland. David has more than 40 years of hands-on food service operations and consulting experience and is a professional member of the Foodservice Consultants Society International. Porter Khouw Consulting has worked with more than 350 clients to conduct market research and develop strategic plans, master plans and designs for the college and university market. Porter is a graduate of the prestigious hospitality program at Michigan State University and has been recognized repeatedly as a leader in his field.

FAYETTE, IA (06/13/2013)(readMedia)-- Upper Iowa University names its 2013 Spring Dean's List. To be honored, the undergraduate must have earned a minimum 3.50 GPA for the semester and be enrolled as a full-time student.

Shaun Eberhart, of Charlotte, IA

Haylie Franklin, of Muscatine, IA

Stephanie Ries, of Clinton, IA

Amanda Smith, of Moline, IL

Colbey Vance, of Port Byron, IL

Bridget Barrette, of DeWitt, IA

Shawn Cotton, of LeClaire, IA

David Green, of Bettendorf, IA

Jann Hebrank, of Park View, IA

Shelley Koritz, of Erie, IL

William Stellmach, of Davenport, IA

Christian Wirth, of Bettendorf, IA

Ericka Carpenter, of Wheatland, IA

Pamela Frost, of Delmar, IA

Warren Ewoldt, of Long Grove, IA

Robert Haxton, of Eldridge, IA

Kimberly Johnson, of Port Byron, IL

Tiffany Jones, of Davenport, IA

Austin Kean, of Davenport, IA

Alyssa Lenning, of Davenport, IA

Celia Porth, of DeWitt, IA

Annulka Shipp, of Bettendorf, IA

Amanda Shreve, of Davenport, IA

Kathryn Troendle, of Bettendorf, IA

Richard Troendle, of Bettendorf, IA

James Yackley, of Devenport, IA

Leann Zinn, of Davenport, IA

Travis Zurcher, of Moline, IL

For more information about Upper Iowa University, go to www.uiu.edu.

About Upper Iowa University

Founded in 1857, Upper Iowa University is a private, not-for-profit university providing undergraduate and graduate degree programs and leadership development opportunities to about 6,200 students-nationally and internationally-at its Fayette campus and learning centers worldwide. Upper Iowa University is a recognized innovator in offering accredited, quality programs through flexible, multiple delivery systems, including online and independent study. For more information, visit www.uiu.edu.

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"Understanding the True Cost of College" Act Will Ensure Families Know Exact Cost of College When Deciding Which School to Attend

WASHINGTON, D.C. ?Today, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to create a universal financial aid award letter so that families and students can easily compare financial aid packages from different schools. The legislation is led by Senators Al Franken of Minnesota and Chuck Grassley of Iowa and is cosponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Tom Harkin of Iowa, Marco Rubio of Florida, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Patty Murray of Washington, Ben Cardin of Maryland, Chuck Schumer of New York, Tom Carper of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Chris Coons of Delaware, and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland.

Currently, schools do not use standard definitions or names for different types of aid, so students and families often report having difficulty differentiating between grant aid?which does not need to be repaid?and student loans, which do need to be repaid.

The Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2013 would clarify what financial aid families will receive from a school and create standard terms for the aid offered so that students can accurately compare offers from different schools.

"Students in Minnesota graduate with the third highest average debt in the nation?nearly $30,000 each?and part of the problem is that they often don't have a clear picture of how much their education is going to actually cost them," said Sen. Franken. "My legislation will require schools to use a universal financial aid letter so students and their families will know exactly how much college will cost, and will help them compare apples to apples when deciding what school a student will attend."

"This initiative will empower students and parents with the information they need to make the best financial decision for their families and to avoid taking on more debt than they will be able to repay. The effort to fully inform is part of addressing the problem of student debt on the front end rather than after the fact. And, the more students and parents become savvy shoppers, the more colleges will be forced to rein in rising costs to compete for students," said Sen. Grassley.

"Last year, the amount of student loan debt owed by Americans surpassed $1 trillion, and that number is growing. It is important that students and their families have uniform, consumer-friendly information about the cost of college up-front so they can shop around, make apples-to-apples comparisons among colleges, and select a school that best meets their needs, in terms of both quality and affordability," said Sen. Harkin, who is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. "Right now that is a difficult task since each school lists expenses differently. This bill will remove some of the mystery and guesswork for students and families as they navigate the higher education marketplace and empower them to make fully-informed decisions about where to attend."

"This legislation is an important step toward helping students and their families make truly informed decisions about their higher education options," said Sen. Rubio. "For the 21st century student to make smart financial decisions regarding college, we must equip them with easy-to-use and meaningful information about financial aid options available to them. Students will then be able to begin planning for their post-college careers from the beginning, and be prepared to enter today's competitive global workforce economy upon graduation."

The Understanding the True Cost of College Act would:

·           Require institutions of higher education to use a uniform financial aid award letter;

·           Call on the Department of Education to work with colleges, consumer groups, students, and school guidance counselors to develop standard definitions of various financial aid terms for use in the uniform financial aid award letters;

·           Establish what information must be included on page one of the uniform financial aid award letters, such as: cost of attendance, grant aid, work study assistance, eligible amounts of federal student loans, and the net amount a student is responsible for paying after subtracting grant aid.

·           Require the Department of Education to establish a process to consumer test the uniform financial aid award letter and use the results from the consumer testing in the final development of the uniform financial aid award letter.

More about the bill can be read here.