2018-2019
Illini Union ANNUAL REPORT
Executive SUMMARY The 2018-2019 Illini Union Annual Report provides insight into the activities and progress towards the four overarching goals identified in the organization’s 2015-2017 Strategic Plan throughout the past academic year. Those goals are: 1. Foster collaboration, discovery, and innovation 2. Provide transformative learning experiences 3. Make a significant and visible societal and community impact 4. Steward current resources and generate additional resources for strategic investment Our mission, vision, values, and goals have provided crucial direction to drive the organization’s work and focus its priorities. The Illini Union’s overall goal is to serve as the campus community center and to complement the academic mission of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This is achieved by building an inclusive community and providing engaging programs, outstanding services, and state-of-the-art facilities. The Illini Union’s commitment to its mission, vision, and values is the cornerstone of our tradition of excellence.
With nearly 3.1 million visitors annually, the Illini Union continues to thrive as a reflection of the vibrant and diverse student body of Illinois, and serves as the iconic student center of campus. We are working to guarantee that the Illini Union will remain a campus landmark well into the
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future and our physical facilities remain relevant. This past year, the Illini Union joined forces with University Dining Services to provide temporary dining facilities at the Illini Union while the new Illinois Street Dining facility is under construction. This innovative collaboration not only served 104,242 students during the 20182019 academic year, but thanks to University Dining, the partnership has resulted in much needed facility and infrastructure upgrades to the Illini Union as a positive by-product. Due to the success of this endeavor, our staff continue to look for creative solutions to current issues that will have long-term benefits for the campus community. The Illini Union provides growth and development opportunities through each of its programs and services. Collectively, Illini Union units and staff, including our Illini Union Board, Office of Volunteer Programs, Rec Room, Courtyard Café efforts hosted 507 events which attracted 92,180 participants during 2018-2019. For nearly 14 years the Illini Union Bookstore, the Illini Union Board, and a panel of key university representatives have compiled a list of books for the Chancellor to select from. The result is that the university community subsequently turns into a giant book club, known as One Book One Campus. Programs and curriculum are built around the selection, lectures are held, and discussion groups ignite exciting dialogue. Last year’s selection was The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. The Registered Organizations office worked
with 1,803 Registered Student Organizations and processed nearly 22,185 space requests last year. The Parent and Family Programs Office (PFPO) connected with more than 29,000 families of Illinois students, including nearly 2,000 international families, sharing information about the resources and services available to them as members of the Illinois family. The Office of Volunteer Programs collected 480 toys, and distributed 300 Thanksgiving baskets to those in need in our community. Our retail student employees served more than one million customers across multiple operations. All of these co-curricular experiences help our students grow during their college years and prepare them for the future. Illini Union Retail Operations continue to evolve to meet the changing needs and demands of faculty, staff, students, and the campus community. To meet increasing demands for fresh,
Jamie Singson Director
Mission healthier options, the Illini Union partnered with Blaze Pizza to offer a new concept that includes salads and gluten free pizza crusts. In response to Bookstore customer feedback, a newlydesigned website made great strides to increase ease of use and elevate customer satisfaction. For additional convenience, customers can now purchase textbooks and general merchandise together in one transaction. The Illini Union Self-Operated Food & Beverage department provided employment opportunities for approximately 200 students across all selfoperated stores. In addition, nearly 800 student staff are employed across the entire organization. Serving the entire campus, Illini Union Document Services and Campus Mail metered 11.6 percent more pieces of outgoing mail than in FY18. In December of 2018, they processed more than 17,000 admissions packets in the days before winter break, ensuring that students received their packets before the end of 2018. In conclusion, our success is only possible with the passion and commitment of the Illini Union staff and students. Their dedication and efforts, along with the contributions from Illini Union partners and volunteers, define our culture of excellence and commitment to the student experience. It is an exciting time as the Illini Union charts its future as a leader in community building and in the college student union field.
The Illini Union enriches our students’ academic experience by building an inclusive community and providing growth and development opportunities through engaging programs, outstanding services, purposeful employment and state-of-the-art facilities.
Core Values
Our values serve as a compass and describe how we behave every day. Community
Diversity and Inclusion
We value community and continually work to strengthen our ties to the university and the surrounding community through active citizenship, service, traditions, teamwork, and collaboration.
We value the uniqueness of people and individual perspectives. We embrace and celebrate one another’s differences, talents, and abilities. We cultivate an inclusive environment by considering all dimensions of diversity, and we help prepare our campus community for life in a multicultural society.
Integrity We value being honest and ethical and exemplifying behavior that can be modeled by all. We maintain open and transparent decision making at all levels of our organization.
Student Centeredness and Learning We value students and their voice as they are central to our mission. Our work is guided by a commitment to their holistic development and learning.
Leadership We value the opportunity to lead from every level of the organization and create innovative programs and services. We recognize that each employee has the ability to inspire and motivate others and serve as a catalyst for change. We are accountable and take responsibility for our decisions and actions.
Traditions We value our position as the center of campus life—physically, socially, and culturally. We recognize that every member of our Illinois family has a Union story to tell. Through these stories, we help preserve the rich traditions and legacy that current and former Illini have created.
Collaboration We value cooperating and partnering with others and strengthening our efforts to serve the university and our surrounding community.
Excellence We value pursuing and exceeding high expectations and developing distinctive and quality programs and services through origination and continuous improvement.
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Accomplishments and Challenges Accomplishments As we align our goals to the Student Affairs and campus strategic plans and assessment objectives, the Illini Union Facilities department continues to create innovative co-curricular learning opportunities for architectural and engineering students. In the past year, students designed smaller scale renovation projects with the collaboration of F&S Engineering for the Tech Zone Retina Repair Center, as well as 3D renderings of conceptual interiors for the Hotel, and a new pizza concept store in the Illini Union Food Court. A new work order system was implemented in collaboration with Housing, and their 3D modeling of our facilities and building systems directly supported this effort. Through partnerships, the Illini Union strengthened professional ties with the School of Architecture and College of Engineering, Facilities & Services and the Institute of Sustainability, Energy & Environment. The Illini Union Bookstore partnered with a student run advertising agency, Midnight Oil, to research, develop, and implement a comprehensive social media plan that would effectively shift the way the Bookstore promotes itself to specific audiences. Midnight Oil worked directly with Bookstore staff, posting and monitoring progress on social media channels, throughout the entire 2018-2019 academic year. The result was a comprehensive, robust researched report, complete with recommendations going forward that incoming student staff can pick up and continue to support and promote the Bookstore. The students who participated in this project not only earned academic credit, but gained valuable transferrable skills that make them highly competitive post graduation as they enter the work force. The Illini Union partnered with University Housing to provide continued meal service for students as the Illinois Street Residence Hall Dining Facility project is underway. This innovative collaboration served 104,242 students during the 2018-2019 academic year, and thanks to University Housing Dining services, the partnership also resulted in much needed facility and infrastructure upgrades to the Illini Union. These inaugural, cross-departmental 3
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partnerships have proven to be beneficial to the units, students, faculty, and staff. The dining facility at Illinois Street Residence Hall is scheduled to open in Fall 2020, and as Dining Services moves back to their permanent space, the Illini Union facility will benefit from the upgrades and improvements that were made to accommodate Dining during their interim stay. The Illini Union was included in a campus-wide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) audit. An extensive report included multiple recommendations that would ensure code compliance. Due to the age of the building and being constructed prior to current ADA standards, the Illini Union was encouraged to proceed with improvements within cost capabilities. To demonstrate compliance, several Illini Union Hotel rooms will be upgraded to a higher level of accessibility. This project included Disability Resources & Educational Services (DRES) as consultants to ensure a level of accessibility beyond ADA guidelines. Ten new recycling centers throughout the first floor and exterior patio spaces were purchased with the assistance of a Student Sustainability Committee award. These pods will divert an estimated 15,000 pounds of recyclables from the landfill. To further reduce its carbon footprint, the Illini Union reestablished its Green Team. This team will ensure continued focus and progress toward greater efficiency and further reduction of waste throughout the organization.
Challenges The incremental increase in the state’s minimum wage will continue to have a negative impact on both retail and non-retail departments within the Illini Union; most significantly on the contribution that the retail operations provide for student events and programs. Recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified, diverse candidates in the current environment has proven to be more of a challenge than anticipated. More work needs to be done on the front-end, identifying additional sources of recruitment and increasing pipelines from graduate schools to entry level positions in student affairs areas. This is an issue larger than our immediate HR department and extends across all areas. Aging infrastructure and increasing costs for repairs, upgrades, and improvements continues to be a challenge for the Illini Union.
to its workload. Each of those have a variety of business models, processes, systems, and delivery of data. Likewise, food operations inventory and POS systems do not currently interface with vendor order systems or the MAS accounting system, requiring manual entry and reporting, resulting in lower efficiency and accuracy. Across the organization, it would be advantageous to explore systems and processes that would be compatible with one another, and fulfill the needs and requirements of departments. The constantly evolving use of digital media in the college campus environment is creating a paradigm shift in the relevance of books and physical mail. This shift directly impacts both the Illini Union Bookstore and Document Services/Campus Mail. This technological shift has resulted in decreased sales of course material at the Bookstore, decreased volume and income potential for Campus Mail, and less need for printed materials with Document Services.
The Illini Union business office works in a variety of systems, which are not always compatible. There has also been an addition of multiple outside operations
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Assessment The Illini Union assessment coordinator works collaboratively with Illini Union departments to determine assessment needs and develop individual plans based on information sought. The Illini Union regularly participates in Skyfactor (formerly EBI), to benchmark with other student unions across the nation on a bi-annual basis (2018-19 was an off year). Specific departmental assessments performed this past year include the following:
Campus Activity and Student Involvement The Campus Activities Benchmarks is an online assessment administered to 3,000 full-time undergraduate students during Spring 2019. The purpose of the survey is to understand students’ preferred methods for finding out about campus activities, and to measure student participation in various campus activities, including their level of involvement, such as whether holding a leadership position. The results are helpful to review the outcomes of participating in campus activities and reasons for not participating in campus activities, if applicable. Key Findings Include: • 88% of students report being involved in campus activities. • 78% of students report their involvement with campus activities has provided them with skills and abilities that they will use after college. • 68% of students join an organization as a result of Quad Day interaction.
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Illini Union Student Employee Learning Outcomes Assessment The purpose of the study was to understand the student employees’ working and learning experiences with the Illini Union. The Illini Union has drafted eight learning outcomes domains to help student employees gain purposeful employment and prepare for the professional workforce. The eight domains are communication, customer service, collaboration/teamwork, leadership, work ethic/integrity, team management/organization skills, appreciation of diversity, and personal/professional development. The study allows the Illini Union to assess how to expand and enhance transformative learning experiences to assure a positive contribution to student learning and development. This study is useful for reflecting on how our mission and strategic plan align with the university-wide and Student Affairs student learning outcomes.
Registered Organization WOKE Workshop Assessment The purpose of the survey was to review the participants’ experience attending the WOKE workshop--a series of small group activities and presentations designed to assist members of registered student organizations conduct their group’s business, understand financials, and more. Key Findings Include: • 80% of participants found the workshop to be a valuable experience. • 89% of participants report they are able to incorporate what they learned into the organization’s operation.
Dads Weekend Survey The survey aims to review Dads Weekend satisfaction levels and seeks to make improvement for future events. The survey questions include registration process, experience attending events, and overall experience. Key Findings Include: • 79% of participants report positive experience about Dads Weekend.
International Family Orientation Survey The purpose of the survey is to review the satisfaction level of international family orientation participants and understand if the resources/information are helpful for international families. Key Findings Include: • 95% of the participants were satisfied with the overall experience of the orientation. Some changes are being made to the 2019 program based on feedback, including expanding sessions on financial aid and International Student and Scholar Service information, expanding the social hour time to allow for more interaction with staff and among families, and adding information to the website for families who are unable to travel to the program.
Diversity The Illini Union Human Resources and Shared Administrative Services Office continues to collaborate with the Office of Access and Equity, Illinois Human Resources (IHR), and Student Employment to align recruitment practices as well as advertising partners to strategically meet the goals of the Illini Union, Student Affairs, and university through shared and consistent search and hiring processes and practices. Illini Union programming is designed to appeal to the diversity of the community at Illinois, and creates a welcoming, inclusive community for students, staff, and visitors. Specific examples include: • The IU Board hosted 174 events during the 2018– 2019 academic year (June – April). • For the first time in its history, the annual IU Board Drag Show sold out. Attendance for this event was 600. • Office of Volunteer Programs (OVP) resumed the Weekend Service Trips in March, traveling to
Nashville, TN, where 12 students volunteered with the annual Nashville Walk that raises awareness for multiple sclerosis. The participants also explored locations that increased their knowledge and understanding of the area. In total, the group completed an estimated 60 service hours. • OVP organized the 2019 MLK Day of Service in January 2019, where more than 600 volunteers created cards to send to troops, capes to send to children at Carle Hospital, 200 Fight Against Cancer shirts for the American Cancer Society, packaged 6,000 lbs. of food for Eastern Illinois Foodbank, and much more. This program accounts for an estimated 980 service hours. • Illini Union Document Services provided 1,594 boxes to Illini Fighting Hunger for repackaging meals. • The Parent and Family Programs Office hosted parents and family members from 11 countries at the International Parent and Family orientation.
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Innovation and Change The Illini Union remains committed to exploring ways to decrease its carbon footprint. In the past year, the windows in the northeast wing were replaced with energy efficient, double-pane units. LED replacements continued in multiple spaces throughout the building with an estimated annual reduction of 40,488 kWh, or 66,431 lbs. of CO2--the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of three average American homes, or 116 average modern refrigerators. Ten new recycling centers, purchased with the assistance of a Student Sustainability Committee award, will divert an estimated 15,000 pounds of recyclables from the landfill. And thanks to the work of 2018-2019 administrative intern, Hannah Price, the Illini Union
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re-established its Green Team. This team will ensure continued focus and progress toward greater efficiency and further reduction of waste throughout the organization. The Illini Union Bookstore launched a new program in Fall 2018, 4 Weeks of Fun. Approximately 100 – 200 students attended each event. The program increased student engagement and Bookstore traffic. The Illini Union Bookstore worked with a student group, “Midnight Oil,” to assess success of social media engagement, with an ultimate goal of increasing sales. Working with a student group that accurately reflects the demographics of the target audience is in step with meeting them where they are, providing important information,
and offering the student group an opportunity to engage in cocurricular learning in a meaningful way while on campus. The Illini Union Parent and Family Programs Office developed student employee leadership positions, “Parent and Family Ambassadors.” These students serve as a resource for parents and families during summer registration and international parent and family orientation. The Parent and Family Programs Office hosted its first-ever Sibs Saturday. Held during the Engineering Open House Family Day, more than 200 students and family members attended events throughout the day.
Facilities Illini Union Facilities collaborated with University Housing and Facilities & Services to complete a $2.4 million dining center, dock, kitchen, and domestic hot water system upgrade for the Illini Union. Blaze Pizza arrived in the Illini Union Food Court in Fall 2018. This project brought a highly-sought-after vendor, providing our students with fresh healthy options for made-to-order pizzas and salads. Significant infrastructure improvements were made during construction that will allow the operation to function efficiently and safely. Efforts to modernize and refresh the Illini Union Hotel were made this past year, including adding Larry Kanfer artwork in the hotel hallways, and placing new orange ‘Block I’ pillows, lamps, furniture hardware, bedding, blackout shades, and updated door signage in each room.
Additional capital projects included: • Replacement of the Student Organization Complex area flooring and complete renovation of the south side of the space, including new furniture, fixtures, and digital screens to better serve RSOs and provide modern, comfortable, useful work space. • Reconfiguration of the Bookstore office spaces to accommodate staff in a more efficient manner. • New flooring in the Illinois Student Government space. • Refresh of the Illini Union Starbucks at the Bookstore. • Replacement of the flooring in the office spaces for Student Legal Services and LGBT Resource Center.
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Goals
Strategic Goals for 2019-2020 1. Develop departmental guidelines and learning outcomes for student staff. We will measure progress toward this goal by the following: a. Results of a pre- and postassessment of learning outcomes to be developed by the Illini Union Assessment Coordinator in collaboration with individual departments, based on identified student learning outcomes. 2. Implement an organization-wide wellness program that is centered around the importance of holistic health care, collaborating with fellow Student Affairs departments and drawing on the expertise of our colleagues at McKinley Health Center, the Counseling Center, Campus Rec and others. We will measure the progress toward this goal by the following: a. Number of participants actively involved in the program. b. Effectiveness of crosscollaborative programming and content. c. Results of a pre- and postassessment of participants that will measure knowledge of health-related concerns and topics, progress toward individual goals, and understanding of wellbeing in a larger context than physical fitness. 3. Develop and implement a plan to build on the foundation of the Illini Union Alumni Society that 9
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focuses on reconnecting with alumni and former staff through communication, engagement, and acknowledgement of their contributions. We will measure the progress toward this goal by the following: a. Monitoring the number of interactions on social media. b. Measuring the interaction with our electronic newsletters through Webtools. c. Alumni return visits (including speaking opportunities, workshops, involvement in planning for future development, etc.) d. Establishment of an Illini Union Board Presidential Advisory Council that will serve as mentors and networking connections to current students on the Board.
4. Emphasize understanding where and how the organization can continue to make improvements in sustainability efforts. a. Tracking and sharing utility dollar savings resulting from sustainability projects. b. Identifying and tracking internal processes such as vendor use of Smartway Shipping practices and vendor reduction in use of plastic wares. c. Establish the Illini Union as a Green Office through the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (ISEE).
909,824
2,356,732 Number of visitors through the doors of the Illini Union
9,382
174
Page views of union.illinois.edu
Programming events coordinated by the Illini Union Board
Social Media
9,572
6,161
Followers
2,550
Followers
5,614
Followers
Number of rooms rented at the Illini Union Hotel
Illini Union by the numbers 2018-2019
6,563
19,000
Illini Union Bookstore online transactions
I-Books produced by the Illini Union Board
Number of Quad Shop customers through registers
Hours of billiards played in the Illini Union Rec Room
Games of bowling played in the Illini Union Rec Room
Illini Union Courtyard CafĂŠ scheduled events attendance
93,523
10,342 52,065
12,598
Illini Union multimedia dept. equipment rentals
793 Completed work order projects by the marketing department
38,825 Student attendance at Illini Union Board events
191,850 Illini Union Bookstore customers through registers
28,459 Illinois families connected through Illini Union Parent Programs
145
19,500 lbs. Recyclables diverted from landfills
522,900
Scheduled events by the Illini Union Courtyard CafĂŠ
Number of Starbucks customers through registers
300 Number of baskets collected during Illini Union OVP Thanksgiving Basket Drive
14,884
1,017
24,364
480
Illini Union Event Services room reservations
Number of SORF applications awarded $730,000 collectively
Number of RSO space requests approved by Illini Union ROO
Toys collected by the Illini Union OVP Holiday Toy Drive
Board Members 2018-2019 Illini Union Board
Fall 2018 Board President, Jaz Monohan VP Policy, Hannah Price VP Programming, Smit Patel VP Internal Affairs & Finance, Kayla Santucci (Spring) Vacant (Fall) Arts Director, Michael Lincoln Cultural Programs Director, Keanna Davis Enriching Programs Director, Dixie Limbachia Films Director, Dallas Marks Illinites Director, Olivia Okocha Marketing Director, Zoe Replinger Special Events Director, Shantae Tucker Traditional Events Director, Greg Mueller Faculty/Staff Representative, Courtney Becks Ex – Officio, Jamie Singson Ex – Officio, Laurel Reed-Rosch Spring 2019 Board President, Dallas Marks VP Policy, Michael Lincoln VP Programming, Shantae Tucker VP Internal Affairs & Finance, Vacant Arts Director, Tommy Johnson Cultural Programs Director, Chloe Sun Enriching Programs Director, Tomas Baliutavicius Films Director, Benjamin Liu Illinites Director, Jessalyn Flores Marketing Director, Pamela Binda Special Events Director, Deja Cook Reynolds Traditional Events Director, Natalia Pisanski Faculty/Staff Representative, Courtney Becks Faculty/Staff Representative, Chaya Sandler Ex – Officio, Jamie Singson Ex – Officio, Becki Salzman 11
Illini Union Annual Report
Organization Fund Advisory Board Students Members Ross Lipic, Chair Christina Piron, Vice Chair Kaleigh Dent, Secretary Reanna Wells, Coordinator for Hearings Kassidy Zhou, Coordinator for Gear to Go Huan Wu, Coordinator for Membership Jacob Domagala, Member
Student Organization Funding Board
Noah Gilbert, Chair Roger Erickson, Vice-Chair David Hanley, Graduate Member, Returning 2019-2020 Ana Galdamez, Graduate Member Adam Peterson, Undergraduate Member, Returning 2019-2020, Incoming SORF Chair Yitian Huang, Undergraduate Member, Returning 2019-2020 Xavier Morgan, Undergraduate Member Doris Zhao, Undergraduate Member (Doris left the Board midyear due to a death in her family.) SORF Student Employees Seren Liu, SORF Secretary Venisa Sinha, SORF Web Designer Amy Meltzer, SORF Marketing Specialist
Volunteer Illini Projects Board of Directors
Moms Association Board of Directors
Dads Association Board of Directors
Diba Tannazi, President Adriana Velasco, Vice President Angel Han, Senior Citizens Director Carly J. Hopkins, Environmental Director Daniel Cuautle, Recreation Director Emily Sekula, Public Relations Director Janine Pappageorge, Blood Director Laurel Daly, Health Needs Director Maddie Yoo, Daycare Director Marley Majetic, Hunger and Homelessness Director Meg Gantzer, Animal Allies Director Sara Babu, Vice President Shuqi Liu, Arts Outreach Director Yanjun Pan, Treasurer Yera Shin, Tutoring Director
Erin Bline, President Merydith Brostoff, Vice President of External Communication Denise Burkett, Vice President of Internal Communication/ Secretary Marilyn Rowley, Vice President of Scholarships and Awards Gwen Kanelos, Vice President of Membership/Parent Outreach Jessica Spizzirri, Vice President of Fundraising Amy Shappert, Treasurer Marisa Winkler, Past President and Ex-officio Member
William Stratman, President Chuck Dushman, Vice President Greg Allen, Treasurer Martin Matushek, Secretary Joseph J Grainer, Past-President
Directors Juliet Carroll Julie Dykstra Rana Enblom Diane Haff Paula Hays Xiaohong Li Chrystal Manning Ying Miao Jodi Morady Maureen Tholen
Directors Gary Longfellow Mark Jacquot David Mann Gary Johnson James Roach William Cooney Jeff Coffland Larry Dechter Mark Sohns
Bookstore Faculty/Staff Liaison Committee Maria Bonn, faculty, Chair Peg Grossman, faculty emeritus Bruce Michelson, faculty emeritus Isabel Molina-Guzman, faculty Kristin Wilcox, faculty Sara Benson, faculty Deborah Kraybill, staff Michael Roux, staff Ibrahim Laith, student Michael Lincoln, student, IUB VP for policy Tod Petrie, Bookstore Director Jamie Singson, Illini Union Director Franne Davis, Illini Union Bookstore staff Kristy Inman, Illini Union Bookstore staff Alroy Scott, Illini Union Bookstore staff
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Illini Union University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1401 West Green Street Urbana, Illinois 61801 217.333.0160
union.illinois.edu /IlliniUnion
@Illini_Union @IlliniUnion
@IlliniUnion
/IlliniUnion
This annual report may be obtained in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Erik Riha at eriha@illinois.edu or 217.244.3415.