ISU Media Message Episode #2

hello and welcome to ISU media message I'm Bob Linda Meyer associate director of the media Resources Center this is the second in our series ISU media message the program is designed to bring to our audience an opportunity to see a number of the films and videotapes that have been produced here at the University by the media Resources Center normally these productions are seen here at the University they're seen in classes or they're seen for public relations purposes by the University what a larger audience doesn't have an opportunity to see these productions and so our program is an opportunity for you to see some of these productions and also to meet the faculty and staff members who have worked with those of us at the Media Resources Center in developing these programs my guest tonight is Phyllis Peters who's director of public relations for the Iowa State University Foundation and Phyllis you come to our program tonight because of the partnership for prominence campaign tell us a little bit about that the partnership for prominence campaign Bob is a capital fund drive it's Iowa State's largest in the history of the university we set out to raise a hundred and fifty million dollars in a five year time period starting in July 1 1988 succeeded that goal a year ago when we tapped the top of the mark topped 150 million so the goal has been extended and with the continuing support that is coming through on this campaign we will end it at June 30th of 1993 with what we hope to be nearly a 200 million dollar campaign putting us at a much higher level than Iowa State has been at before in terms of private fundraising well the campaign has been very successful and I'd like to think that some of the reasons for that is some of the videotapes that we've made to help with the campaign I know in the beginning we did a video called wealth the name of the campaign partnership for prominence and that tape was seen primarily by corporate givers and by the leadership as you were developing the campaign that took what a couple of years that was used in early late 88 and throughout 89 and the people who saw that we're offering their reactions to the messages that we were trying to put forward in the campaign it was very selective in a very smaller set of audiences okay then I remember the second tape that we made was really designed for the university part of the campaign Dean Virgil lager marcinho dean emeritus retired Dean of the College of Education chaired that committee and we made a tape there strictly for use with the campus community he used that extensively to help educate people on campus faculty and staff about what a capital campaign would do and he he used it as a training vehicle for making people that were going to be recruited to be volunteers making them better aware of that what a campaign would do for them and making them feel like they wanted to be a part of it and have us have a sense of joining in on this campaign the campaign really had its beginning its official kickoff when September 7th 1990 this date is engraved in a major production you were really in charge of that whole event was that with the dance and everything that was the night that we invited many people back to Iowa State had a dinner for 1,500 people and publicly told the world what our intentions were on this campaign and really celebrated that we were off to a real good start that we had wonderful leadership in place and and and it was going to be a campaign that invited the participation of alumni throughout the country I remember we made a little documentary of that event we called it the anatomy of an extravaganza we're gonna look at a little teeny piece of that later on but first let's talk about the tape that we're going to see tonight it's called a tradition of partnerships how was that tape you that tape really is what helped sell this campaign to people who haven't been back on campus recently helped us take the message of the partnership for prominence campaign coast-to-coast to alumni groups and we picked very carefully groups of donors and potential donors and had dinners with those people in San Francisco Houston Denver LA and Phoenix and of course throughout major cities in Iowa as well and we used the video on a big screen in in every case not on a television but on a big screen in a totally darkened room with good sound system so that they could really experience the full effects of this beautiful video and it was a way to bring them back into the campus in the cities that they were in throughout the country and then when the lights came back up they reached for their checkbooks right they certainly had smiles on their faces many people just were reacting with both their facial reactions and with wonderful comments often applause it just it made them feel good it was an uplifting type of a film that told about the good traditions of Iowa State and a wonderful promise of the future if they were to join in and be a part of the future rather than us telling people about it let's have an opportunity to look at this videotape it's called a tradition of partnerships long before Marquette and Joliet came up the Mississippi long before Lewis and Clark explored the Missouri the sack and the Fox kept perfect partnership with this land between the rivers they called it Iowa beautiful land the pioneers who came felt a spirit to for only 12 years after statehood a tradition of working together brought a new kind of education to Iowa founded in 1858 Iowa State University would change the face of the Prairie and reach out to shape the future of the state the nation and the world that partnership of trust and support for Iowa State is today evident everywhere Alumni Hall built with gifts from those who graduated in the first three decades of the people's college has today been beautifully restored and serves as the centerpiece for University Admissions Lake Laverne the gift of Laverne Noyes a graduate of Iowa State's first class in 1872 continues today as both a jewel of quiet reflection and a place of enthusiastic student activity the Memorial Union built in loving memory of those Iowa Staters who gave their lives in war one has evolved over the past 60 plus years and eight additions to become a true center of university life and standing proudly in the center of these green hills the Campanile and the bells of Iowa State the gift of Dean Edgar Stanton Iowa State's first Dean of the junior college and also a member of the first class this elegant structure stands today as it has for almost a century as the symbol of the university's excellence in its first 120 years the Prairie College has grown and evolved to become one of the nation's foremost land-grant universities teaching and leadership have personified the mission the faculty and the graduates of Iowa State Carrie Chapman Catt Iowa State's most respected alumna led the nation's passage of women's right to vote and founded the League of Women Voters Frank Spedding famous for his leadership in developing high-quality uranium and the Ames Laboratory was also a superb teacher and today the tradition of excellence in teaching continues Neil Haro is a distinguished professor of agricultural economics his leadership in finance and law contribute to Iowa State's image both nationally and throughout the world bill Boone associate professor of landscape architecture has inspired hundreds of undergraduates with his enthusiasm for the study of nature and design it may seem unusual to conduct a class from a tree but in my way of thinking that's part of teaching I tell my students that the most exciting thing in the world is the learning process but it's not true the most exciting thing is the teaching of that learning process the engine that drives the learning process is research the creation of new knowledge here to Iowa State enjoys a rich tradition of success from the simple experimental plots of the agricultural college and model farm Iowa State Wood by the mid 20th century receive international recognition for research in agriculture and the physical sciences Henry Gilman distinguished professor of chemistry and honored member of the National Academy of Sciences is remembered throughout the world as the father of organometallic chemistry Iowa State takes special pride in the invention of the electronic digital computer by John add an ass off and Clifford berry at ISU in 1939 launching the world on a new way of life research on the campus today is rapidly expanding in a variety of high-technology research centers at the newly formed Center for aviation systems reliability physicist John Mulder uses a pulsed laser to listen for flaws in an airframe structure and at the Center for immunity enhancement in domestic animals Molecular virologist Susan Carpenter is investigating the bovine immuno deficiency like virus Biv as a potential model for the study of HIV and AIDS in humans anything we learn about the virus hosts interaction in the bovine system will be useful in applying that to the human system but the mission of Iowa State is more than teaching and research it is outreach the sharing of knowledge with the citizens of Iowa and the nation this sharing this partnership between Iowa State and the people is exemplified by the extension model created at Iowa State and carried throughout the world George Washington Carver personified the land-grant mission and he carried the iowa state extension concept in his life's work Carver was enrolled as Iowa State's first African American student 100 years ago he went on to become one of the nation's greatest educators and agricultural researchers at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and is credited with creating moveable schools which brought practical agricultural knowledge to the rural South today outreach at Iowa State includes a host of new services to the people of Iowa and beyond reaching out to share knowledge of health energy and the environment and reaching out with the new technologies of communication Ricardo Salvador assistant professor of agronomy teaches his course on sustainable agriculture via television satellite it has been to many ISU Extension offices and to acts at consortium classrooms throughout the United States for me probably the most stimulating part about this course is that we're reaching so many people and that most of these people are far away from our campus today Iowa State University stands on the threshold of a new era across the campus and throughout the university community there is an atmosphere of renewal new leadership and energy that promise much for the future one of Iowa State's most exciting programs is project Vincent designed to upgrade computing resources for instruction and research the first phase funded by a federal grant has provided supercomputing access to an initial number of high powered workstations the four-year goal is to make available a large number of such stations for students and faculty this multi-million dollar dream will depend on available funding the hub for project Vincent is the Magnificent new Durham Center for computation and communication funding to complete the center is a goal of the partnership for prominence campaign while Iowa State takes justifiable pride in its new research initiatives it is the talented and enthusiastic students at this University who provide the real promise for the future a highly energized and multifaceted life surrounds them at Iowa State they turn out by the thousands to participate in is used superb intramural and recreational sports program which centers on the massive new athletic recreation facility Iowa State's optimism for the future is based on several years of clear-eyed and pragmatic self analysis the university has established strategic plans for the institution at large and for each of the colleges for example is you will make a concerted effort to recruit high ability students and also to increase the diversity of the student population a program to enhance retention of students will be developed the new technologies of communication will be exploited to increase off-campus course offerings and degree programs and a variety of efforts in technology transfer linking the university to the public and private sector are being explored the College of Agriculture currently ranked third in the nation in the teaching of agriculture will put new emphasis on sustainable agriculture biotechnology and the internationalization of its outreach and Technology Transfer the College of Business Administration Iowa state's newest college plans to develop a series of graduate programs that combine business with manufacturing engineering and technology established in 1978 the college of design has enjoyed phenomenal growth strategic goals will focus on global urbanization of the design professions the Design College has pressing need for additional space and facilities the College of Education boasts that when you add all students preparing to be teachers to those majoring in education the college is the largest undergrad program at ISU programs designed to emphasize minority education and an international perspective highlighted strategic plans Iowa State's College of Engineering ranks in the top 10 of nearly 300 engineering schools in the nation its graduates are represented in the corporate boardrooms of many major US companies college plans include the use of computer simulation and interactive teaching technologies founded in 1871 the ISU College of Home Economics is today known as the College of Family and consumer sciences long recognized for its excellence the college plans call for new facilities for its Human Development and Family Studies programs Iowa State's largest in the most diverse College the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences includes 35% of all is use undergraduates and provides more than one-half of the university's undergraduate instruction strategic plans call for new emphasis in math to bolster its highly acclaimed reputation in the physical sciences the nation's first public College of Veterinary Medicine founded at Iowa State in 1879 is today targeting itself as North America's top swine production medicine facility since Iowa produces 25% of the nation's pork this goal is logical and appropriate for Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine the partnership for prominence campaign and is use strategic plans echo the important need for additional student scholarships and fellowships and for funding to maintain exemplary collections and expand information technology at the parks library the very heart of the university's scholarship strategic plans reasoned and appropriate to Iowa State's goal of becoming the nation's premier land-grant University but are they possible can they be realized for Iowa the reality of financing excellence in higher education is today a complex mix of priorities and resources while 38% of Iowa states support today comes from state appropriations the prominence we all desire for Iowa state requires additional resources the margin of support that will ensure our estates destiny of excellence must come as it has in the past from you Iowa State's alumni and Friends that tradition of partnership and support is symbolized in Iowa State's crowning achievement of the 1960s the iowa state center built entirely without appropriated funds the center today serves the campus the state and the nation with a host of unparalleled cultural and educational activities partnership for prominence campaign lead corporate friends and the university community have set the tone for all of us with their generous response to this important campaign our challenge is here and now Iowa State can become the premier land-grant University in the nation come be a partner join us in the tradition that ensures this perfect partnership for prominence well you've just seen a tradition of partnerships produced for the partnership for prominence campaign here at Iowa State University and as you probably saw on the credit roll that video tape was made by Jim 20 our production manager at the media production unit here at the media resources central Iowa State with me again it's Phyllis Peters director of public relations for the ISU foundation and the lady really deeply involved with the partnership for prominence campaign Phyllis again how did you actually use this with the groups you went out to meet with groups actually right and I had the opportunity to go to all of those off-campus meetings so I really was in the room with the video and saw the reaction and we used it in 18 different communities outside of Ames ranging from Des Moines and Cedar Rapids and Davenport to Cote two cities along the west coast and in Texas and throughout the country and dr. president jiske usually introduced the film and said we're going to take you give you a look at is use campus today and our hopes for its future and the lights would go off and the big pictures would come up and and people would see in real vivid colors I think that's one of most striking things about the film it brings people back to campus and focuses on things they remember the Campanile the Memorial Union the lake and yet there's a sketch of each of the eight colleges so the alumni and the audience could all get a sense that that they were connected to a piece of this fields going on today in those colleges I I like the metaphor of the tradition of partnerships with the fact that Alumni Hall the Campanile and the Memorial Union had all been given by my alumni and Friends to the University and that was wonderful to reinforce before what would happen following the dinners when people would be asked to continue that tradition by making their gifts themselves they weren't asked directly at the conclusion of this film but you're setting the stage by showing how much of a difference private giving has made and probably things that people take for granted would not be a part of the Iowa State University campus had it not been for alumni and other friends who had given the Maine the making of the tape was was an interesting experience I remember Jim twitten the director talking about trying to get those swans to swim around just the right way so that we could fly that Swan logo out of the middle of them that's all done electronically after the fact but how was that done well the toughest part believe it or not was just getting the swans to cooperate I've heard Jim tell the story many times I he and the cameraman and the sound man would get up early in the morning this was in the summer souls you know like 5:30 in the morning go down to Lake Lure room where the swans are and try and get them to swim and close to the cameras they began throwing out bread to tempt the swans to come closer and what happened very quickly was that the Ducks who also live on Lake Laverne would come soaring into to eat the bread one morning they had a raccoon no not a raccoon a muskrat Oh No muskrats swim through the picture so I think after something like 20 or 21 different mornings they finally got the image that we used at the conclusion of the film did you produce that logo here it was designed by the graphics department in the university of publications office and then it was converted electronically so it could be sort of flown in it's nice effect because we used that logo then throughout the campaign on everything that has been seen so it was nice that it could also be in the video and go from the live Swan to the not saliva logo that's beautiful there are a lot of interesting stories that relate to putting together the videos for the partnership for promise campaign and one of my favorites is with the President Gordon Eaton it was president University at the time agreeing to do a little takeoff based upon the field of dreams movie with Kevin Costner we got him to do that for a piece of video that we used at the big kickoff celebration in September of 90 hey is this heaven no it's Iowa any fades away into the corn it's interesting to note that the the gentleman who plays the farmer roll there scratching his his head and tipping his hat is Owen Owen right no one's role in the partners for prominence campaign he served our campaign as the National Campaign Chair and he of course was wearing a Pioneer seed corn hat he's a vice president with pioneer hi-bred international and has been given a lot of time to campaign as our national chair that little piece of tape was a roll back as part of that kickoff ceremony and as I mentioned earlier we did make a tape called the anatomy of an extravaganza which was sort of a documentary of that whole kickoff evening subsequently we've made a couple of other tapes that have been used with the campaign we we recorded the the order of the null dinner just this past fall which was a 90-minute production in the Hilton Coliseum and I think we're going to have another event when this coming fall October 1 a big celebration event that'll be the event where we hope to send the program live by satellite all around the country that's right it'd be nice to involve alumni chapters throughout the country through what your department will be able to do with media up links if the productions have contributed to the success of the fund drive then we feel really good about them I think probably these tapes have been seen by more people than the typical tapes that we produce at the media resources saying typically our programs end up being used in the classroom for example and they're seen by that faculty member and students and that's about the only place they're seen well I'm glad alumni could see it because they could see that quality work is done here on our campus that's our program for this evening I hope you'll join us here again next week when we come back with another video tape on the ISU media message you