New student CARE center to be established at UI thanks to alumna's gift

Jul. 12—CHAMPAIGN — A new center for student support will open soon at the University of Illinois campus thanks to a donation from alumna Connie Frank.

Based out of the Office of the Dean of Students, the Connie Frank CARE (Coordination, Assistance, Response and Education) Center will offer one-on-one assistance to students who need it.

"Connie Frank's care and concern for students and the various struggles they face during their college experience was the impetus for her gift," said Stephen Bryan, dean of students.

Frank graduated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1965 and has since lived in California, funding transplant centers at two University of California campuses.

Unlike those clinical centers, the CARE Center will provide case management to help students address all kinds of basic needs concerns: food insecurity, housing, money and mental and physical health, to name a few.

Many cases may be long-term, helping students find community or academic support, but the CARE Center also has a few emergency support services like technology loans, a fund to support students through temporary hardships and an after-hours program for critical incidents.

"(Frank) wanted to support a center that provides comprehensive assistance in a way that makes things easier for our students. This gift will allow us to do that," Bryan said. "Her generosity will make a profound and lasting impact on generations of students and will emphasize the community of care that we have at Illinois."

The plan for this center was approved at Thursday's meeting of the UI Board of Trustees.

Trustees meet in July for a two-day retreat including committee meetings and additional time beyond their usual meeting, but in the actual meeting they approved a number of other items pertaining to the Urbana-Champaign campus.

Those included the official placement of Jake Pinholster as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts and Brooke Elliott as the dean of the Gies College of Business.

"I can only feel sympathy for all her faculty and staff who have to try to keep up with her," trustee board President Don Edwards said of Elliott. "She is a force of nature, and we're excited to have her at my alma mater, replacing legendary Dean Jeff Brown."

Elliott has worked at the UI for around 20 years and Edwards said he is familiar with her; Pinholster is coming from a position at Arizona State University.

Trustees also approved three new degree programs:

* A bachelor's in chemical engineering and data science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

* A bachelor's in molecular and cellular biology and data science, also in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

* A master's in global studies at LAS and the grad college.