Something good has come out of those pesky parking tickets.

Thanks to a new Food 4 Fines program, the University of the Ozarks’ Office of Public Safety on Friday donated a large barrel of canned goods to the Clarksville School District’s backpack program, which serves underprivileged families.

The Food 4 Fines program was started earlier this semester and allows students, faculty and staff who receive parking tickets on campus to donate $10 worth of food to pay off their first parking ticket, which typically runs $50.

“As you can imagine, this program has been quite popular,” said Larry Graham, director of public safety. “When people realize that they have the option of bringing in canned goods instead of paying a $50 fine, they’re usually pretty happy. Plus, they feel good about doing something that benefits the community and children.”

University Chaplain Rev. Jeremy Wilhelmi and several students helped Graham box up the canned goods and deliver them to Pyron Elementary School, where they will be distributed through the school’s backpack program.

Graham said the idea for the program came from U of O Wrestling Coach LeRoy Gardner, who had seen a similar program at another university. He said approximately 30 people have donated canned goods this semester in lieu of paying their parking fines.

“We feel like the program has been a success and we plan to keep it going,” Graham said. “We feel like there are still deterrents to illegal parking, but that this program gives first offenders an option to turn something bad, like a parking ticket, into something positive, like helping people.”

University officials said the Food 4 Fines program applies only to first-time offenders.

The grandchildren of long-time Clarksville residents Everett E. and Myrtle Mae Williams believe that their deceased grandparents would be happy knowing the house they built near the University of the Ozarks campus nearly a century ago is now a part of the University.

The Williams House, located at 406 Brown Street, about three blocks west of campus, was recently donated to the University by descendants of Everett and Myrtle Mae Williams, who built the house in 1926.

The 928-square-foot, two bedroom house was gifted by the family in memory of one of the Williamses’ grandsons, Keith Kilcrease, a 1964 U of O graduate who died in 1983. Keith’s sister, Susan, also attended Ozarks, as did numerous relatives.

“This college has always meant a lot of our family and we feel great that it’s going to be a part of the University and that the family name will continue to be recognized with the house,” said Mitch Kilcrease, a grandson of Everett and Myrtle Williams. “Our family has a long history with Clarksville and the University and donating the home to the University was the right thing to do.”

Everett, who died in 1971 at the age of 77, was a World War I veteran and a long-time butcher at a local grocery in Clarksville. Myrtle Mae, who died in 1999 at the age of 97, was a well-known seamstress in the community.

“My grandmother would often sew and do alterations for the college presidents and other faculty and administrators,” Mitch Kilcrease said. “She would also board college students who needed a place to stay. C of O always meant so much to her and she would have a great big smile on her face now knowing that their home belonged to the college.”

Everett and Myrtle Williams had four children — Evelyn Kemp, Robert “Spurlie” Williams, Jean Kilcrease and Kathryn Baskin, who lived in the house for most of the past four decades. Baskin moved to Nashville about five years ago and the house has been unoccupied since then.

Mitch Kilcrease, an administrator at Florida State University, is one of eight children of Robert Lloyd Kilcrease and Jean (Williams) Kilcrease. In 1983, the family created a scholarship in memory of Keith Kilcrease for marketing students at Ozarks.

“Our family is connected to University of the Ozarks in a lot of ways and this is just the next step,” Mitch Kilcrease said. “Our grandparents would be pleased.”

The University is currently renovating the Williams House and it will be used for University housing.

A new philosophical approach to advancement and alumni relations at University of the Ozarks has led to a new department name for those services— the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.

The name change, effectively immediately, reflects an effort by the University to build stronger life-long relationships with its alumni and external constituents, according to Lori McBee, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement.

“Colleges and universities across the country are experiencing a decline in alumni participation, and we’re seeing that same trend here at Ozarks,” McBee said. “The name change shows that we’re placing a renewed emphasis on alumni engagement and that we’re committed to strong relationships with all of our alumni and friends. Engagement is becoming more and more critical, not only to achieve today’s fundraising goals, but to build a base of active and invested alumni and friends who will become our supporters of tomorrow.”

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement encompasses several University programs, including development, alumni relations, church relations, major gifts, major grants and special events.

Cara Graham serves as the director of development and alumni engagement. McBee said a national search will begin in April for the position of associate director of alumni engagement.

University of the Ozarks has received a gift commitment from John and Sue Fisher of Broken Arrow, Okla., and their daughter, Jennifer of Bixby, Okla., to benefit the music and religious studies programs

The gift was made in honor of Jennifer, a 1993 U of O graduate, and will be used to fund faculty chair endowments for the music and religious studies programs as well as to help fund student scholarships.

Jennifer was a general studies major and also sang in the University choir.

John and Sue Fisher said the gift is a testament of their love for their daughter and for the role that U of O has played in Jennifer’s life.

The gift agreement read: “Jennifer has a great love for University of the Ozarks and the life she had while a student on campus. What she took away from her experience at Ozarks will remain with her always. Singing in the choir was a wonderful memory for Jennifer and she continues to sing with the campus choir during Homecoming and alumni choir events.”

The gift is part of the University’s current five-year, $55 million CLIMB HIGHER Campaign that was launched in 2014.  The campaign has raised nearly $44 million for scholarships and facilities.

“A strong America depends on an educated community to make informed decisions concerning its governance,” said John Fisher. “University of the Ozarks has demonstrated its ability as a leader in higher education, where students are infused with the understanding that the actions of conscience will stand the test of time. The University has been highly successful in equipping students armed with the skills and tools to function in a challenging world. We support the programs, the philosophy and the goals of University of the Ozarks and we are proud to have a part in providing for its continued presence in the academic community, where bigger is not always better.”

John Fisher is retired from a business career where he held major positions with a Fortune 500 company in Chicago. Later in his career he owned a retail home center in Broken Arrow and served as a national bank director for 26 years. He remains active in his community. Sue has been involved in various church ministries and currently serves as the director of Healing Hats, a city-wide ministry in Tulsa, Okla.

After graduating from Ozarks, Jennifer went on to earn a master’s degree in Christian education from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. She has been involved in Masonic affiliated activities since the early 1980s and is a member of the International Order of Rainbow Girls and the Order of the Eastern Stars. She also serves as the director of the Green Country Puppeteers, a Christian ministry for young children. Jennifer has served on the U of O Alumni Association Board of Directors and received the University’s Young Alumni Award in 2001. She is employed in the retail field.

University of the Ozarks’ MacLean Hall is currently undergoing a $10 million renovation, the most extensive refurbishment project in the building’s 92-year history.

Construction began in December on the stately “H” shaped, three-story student residence hall that was completed in 1927 and sits on the east side of College Avenue. The current project is expected to be completed in early August, in time for the start of the 2019-20 academic year.

The renovation will include a fire sprinkler system, new central heat and air systems, an elevator, and all new mechanical, electrical and plumbing components. The student housing capacity will increase from 170 to 220 and additional common areas and laundry facilities will be created.

Most of the work this semester is being performed on the lower level after approximately 40 students who resided there in the fall were accommodated in other campus housing. The remainder of the renovations will take place during the summer break.

“This is a full renovation of MacLean Hall,” said Jeff Scaccia, vice president for finance and administration. “Basically we’re taking all the deferred maintenance out of the building and putting in new systems and components that are more modern and energy efficient. And, in many ways we’re restoring the building to its historic look.”

One example of reverting to the original look will be at the front of the building. With the inclusion of the fire sprinkler system, the external staircases that were added in the early 2000s are no longer needed and will be taken down.

The addition of an elevator to the historic building, as well as an ADA entrance door on the east side, will make MacLean Hall much more accessible.

The renovation project will also include new bathrooms, LED lightning and furnishings throughout the building. The large second-floor ballroom will also be renovated and a gas fireplace added. A courtyard will be created in the back of the building and new landscaping will be incorporated.

MacLean Hall was constructed in 1926-27 at a cost of $150,000. It was named in honor of Marie MacLean of Atlantic City, N.J., who was inspired to donate $60,000 for the project after hearing then-Ozarks President Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie speak at her church. Much of the original design and construction was completed by Ozarks’ faculty and students.

MacLean has undergone major renovations in 1968, 1976, 1988 and the early 2000s.

The current project’s construction company is Nabholz Corp., and Credo Design Architects is the architectural firm.

Representatives from Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corporation (MyEnergyAVECC) made a $3,500 donation to the University of the Ozarks’ Wallace M. Milton Scholarship Fund on Jan. 30.

Those attending the presentation included (from left), Sam Davis, AVECC board member; Brandon Fisher, IT/GIS manager and interim member services manager for AVECC; alumnus Kevin Baskin ‘85, AVECC member services representative; Richard Dunsworth, U of O president; Nathaneal Rankin, student ambassador; alumnus Philip Taylor ’85, AVECC board member; and Rebecca Lester, director of major grants at U of O.

Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative has been supporting scholarships at U of O for more than 40 years. The Wallace M. Milton Scholarship was established in the late 1970s in memory of the former corporation manager. It is awarded to a University of the Ozarks student from the AVECC region.

Monica Frizzell has been named the new registrar at University of the Ozarks, effective Jan. 2.

A 2002 graduate of Ozarks, Frizzell has served in the Registrar’s Office for more than 15 years, including 11 years as assistant registrar.

“I am very excited about Monica stepping into the role of registrar,” said Jeff Scaccia, vice president for finance and administration. “She brings considerable experience working in the Registrar’s Office and is very familiar with the requirements and responsibilities of the position.  Her background will also give her insight into where improvements may be made to better the student experience and to continue improving operational efficiency for the office and how it interacts with the rest of the campus.”

Frizzell worked in the Registrar’s Office from 2001 to 2005 and served as assistant registrar from 2005 to 2014 before leaving the University in 2014. She returned in 2017 as assistant registrar. She also previously worked as the office manager in the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts from 2000 to 2001.

She replaces Wilma Harris, who retired in December.

“I have had the pleasure of serving students, faculty and staff at Ozarks for many years in the Registrar’s Office and I’m excited for the opportunity to continue to serve the campus as registrar,” Frizzell said. “I look forward to continuing to help students achieve their degrees and to see them succeed.”

The Registrar’s Office maintains the official repository of student enrollment, registration and academic records of current and formerly enrolled students. It is responsible for registering U of O students, reporting grade information and maintaining academic records. The office is responsible for maintaining an accurate schedule of courses and provides assistance to students with name and address changes, enrollment certifications, registration, schedule adjustments after the drop/add period and graduation.

Nathaniel “Nat” Raggette of Missouri City, Texas; Denton Tumbleson of Clarksville, Ark., and Buck Hill of Idabel, Okla.; have been appointed to the University of the Ozarks Board of Trustees, effective Jan. 1, 2019.

The three were unanimously approved by the board to serve three-year terms during the board’s annual fall meeting in October.

Raggette is managing director and senior oil and gas banker of Natixis, a French investment company with corporate headquarters in Paris. He has more than 20 years of financial services experience and previously worked at RBC Capital Markets, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bright Horizon Resources. He earned his undergraduate degree from Tulane University and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Tumbleson is community president for Simmons Bank in Clarksville. A 1974 graduate of U of O, he is a past president of the University’s Alumni Association and previously served as a trustee from 1994-97 and from 2002-2014. He and his wife, Jane, have three daughters, Jennifer, Ashley and Lauren.

Hill is the owner and president of SETCO Solid Tire & Rim Assembly Company, a manufacturer and international distributor of solid tires for all makes and models of equipment used in off-road applications. Hill and his wife, Natalie, established the Dylan Giles Hill Memorial Scholarship in memory of their son, Dylan, a 2015 Ozarks graduate. The Hills have a daughter, Brennan; son-in-law, Mitchell; and a grand-daughter, Giles.

Also during the October meeting, several board members were re-elected for three-year terms: Rev. Tasha Blackburn of Fort Smith, Ark.; Allyn Donaubauer of Fort Smith; Catherine Lowry of Little Rock, Ark.; and Dr. Sherilyn Poole of Park Forrest, Ill.

In addition, Dr. Jim Bruning of Fort Smith was elected as the board’s new chair, Poole was selected as chair-elect, and Chris Allen of Clarksville was chosen as secretary.

The University of the Ozarks’ Jones Learning Center has received a $10,000 gift from the parents of a former JLC student for providing a “life-altering experience” for their son.

The parents, who wished to remain anonymous, said the JLC made a tremendous impact on their son and helped him graduate from U of O with honors.

“This gift is being given to support the mission of the Jones Learning Center by grateful parents of a child who entered the University of the Ozarks as a shy, immature, frightened kid who had some learning difficulties and was very unsure of himself,” the parents said. “As a result of the faculty and staff of both the Jones Learning Center and the University of the Ozarks family, as well as the incredibly hard work of our son, he graduated Cum Laude and as a mature, confident and prepared young man. We thank the entire University of the Ozarks family for providing a life-altering experience for our son.”

Jones Learning Center at University of the Ozarks

The gift will be a part of the Debbie Williams Memorial Endowment Scholarship that was established last year for scholarships to JLC students. It was created by family, colleagues, friends and former students of Williams to memorialize the long-time JLC coordinator who died in 2017.

“We are thankful for the generosity of donors like these who have seen first-hand the great work that our faculty members and JLC staff do to transform lives,” said Lori McBee, vice president for advancement. “Their gift helps ensure that future JLC students will have the same type of high-quality support and education that their son received.”

The Jones Learning Center is a comprehensive support program on the Ozarks campus.  Bright students with learning disabilities, AD/HD, and autism are completely mainstreamed into the university while receiving support in a program with a 1:5 staff-to-student ratio.  Daily scheduled meetings with JLC staff help the students to stay organized and to complete assignments.  In addition to the support they receive at the center, the average class size at U of O is about 17 students, allowing each to receive individual attention from professors in class.