What is the University Club

University Club, open to all current and retired faculty and staff of Illinois State University, is a great way to meet members of and learn more about the university and local community. During the academic year, we meet Fridays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Faculty Staff Commons Area, located in the Northeast corner of the Bone Student Center. There is a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres, sponsored by the guest speaker.

At 4:30, guest speakers give a brief presentation about a university or local event, group, or bit of knowledge. Previous presentations have included overviews of ISU’s solar power car team, local wine tastings, talks by President Bowman and other ISU dignitaries including the Dean of Green, visits by rescue dogs (and their owners), rare book evaluations, local geology lessons, string concerts by music faculty and children’s groups, sustainability presentations, discussions of chemistry in popular media, and poetry readings. All presentations include time for discussion. Programming and facilities support for UClub has also been provided by generous contributions from the Provost's Office and the President's Office.

Meetings are free to attend for members. Annual memberships are $20, but free to new/first-year faculty and staff. Memberships help fund discussions and the UClub scholarship, which is awarded to ISU students who demonstrate excellent leadership skills on campus and in the community.

University Club also hosts twice-a-semester Gourmet Dinners, usually themed on a country. Recent dinners have featured menus from Brazil, Turkey, Norway, and Cuba.

UClub Officers

President: Bob Preston, rlpresto@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-7933
Secretary/Treasurer: Jess Ray, jdray@ilstu.edu or (309) 438-8642