On March 1, 2018, from 12 pm to 1:30 pm in the Student Union Ballroom, the University of Illinois at Springfield hosted their annual Faculty and Staff Campaign event. The annual event is the Faculty and Staff Campaign’s way of starting off the new fiscal year and allowing the campus organizations to ask the campus employee’s to donate. This is also the time when information is given to employees to educate them about the Advancement Office on campus.
The event was set up similarly to a career or internship fair that the University of Illinois at Springfield would sponsor. There were rows of tables lined up in the ballroom with thin black curtains hanging behind the tables to separate the rows of tables. On the far side of the ballroom from the entrance, there were several tables filled with food on either side of a stage. Throughout the event, there were entertainers doing prize drawings and getting people to play games with them. There were decorations around the room that went along with the theme for the year. The theme for the annual event was “Invest in Stellar: Above and Beyond”. The invitations for the event encouraged the guests to come dressed up in a costume. One person came this year dressed as Darth Vader from Star Wars. Many of the campus-sponsored organizations had space themed decorations around their designated tables. One organization had star streamers hanging on the black curtain behind their table and another organization had star-shaped rubber toys scattered on their table. The food that was provided during the event were labeled using words related to the space theme as well. They had hotdogs, meatballs, milkshakes, salad, and more at the tables.
This event is hosted every year by the University of Illinois at Springfield. According to the university, last year 50.53% of the employees donated to the campaign. At the event this year, there were several school-sponsored organizations trying to get faculty to donate to their organization. Some of the organizations had games setup at their tables trying to get people’s attention. Other organizations had candy, cups, and handouts to give out to prospective donors. Everyone who went to the event was given a UIS sticker, a gripping tool that reads, “I invest in UIS” and a handout that gives information on the purpose of the event. At the end of the fiscal year, the university prints the names of all of the employees who donated during the year to recognize them for their contributions.
This annual event is the university’s way of starting off the new fiscal year with something fun for the employees to look forward to. This is also the time for employees to have a chance to see what organizations are on campus, what the organizations are doing this year, and to start thinking about what groups they would like to help.