Alumni affairs director Rucker retires after 5 years of service

Former alumni affairs director and annual fund coordinator Bobbye Rucker officially resigned Monday citing health reasons for her departure from the University.

“She has been talking about the possibility of retiring with me for a number of weeks before she actually decided for sure to do it,” Jerre Iversen, vice president for university advancement said.

Rucker started with the University on Sept. 1, 2004 and implemented programs to increase alumni communications and activities, and served on the University’s Alumni Association Board.

Rucker also coordinated the homecoming festivities and class reunions and assisted with the development of the new fight song before handing it off to Dr. Howard Patterson, vice president for student affairs.

“Bobbye’s job was to bring alumni back to the campus that had never been here or had not been here for several years and those people are shocked with how the campus looks,” Iversen said. “One of the biggest things that she had tried to tackle was to beef up the homecoming bigger than it has ever been done before. She was able to get the students involved and she was a goodwill ambassador for the alumni.”

University officials are not planning on forming a hiring committee for Rucker’s position due to the current hiring freeze on campus and the department is hoping to split the responsibilities between Iversen and Angela Copeland.

Copeland is the new endowment funds compliance assistant, which consists of checking up on how the endowment scholarships are being used, said Deanna Sims, director of major gifts and advancement services.

Sims said if a donor requests the scholarship go to art majors and students receive them, then the office checks to see that those students are art majors.

“We are going to have to go at it alone for a little while until we see how the University budget plays out,” Iversen said. “We do not have any immediate plans right now and I am going to have to take more of a role with our alumni folks.”

Iversen said the challenge now is trying to continue to do the things Rucker did during her time at the University.

“The challenge in our alumni operations before, during and after Bobbye are several. Unlike most universities where they have a tradition of getting support from alumni and major homecoming and class reunions that really drive the philanthropy of big universities here in our 37-to-38 year history we have been a commuter campus. There was no student life, student government, and Greek societies when our former students were here in the beginning.”

Iversen said Rucker will be difficult to replace.

“What she meant to the University was huge with her enthusiasm and creativity and Bobbye was full of great ideas,” he said. “She really worked hard in this job and that might have played a factor in her stepping away from the job. She will be missed and we will never be able to replace her fully.”

By Joseph Elerson Staff Writer