Constantine W. Curris Papers, 1980-2017
Scope and Contents
This relatively small collection contains information about Dr. Curris's information, but little biographical material. The last two boxes received, 5 and 6, have not yet been processed.
Dates
- 1980-2017
Creator
- Curris, Constantine, 1940- (Person)
Language of Materials
Materials entirely in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions. Mateirals are open for research.
General Use, Reproduction, and Copyright Policies
Many items housed in the Rod Library Special Collections & University Archives, including unpublished images and manuscripts, may be protected by copyright, publication rights, trademarks, or model release rights which the library does not own and for which the library cannot grant permission or licensing. Materials currently under copyright are usually still available for research and limited reproduction under Fair Use laws. However, it is the sole responsibility of the patron to determine whether or not their use of a given material falls within Fair Use guidelines and to obtain permission for said use from the rightful copyright owner.
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy or similar laws, and the Iowa Open Records Law (see Iowa Code § 22.7). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of Northern Iowa assumes no responsibility.
Biographical / Historical
Constantine Curris was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1940. He attended the University of Kentucky, where he majored in political science and graduated in 1962. Curris then attended the University of Illinois, earning his master's degree in political science in 1965 before receiving his Ed.D. in higher education from the University of Kentucky. Curris and his wife, Jo, had two children.
Curris worked in a variety of higher education administrative positions throughout his career. He first served as vice president and dean of the Midway College (Kentucky) faculty in 1965. Curris became director of academic programs for the West Virginia Board of Education in 1968 before serving as dean of student personnel programs at Marshall University (West Virginia) from 1969-1971. He then spent two years as West Virginia Institute of Technology's vice president and dean of the faculty. In 1973, he was named the president of Murray State University. Curris became president of the University of Northern Iowa in 1983, Curris' goals while leading UNI were "to improve the physical environment of the campus [and] the quality of undergraduate education and student faculty relations." For example, he supported "campus beautification projects," and various buildings were constructed including the business building (later named in his honor), Kamerick Art Building, Roth Apartments, the Center for Energy and Environmental Education, and the Visitor and Information Center.
Additionally, under Curris' administration, UNI experienced a rise in enrollment, stronger enrollment requirements, working towards a "comprehensive strategic planning process" for the university as a whole, and a retooling of its General Education program. He also worked "to gain accreditation for business students." Related to this, UNI garnered national attention for its business and education programs. Curris left UNI in 1995 to become president of Clemson University in South Carolina.
Outside of his administrative duties, Curris strongly advocated for public higher education and its students, looking at how those fit in the 21st century. He became president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in 1999. His professional experiences included membership or leadership roles in: the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities, the Iowa Board of Economic Development, the Sigma Chi Foundation, and the Iowa Task Force on Teacher Education and Certification.
Extent
3.67 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Bibliography
- McCurley, Lynn. "People to Know: Constantine Curris."The Northern Iowan, October 6, 1998. "https://indexuni.library.uni.edu/articles/15566".
- "Biography of Constantine Curris."The New York Times. Accessed March 27, 2020.. "https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_asscu_currisbio.html".
- "Curris accepts presidency at Clemson University."The Alumnus, vol. 78, no. 2 (Winter 1995). "https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1054&context=alumninews".
Processing Information
Collection processed by University Archivist Gerald L. Peterson and updated by Peterson May 3, 2016. Updated, April 4, 2017, Adjunct Special Collections and University Archives Librarian Rachael Acheson; Library Associate Dave Hoing, October 2017 and February 2018; and Archival Processor Tessa Wakefield, March 2020. Linear feet updated August 8, 2017.