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New Endowed Fund Provides Aid to English Education Students

April 30, 2025

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MACOMB, IL 鈥� 玩偶姐姐 English Education majors are benefitting from a new fund established to honor the memory of a life-long educator.

Fred Hoffman (WIU `70) recently created the Pamela S. Hoffman Excellence in Teaching Endowment Fund in memory of his late wife. Pam received her BA in English from WIU in 1970. She later earned her Master of Arts in English from Illinois State University in 1990. Throughout her career, she taught at Mundelein High School, Illinois Central College, the University of St. Francis and Oakland Community College (Auburn Hills, MI).

Post-graduation, she served on the WIU College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board for three years and the WIU Alumni Council for ten years. She served a term as president of the Alumni Council.

The Hoffmans lived in Pekin for over 20 years, where Pam played an active role in the community. She volunteered for many community projects and was very involved in school district activities such as band boosters and after-prom.

In West Bloomfield, MI, Pam was on the Friends of the Library board and volunteered for Wayne State鈥檚 retirees program. She was a long-time member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and served as president for a local Michigan branch.

鈥淢y wife was a wonderful and caring woman,鈥� said Fred. 鈥淪he would be honored to know that students are succeeding because of an endowment in her name.鈥�

Once endowed, Fred鈥檚 six-figure gift will support two main functions. Approximately half of the yearly disbursements will go toward the Pamela S. Hoffman Excellence in Teaching Scholarship. The scholarship will financially assist English Education majors with out-of-pocket expenses associated with getting their teaching license, including getting fingerprinted, content tests fees, Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) fees and travel costs for block teaching and student teaching.

The other half of yearly disbursements will be used to support field work and to send students and faculty to conferences such as the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). These funds will also be used under the discretion of the Department of English to make larger purchases for the department.

In addition to the endowment and scholarship support, Hoffman has also provided $30,000 for an English Education classroom upgrade and a media lab. His goal is to create a classroom space for pre-service teachers that will help them practice their teaching skills.

Rebekah Buchanan, Director of English Education and professor, provided more insight on the specifics of the classroom upgrade.

鈥淔red鈥檚 support will allow us to create a lab classroom space for English Education students,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e will have a learner-centered space with collaborative table desks, a classroom library, a makerspace, and the latest technology. It will be a great tool for students to see a variety of possibilities for their future classrooms.鈥�

In addition, the new classroom, once completed, will be open to the two English Department publications as well鈥斺�淭he Mirror & the Lamp鈥� and 鈥淓lements.鈥� Currently, these student publications do not have the space or technology to work on the layout and design.

鈥淔red鈥檚 generosity is making an enormous positive impact on the WIU Department of English and our future English teachers,鈥� Interim Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations Amy Crosby said. 鈥淲e are honored Fred chose to cement Pam鈥檚 memory at WIU through this fund.鈥�

This fund will provide critical support for the English Education program for many years to come. Individuals interested in providing financial support for programs within the College of Arts and Sciences can contact Crosby at al-crosby@wiu.edu.

To learn more about WIU鈥檚 Education programs, visit wiu.edu/education.

Posted By: Taylor Holan, University Relations
Phone: (309) 298-1993 * Fax: (309) 298-1606