By Signe K. Skinion

Receiving the highest award from the Illinois Business Education Association has renewed her efforts to further business education, a SIUC professor says.

Janice Schoen Henry, chairperson for the SIUC Department of Information Management Systems, won the distinguished service award for 25 years of outstanding work in the development of business education. Henry said the award reminded her of the reasons for her work in education.

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The people who have won this award before to join their ranks, it has made me very humble and proud, Henry said. It took me two days to get over the shock and believe that I really won the award. The award has given me renewed energy to do more work for business education.

IBEA is made up of 10 affiliates and consists of 800 members. The distinguished service awards can go to anyone, but they must have at least 15 years of experience in business education and should be or have once been active in IBEA.

Henry’s past positions include the SIUC associate university affirmative action officer from 1991 to1994, and College of Technical Careers associate and assistant professor at SIU from 1974 to the present. She has also been awarded honors of Who’s Who in American Education, the World’s Who’s Who of Women, the International Secretary of Distinguished Leadership and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America. Henry also received the University Faculty Woman of Distinction from SIU in September.

Henry said the recent award reminded her of the work she has already done and of things she still wants to accomplish.

I am enjoying my new role as administrator after years of being on faculty, but I plan to go back to teaching, Henry said. I hope to move the department in a positive way. I hope to continue contributing by helping students and furthering business education.

Diane C. Davis, associate professor in information management systems, said she nominated Henry for the award because of Henry’s outstanding work and dedication to business education.

Jan has been very active in the field of business education, including her 20 plus years in the office system program, Davis said. She has been active in the local, state, and national levels (for business education) and has been an officer in the local and national level of Delta Pi Epsilon for several years.

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Davis said Delta Pi Epsilon is the national honorary professional graduate society in business education.

Besides being a member of Delta Pi Epsilon, Henry is a member of the Southern Illinois Business Education Association, the Illinois Vocational Association, the American Vocational Association and the Office Systems Research Association.

Henry is well known throughout the department for her objectivity and fairness in decision-making, Davis said.

She (Henry) is willing to listen to all the individuals she works with and gathers their input on a subject, Davis said. Through her own time and effort, she will examine all of this to make the best possible decision that will work for everyone involved.

Davis said Henry is most deserving of the award for her innovative work in business.

She is always on top of what has to be done, Davis said. She doesn’t let anything slip through the cracks. She tales the visionary approach to guide our department and the faculty to develop personally and professionally and to move our department into the next millennium for the students.