Tony Courier remembered in retirement

This summer, the Student Actvities Office said goodbye to Tony Courier, Programming Consultant and staple in the NEIU community.  Courier retired at the end of the spring semester after 39 years in higher education administration, 20 of which were spent at NEIU.   

Tony Courier's first job in higher education was at the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana in their student activities office .  After eight years there he went on to become the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs at the U of I Medical Center in Chicago (which eventually became the University of Illinois Chicago).  Courier spent a lot of time in meetings and not enough with the students and said that he didn't get a lot of satifaction from the job because of it. 

In 1989, there was an opening at NEIU in student activities and Courier took it as an opportunity to work more with students. 

"I was back working with students in a very positive way, basically returning to my roots, which I love," said Courier. One of the first things Courier noticed when he came to NEIU was that the student body was very different from that of a larger university like U of I. 

"What I realized very early on about Northeastern that I liked a great deal compared to the University of Illinois was the nature of the students," said Courier.  "The student body here didn't have the all the training and the luxuries that those at U of I had." 

Because NEIU is a commuter campus, it is not always easy for students to get involved on campus because they have responsibilites outside of school.  However, Courier said that when students do get involved, he sees more growth than he saw in the students at U of I. 

"I regret that a lot of students don't have that opportunity or the luxury to spend time being involved," said Courier.  However, for those that do get involved, Courier said it becomes a very meaningful experience. 

A great example of student involvement can be seen in the students on the Northeastern Programming Board, an organization that Courier advised and helped develop. 

NPB is an organization of student coordinators who provide events and activities for the student body.  The student coordinators, with the help of Courier, have organized many different events throughout the years such as live music in Village Square (called the Coffeehouse Series), a murder mystery boat cruise and even a human-sized chess tournament. 

"Students come up with a lot of really creative new things that they want to do," said Courier.  "We've been very fortunate in the past two years to have some really talented people as coordinators of NPB who really do a great job of researching what's out there and finding out what resources are available."

"I think he just really taught me how to work on a team effectively," said Ted Shaeffer, the current coordinator of NPB's Coffeehouse Series.  "It was just awesome working with him, everything was great and he really brought our program together really well." Shaeffer also said that Courier was involved with the students on a personal level. 

"He's always very concerned about the well being of the people he's working with," said Shaeffer.  "My family was going through a really hard time and Tony out of his own pocket bought all my books for me for the semester." 

"That was just how generous and kind hearted he was," added Shaeffer.

Courier says that the students are what he'll miss the most about NEIU.    "I really am close to an awful lot of students," said Courier.  "They're the ones that 20 years from now, hopefully I'll still be in touch with, because they are what my life's work has been, to help them grow and develop."

"That's my legacy as far as I'm concerned,for students to learn things and feel that they've gained something from working with me."

Several years ago, Courier had Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological syndrome that kills nerve endings and work its way through the body from the feet upward, which can cause paralyzation for a period of time.  Courier was paralyzed from his mouth down, and was on a respirator for three months.  After spending time in several hospitals, the syndrome began to recede and Courier went to a nursing home to work on physical and occupational therapy.  One day while he was at the nursing home, two former students went to visit him.  One was African American and one was Latino. 

The other nursing home patients, many of whom were residents, knew that Courier was having visitors that day.  As the two walked down the hall with Courier, the African American student pushing his wheelchair, one woman asked " are those your students?"

The African American student turned to her and said "no, we're his sons."

"The whole place went into pandemonium from laughing," said Courier.  "That really is the way I and a lot of students feel." "It's almost like they're my surrogate kids," added Courier.

Courier will spend his retirement working for Shaw Chicago Theatre Company, a company where he has volunteered for 15 years.  He will also volunteer at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago on the spinal injury floor, and hopes to motivate others to recuperate from things like Guillain-Barré and other paralyzing syndromes and diseases. 

There is no doubt that Courier will miss NEIU.

"Northeastern is a very special place, it truly is," said Courier.  "I said at my retirement party that this is the longest relationship with the exception of my son and my parents that I've ever had." 

"Divorce will never be finalized, it's only separation."