The Quandary of the Art Donor

1. The Quandary of the Art Donor An Inquiry Quest for Rockford College Readiness Camp

2. Background • Ms. Flavia Bipkins, a wealthy Chicago philanthropist and art collector, would like to donate a series of paintings to Northern Illinois University, her alma mater.

3. The paintings will hang in the following locations… • A quiet study room in The Founders Memorial Library • The main activity room at the NIU Child Care Center • In the clinic room at NIU Physical Therapy Clinic

4. Data Set: Buildings • The Founders Memorial Library houses 314,000 volumes on four sprawling floors. It is a haven for hard-working undergraduate and graduate students, and is thus often very quiet. It contains computer labs, and an extension of the student writing center is located on the 3rd floor. The lowest level of the library houses a small café and a student art museum.

5. NIU Child Care Center • The NIU Child Care Center provides award-winning supervision and education for children between the ages of 2-5. It is located in a brightly-colored, busy room filled with toys, games, art supplies, and lots of activities. The Child Care Center is open to the public, and thus, it is often one of the first ways that people in DeKalb come to learn about NIU.

6. NIU Physical Therapy Clinic • To learn more about the NIU Physical Therapy Clinic, please click this link and watch the short video: • http://www.chhs.niu.edu/ptclinic/

7. Problem • Problem: Ms. Bipkins has an extensive art collection, which she treasures. She has narrowed down her choices for the donation to six paintings. She will give the university only three. Since she is a very caring human being, she does not want her attachment with the paintings to influence her choice. She seeks your guidance in making the selection. Here is the question that she needs to answer: Which paintings should she donate, and to which buildings on campus?