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Alumni Banquet Address

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not the multiple meetings, planned and impromptu, although you do have to enjoy that to enjoy this role. And we have excellent leadership that is truly a privilege to work with.

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not articulating our core and giving voice to our values, although our values really do set us apart. We continue to be guided by four central values:

• An ethic of discipleship
• An ethic of scholarship
• An ethic of service
• An ethic of integrity

We celebrate core strengths in academic excellence, opportunities for participation, relationships that develop an intentional caring community, and values inspired by personal faith and spiritual growth.

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not thinking strategically about where we are going as an institution, although being strategic is not only necessary, it is energizing. And we do it carefully, from the Board level Committee on the Future of the College, to the efforts begun this year that will lead to a self-study for our accreditation process next year, to the feasibility study for a new campaign 1) to renovate the old science hall and add a nursing wing in what will be the Academic Center and 2) to substantially increase our endowment.

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not working on budgets and calculating trends, although we do that with greater precision each year. And let me be brutally honest in telling you that we face a difficult budget situation that requires sustained efforts to increase our revenue streams through annual contributions and increased endowment from which earnings support our programs. Beyond those kinds of contributions critical to our success, everyone can help by identifying students who should be thinking about coming to Bethel – Mennonites and persons from other backgrounds, rural and urban, athletes and scholars and musicians and others who have yet to discover their passion but who are seeking a good education where faith and learning are held together. Help us find those students, and help those students find Bethel: tell them about Bethel, bring them to campus, offer to pay their way to visit campus, show them that you value your education here enough that you want them to have the same opportunity.

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not just seeing the generosity of our supporters, although that generosity is incredible. For those of you who have not been on campus for a number of years, let me remind you that the Honoring our Legacy Campaign ending in 2002 raised 22.5 million dollars and funded the construction of Voth Hall and Krehbiel Science Center, the renovation of Leisy Welcome and Admissions Center, campus-wide technology updates, and endowment, and that the Sports Complex Project ending in 2005 funded the Joe W. Goering Field, the Thresher Stadium, the Franz Plaza, the accessible parking lot, the renovation of Goering Hall, and more. Some of you on tours last night saw new simulation instruments in the nursing wing, new percussion instruments in the music department, and new technology in the Fine Arts Center classrooms made possible by special donations.

The most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College is not just to see the excellence on the football field and on the tennis court and in other athletic events and in the concert hall and in recitals and when research is presented and in the classroom and in plays and when seniors tell their faith journey in chapel and in impromptu or planned displays of creativity we sometimes call pranks, although much of that is satisfying. This year’s senior class is a special group, and you may find it interesting to hear the plans of our graduates. Since many of you will not be here for graduation tomorrow, let me give you a glimpse:

The graduating class of 2007 is comprised of 66 women and 55 men, who come from 15 states and 4 foreign countries. 85 of the graduates are from Kansas. Other states represented by more than three graduates are Colorado, Nebraska and Texas. 1 graduate is from Ethiopia, 1 from Jamaica, 1 from Kenya and 1 from Serbia. 25 of our graduates are 25 years of age or older; the eldest is 54, the two youngest are 20.

According to our survey of graduates’ plans for after college, 54 members of this class plan to be employed in Health and Social Services, 15 plan careers in education, and 15 will be entering positions in business-related fields. At least 4 people will continue a long-standing Bethel tradition by taking voluntary service assignments after graduation. 19 students have marriage plans between graduation and December 2007. 52% of the seniors responding to the survey will be entering graduate school programs next year or plan to apply to such programs within the next 5 years.

All of these things are satisfying, and it is difficult to determine what is most satisfying. Here is how I think of it. We have two children. Our son Jordan is 19, and our daughter Leah is 16. I enjoy telling Jordan that he is our favorite son, and I enjoy telling Leah that she is our favorite daughter. Likewise, there is a certain sense in which everything is the most satisfying aspect of being the President of Bethel College.

But let me suggest that perhaps truly the most satisfying aspect of being President of Bethel College is to feel a sense of participation in what our students and our graduates are doing, to in some ways live vicariously through you. Let me give you an example. On May 4, a tornado destroyed the town of Greensburg, Kansas. This very day, today close to 20 Bethel students and staff worked in Greensburg helping clean up. This was not an administrative endeavor, but purely a student initiative, what looks like almost a reflex reaction to seeing need. Let me read you the e-mail from student Miriam Regier, who helped organize the group to go:

From: Regier, Miriam
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 12:43 PM
Subject: Greensburg on Saturday

Thank you all so much for offering your Saturday this busy weekend to help clean up the disaster left by the tornado two weeks ago; it is wonderful to see a group this size going to help even at a busy time.

I was moved when I saw this e-mail, and when I think about how this is a natural reflection of the kind of people who help make this a special place. This group saw a need. It was not a convenient time, but as Miriam pointed out disaster never comes at a convenient time. They rolled up their sleeves and put on their work boots to do what was necessary. They stayed flexible. And they represented Bethel in the best way possible.

That is what I see in our students, in our award recipients this evening, in our seniors graduating tomorrow, and in our alumni gathered this weekend: People who see needs, who work to help others even when it’s not convenient, who roll up their sleeves and put on their boots or nursing uniform or research gown or stethoscope or thinking cap or teaching cap, people who stay flexible and can adapt their skills to their situation. Thank you for representing Bethel in the many things you do. I count it a privilege to be President, and I find it most satisfying and inspiring to feel a sense of participation in what you as our graduates do. Thank you.