President of Bethel College Blog

My goodness, it amazes me that so much time has elapsed since my last post. I'm very sorry and I hope there is someone out there still reading. My 2012 resolutions will certainly include more regular entries on this blog! Wow. What a semester we've had. With another large recruiting class entering in August, Bethel has increased its enrollment nearly 20% in just two years. That's some significant growth and brings with it tremendous energy and excitement, along with some minor growing pains, but nothing we can't handle as a community. It has been exciting for the Bethel leadership to plan for continued growth and to look for ways we might accommodate even more students on our campus and in classrooms. This was also a semester of challenge. Beginning with the tragedy of Seth Dunn's death in August, our campus community grieved together. Seth's absence still leaves a significant hole in our community and the senior class is working together to maintain his memory as they contemplate their senior class gift. We all miss him so very much. Stability that comes with enrollment growth has also allowed us the chance to look to the future in ways that have not been possible in recent years. In October, the Bethel College Board of Directors endorsed the leadership team's work on a "road map" for the College. This strategic plan will guide our work and help us prioritize the tasks for moving Bethel into the future by focusing our attentions on the things that need to be accomplished in the next two years, five years and 20 years as we seek a more robust Bethel College. I look forward to sharing this vision and action plan with you during the next few years. Yes, it has been quite a semester, but one that continues to engender excitement and hope. In May of 2010, when Dalene and I sat in our Wisconsin living room and studied the materials Bethel sent us prior to taking this role, we could sense the strength and academic prowess of this wonderful institution. However, we could also see the potential for an even brighter future for Bethel College. We are so pleased and honored to be a part of this community and look forward to working with you toward that brighter future. Thanks for reading. May you and your family enjoy a tremendous 2012!

The following is a piece that I recently submitted as a guest writer for the BC Church Relations Update (Newsletter):

We’ve now come to the end of a very good academic year, capped by a marvelous baccalaureate service and a commencement ceremony that saw 94 graduates receive their diplomas from Bethel College. I’ve spent much of my first year as president extolling the accomplishments and praising the values of our students. Many of you have heard me talk about the hope we can have in the future because of the fine men and women at Bethel and commencement weekend did nothing to alter my outlook. In fact, after baccalaureate in particular, I believe even more strongly in our students and the values we help cultivate at Bethel.

For those of you who were not among the six hundred-plus in attendance at Bethel College Mennonite Church on Sunday morning, May 22, let me say that you missed Bethel at its absolute finest. Not only was the service expertly planned and executed, but the music was sublime and the ceremonial traditions were compellingly Bethel. From the individuals, both instrumental and vocal, who performed selections during the prelude to the marvelous work by the Bethel College Concert Choir, the music was a showcase of excellence that we have come to expect of our musicians on campus. The texts and scriptures were so very poignant and pertinent, highlighting the theme for the event: “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved,” by William Jennings Bryan.

However, the clearest representation of what Bethel does so very well was realized in the reflections of three graduating seniors: Caleb Stephens, Greg Shelly, and Meredith Lehman. For it is in the thoughts expressed by these three students that we see great wisdom, faith and hope for tomorrow’s generation of leaders.

Their insight, maturity and deep sense of faith, cloaked in a great deal of self-deprecating humor, was moving and inspirational. Each reminded us that even the most seemingly self-assured and accomplished students come to college wrestling with their own life’s challenges and that they are then further challenged by the newness of college life. We were reminded of the value of a faith-based liberal arts experience for these students and the importance of exploring those challenges in an environment that is safe and allows them the freedom of vulnerability. They reminded us that our obligation as an institution of higher education is to challenge the ideas of our students’ limited experience, encourage them to ask the right questions and form conclusions which help them to shape their vision for their future – a future whose path will be determined by the multitude of choices they will make. And, they reminded us that there is no more positive place in the world than a college campus.

I left that service so very proud of our students and the work of Bethel College. I left that service stimulated by the thoughts, words and insights of these graduates. I left that service wishing that more people could see the hope that our students represent. And, inspired by the experiences they shared, I left that service wondering how our lives, communities and world might be changed for the better if each of us were to exercise a greater sense of trust in others and allow ourselves to embody the vulnerability of Christ in our own lives.

Yes, this service touched our hearts on so many subjective levels and reminded us that, as human beings, the greatest potential for positive change in our lives comes when we can allow ourselves to become open and vulnerable to “that other.” Caleb, Greg and Meredith each reminded us that only when we have expanded our sphere of experience by encountering the thoughts and ideals of another, can we fully develop and stand firmly on our own convictions, allowing us to choose our path with confidence. This, indeed, is what Bethel College does so well. This, indeed, is the obligation of Christian higher education. For as Caleb pointed out, referring to Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

April and May are normally packed with activities on every college campus, but what a weekend we just had at Bethel! Even with commencement looming, along with all of the regular end-of-the-year events, this past weekend was something special.

Our heartiest congratulations to our women's tennis team, under the leadership of Lonnie Isaac! Having captured another conference championship, the Bethel women will once again represent the KCAC at the national tournament in Alabama. What a tremendous accomplishment and our best wishes go with them to the tournament, as they serve as tremendous representatives of our College.

Congratulations to the Bethel College Theater Department and the cast/crew of "Wit" this past weekend. With professional actors, faculty members and our students involved, Megan Upton-Tyner directed a stunning production. In fact, the Pulitzer Prize and Emmy winning author, Margaret Edson made the trip from Atlanta to see the production and spent two full days engaging with our community. Hers was the very first "Bravo!!!" heard from the audience at the close of Friday evening's performance and she couldn't stop saying marvelous things about Annette Thornton (the lead actress), the rest of the cast, and all the students she encountered during her time on our campus. Nathaniel Yoder's original score certainly added to the level of impressiveness with a remarkably poignant underscoring. I am so very proud of all involved.

There couldn't have been a better way to close this fabulous weekend than by listening to our choral ensembles perform the Schubert Mass in E-flat major, joined by additional singers from our community, accompanied by the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony, all under the direction of Dr. William Eash! More Romantic in nature than I might have expected from Schubert, the very dramatic and taxing work was performed expertly by our musicians on a very hot and dry Kansas afternoon, but to a very appreciative audience. I continue to be amazed at the musicianship of our students, under the leadership and tutelage of our tremendous music department faculty.

Yes, it was a terrific weekend of events, but we're not finished yet. If you weren't able to get to campus for these performances, there are a few things left for you to see...
May 10 - Chamber Orchestra Concert at 7:30
May 11 - Jazz on the Green at 8:00
May 15 - Open Road at 7:00
May 20-22 - Various Alumni Weekend Activities

And don't forget Baccalaureate and Commencement on May 22. Everyone is welcome and we'd love to see you there!

This has been a terrific spring semester at Bethel College. Dalene and I have been traveling a great deal, but we've been on campus enough (as well as some time traveling with our students) to see our students in action. Our students' January term travels to Haiti, Mexico, Palestine and Jerusalem have yielded stories that fill us with so much pride. The Concert Choir's performances at Kansas Music Educators Conference and on their tour of the Pacific Northwest were tremendous representations of our College. The continued success of our forensics team members is extremely impressive, as we again sent twelve students to Nationals. The awards and accolades, both individual and collective, continue to mount up for our students.

Today, is Service Day on our campus and what a day it has been. Nearly 120 students joined with community volunteers to clean up and clear out the Kidron-Martin Canal. This initiative is not only attractive, but symbolic, as it unifies the north and south parts of our campus, joining our athletic department with the rest of campus. In addition, today, students are also helping spread wood chips on the Sand Creek Trail and making preparations for a summer of growth in the Community Garden.

With every passing month, we learn more about what a special place Bethel College is and we grow increasingly proud of our community. Just witnessing the work of our people - students, faculty and staff - confirms the fact that our core values are very much alive and well on campus. As an institution, we are fully committed to scholarship, discipleship, service and integrity. Certainly, I can't list every impressive event from the semester, but we are so pleased to watch our institutional commitment play out in both big and small ways on our campus - every day and from all corners!

Thanks for the part you play in helping us continue the great work of Bethel College.

Today marks the end of a fine J-Term on our campus and next Tuesday the beginning of another semester, which brings great promise.

Mid-year enrollments appear to be strong, due in large part to a slightly better-than-average retention rate and a good crop of transfer students coming in. That certainly bodes well for Bethel as a whole and seems to confirm some of what we've learned from our latest Student Satisfaction Inventory survey - our students respect and appreciate our faculty/staff and academic programs. This is a good position from which we can together build a more robust Bethel College of the future!

Just to share a brief story... Earlier this month, Rosa Barrera (Administrative Assistant to the President) took her daughter Sonia (a senior at BC) shopping in Wichita for an afternoon, in preparation for Sonia's semester abroad in Spain. I am told that, while strolling through the mall, Sonia (who was wearing a Bethel College t-shirt) was stopped no fewer than five times by people asking about Bethel College - what great publicity for our school. I was thrilled and thankful to hear that Sonia was serving as a "walking billboard" for Bethel and would encourage all of us to do the same at every opportunity.

Let's all wear our Bethel gear often and remind the world that we're here. When they stop you, take that opportunity to tell them about the great things Bethel does through our students and graduates. Our students and alums are doing tremendous things for their communities and our society at large. We are and should be very proud of them.