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BETHANY BOARD APPROVES ACTION PLAN, FACULTY RAISES
LINDSBORG, Kan. — The Bethany College Board of Directors took several decisive actions Feb. 17 to strengthen the college, including approving a six-month action plan and making several immediate, strategic investments in the college.
The regular meeting of the board was “a lively, long day,” said Bethany Interim President Dr. Robert Vogel.
The board approved a campus action plan, identifying four areas of focus for the next six months: finances, enrollment, culture and special opportunities.
“These are the key initiatives we can take to strengthen the college in preparation for the next president,” Vogel said.
The board also approved several strategic expenditures, including a substantial salary increase for all fulltime and part-time faculty.
“The board approved our most aggressive plan for increasing faculty salaries. This is monumental. We need to be competitive on faculty salaries to attract and retain talented professors for our students. This will make a huge difference to our faculty,” said Bob Carlson, professor of business.
Carlson chairs the faculty senate and is the faculty representative to the board.
The board also voted to take a residence hall, Deere Hall, out of service for the 2007-2008 academic year. All returning residents will be moved into other halls for 2007-2008. Monies saved will be used to make improvements in Gregory and Alma Swensson Halls this summer.
“Students are upbeat about it—they like to see things happening, and they see this as the first step toward improving our residence halls,” said Freda Strack, director of residence life.
The board also directed college staff to begin study of housing options for the future and approved a small sum for a cost study and schematics for meeting current and future needs in Nelson Science Hall.
The meeting was chaired by Tad Doering, who was elected board chair at the November board meeting. Doering is a 1981 graduate of Bethany who now lives in Apex, N.C.
The board identified three action items for the board’s own focus before its next meeting in May. Those items include investments, board governance, and vision and strategy.
In investments, the board agreed to investigate ways to make long-term investments in campus infrastructure and programming. The most immediate need is to complete Campus Green, a long-term project to renovate the campus landscape. Initially considered a long-term, multiphase project, the task force will look for ways to complete the entire Campus Green in short order.
“Campus Green is a clear sign of momentum at Bethany, and it is something the college can rightly take pride in. Completing this project now, rather than in stages, will help the college achieve other long-term goals,” Doering said.
On governance, Doering pointed to Bethany’s new faculty governance structure and the recent creation of a staff senate. He challenged the board to study reorganization as well for the sake of more efficient and effective board governance. He will appoint a task force to consider changes.
Regarding vision and strategy, Doering will appoint a board task force to begin work toward articulating a clear and compelling vision for Bethany’s future and strategies for making that vision reality.
New board members attending their first meeting included Evelyn Wilson, Topeka, Kan., and Suzie Ahlstrand, Wichita, Kan.
Doering announced that Richard Olson, Topeka, Kan., had recently retired from the board.
In personnel matters, the board approved the promotion of Caroline Kahler to full professor and granted to Doug Talbott tenure and promotion to associate professor. Both changes will be effective in August.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they live lives of faith, learning and service.
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