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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2005
BETHANY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE APPROVES NEW MAJORS, VISION STATEMENT
LINDSBORG, Kan.—The executive committee of the BethanyCollege board of directors met Aug. 13 in Kansas City, Mo. The committee heard reports, approved two new majors, endorsed a strategic enrollment plan, approved a new focus statement for the college and voted to honor three college supporters.
The committee heard a final report on fundraising for fiscal year 2004-2005, which ended June 30. Total gifts for the year were $2,504,195. The BethanyCollege endowment, valued at more than $23 million as of June 30, grew $836,486 during the 2004-2005 fiscal year.
In academics, the committee voted to approve two new majors: art therapy and art administration. These interdisciplinary, pre-professional majors combine studio-art courses with classes specific to the respective profession. Both fields have grown significantly in recent years and will capitalize on Bethany’s strong art curriculum and facilities.
To increase enrollment overall, the board approved a strategic enrollment plan, including goals, objectives and methods for increasing enrollment. The plan is the result of more than 18 months of work by a college committee with representation from all campus departments. The board voted growth and stabilization of net tuition revenue as the highest priority of the plan, followed by growth and stabilization of new freshmen and transfer students, targeting geographic markets with potential for enrollment growth, growth and stabilization of retention and graduation rates, and redesign of the program mix. A campus committee has been charged by the president to oversee implementation of the plan, with all segments of the campus playing a role in implementation.
The board also approved a new focus statement for the college. Previously, the college was focused on “offering liberal-arts based degrees to traditional, residential students.” The new focus statement clarifies that all majors will offer “a blend of liberal learning, critical thinking across disciplines, and development of skills to apply knowledge in various ways.” The new focus statement also broadens college constituents to include “students of all ages” and services to include “residential experiences and supportive programming for students with off-campus living arrangements.” Per the new mission statement, the college also “seeks to enhance the experience of all students by intentionally encouraging interaction of intergenerational, cultural and ethnic populations both inside and outside the classroom.”
The committee voted to honor BethanyCollege supporters Gerald Pearson and Charlie and Lucy Johnson with BethanyCollege’s highest non-academic award: the Distinguished Citizen award.
Gerald L. “Bud” Pearson of Okoboji, Iowa, is a former member of the board of directors and longtime friend of BethanyCollege. Pearson endowed the Pearson Distinguished Professor of Swedish Studies. Under the program, each year a key figure in Swedish culture, arts or scholarship assumes the professorship at BethanyCollege. The purpose is to discover ways in which contemporary Swedish culture and experience can illuminate and strengthen life in the United States.
Charlie and Lucy Johnson, McPherson, Kan., are graduates of BethanyCollege, class of 1944, and long-time supporters of the college. The Johnsons endowed the Johnson Lecture Series, which brings figures of national or international fame to speak at Bethany. Previous lecturers include filmmaker Ken Burns, astronaut James Lovell and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel. The next Johnson series lecturer is Garrison Keillor, who will speak on campus Nov. 6, 2006.
The eight-member executive committee of the BethanyCollege board of directors meets between board meetings as necessary. The committee is empowered to act on the board’s behalf. The next full board meeting will be held Nov. 5 on the BethanyCollege campus.
BethanyCollege, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The mission of BethanyCollege is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service.
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