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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, May 6, 2008
BETHANY BOARD ELECTS MEMBERS, APPROVES NEW DEGREE PROGRAM
LINDSBORG, Kan.—At its May 3 meeting on campus, the Bethany College Board of Directors elected new members and approved a new degree program, the Bachelor of Social Work.
The college currently offers a Bachelor of Arts in social work. The change in degree name will not alter the program’s components or curriculum, but will help graduates better represent themselves to potential employers.
“When students in social work look for positions, many jobs are listed as requiring a B.S.W. If a student has a B.S.W, they won’t have to spend as much time explaining why a B.A. in social work makes them just as qualified for the position,” said Jessica Schierling, associate dean for student life and director of career services.
The board re-elected current members Kathleen Hurty, Chris Crawshaw, Kris Ericson, Glenn Kerbs and Orlew Lauger. It welcomed student representative Adam Peterson to his first meeting, and elected new members Bill Allen, R. Guy Erwin, Sharon Reed and Sidney W. Stolz.
Allen worked in the public accounting sector for 20 years before serving as a chief financial officer in both the corporate and educational world. From 1992 to 1994, he was director of business and finance at Bethany College. A licensed Certified Public Accountant in the states of California and Kansas, he is a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa.
Erwin is the Gerhard & Olga J. Belgum Professor of Lutheran Confessional Theology at California Lutheran University, and also serves as director of the Segerhammar Center for Faith and Culture. He previously has taught at Yale Divinity School, and has studied at both Yale University and Harvard University. His main scholarly focus is on Martin Luther and the theology and practice of early Lutheranism. Erwin is an active layperson in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and serves on the Plenary Commission of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. An Oklahoma native, he is a member of the Osage Tribe of Indians, and has taken an active part in the planning of tribal educational policy.
Reed has enjoyed a successful career spanning over twenty years in investment banking and the financial services industry. Her experience includes positions in both start-ups and large multinational corporations, which led her to reside in Europe for many years. She has led global teams of up to 1,200 in operations, finance and technology and has planned and implemented numerous business acquisitions and divisional reorganizations. In 2006, Reed retired from her position as managing director and chief technology officer for the Global Markets Trading Division of Merrill Lynch. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College and an M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management at the University of New Mexico.
Stolz, a consultant for corporate health care programs, served as Chief Marketing Officer of Caremark Rx until 2007. Prior to that, he was a senior vice president with Advance PCS, a pharmacy benefit management company. His experience in health care includes top leadership positions with UnitedHealth Group in Minneapolis, where he was senior vice president of United's Delivery System Contracting and Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethany College and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.
In other business, the board approved Bethany’s operating budget for 2008-2009 and heard reports from committees.
Board members arrived on campus on May 2 in time to help celebrate groundbreaking for Bethany’s new apartment-style residence hall. Also on Friday evening, they shared a meal with students.
The board will next meet on campus in August.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
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