Around Campus – Fall 2017
Summer Activities Held on Campus
Bethel hosted thousands of elementary, middle and high school students over the summer months for a variety of activities. These included hosting the Missionary Church Central District’s Youth Conference (CDYC), pictured, top left; Summer of Service (SOS), pictured, top right, an annual outreach event for local youth groups; the Sycamore Drum Major and Leadership Clinics; and Bethel’s annual academic camps and sports camps.
Hispanic Student Day 2017
Hispanic Student Day Brings 350 to Campus
On May 9, Bethel’s Admission Office and Office of Diversity and Inclusion partnered with six local colleges to host Hispanic Day for area high school students. About 350 students and chaperones were on campus to learn about college planning, financial aid and student life, and to hear from a panel of local Hispanic and Latino college students.
Bethel Receives Best Value Award
For the third year in a row, Bethel has been selected out of nearly 8,000 postsecondary schools as the recipient of a Best Value School award. The award is issued by University Research & Review (URR), a company dedicated to improving the process of how a student selects a postsecondary school. The committee that reviewed more than 100 nominees out of the thousands of eligible schools is made up of former university presidents, CEOs, provosts and professors. Schools cannot pay to receive the award; it has to be earned through the nomination and committee evaluation process. Bethel was chosen by the committee because it passed rigorous standards, including a combination of cost, accreditation, variety and quality of school programs, and student satisfaction with the institution.
On Cadet Teacher Day, students observe Bethel’s Lab Kindergarten class.
Education Department Hosts Cadet Teacher Day
The Education Department hosted “Cadet Teacher Day” for high school juniors and seniors who are considering a career in education. About 50 local students learned about teaching strategies, observed our onsite Lab Kindergarten (pictured), and talked with faculty and students, all while experiencing Bethel’s campus and hearing about our academic programs. The idea for this event was developed using the BIG (Bethel Innovation Gateway) project pipeline, a peer-led process designed to implement innovative projects on campus.
Education Department Nationally Ranked
College Choice recently ranked Bethel No. 27 in the nation on its list of “Best Elementary Education Degrees for 2017.” Criteria for the ranking included reputation, affordability and specific program ratings, and was based on reports from U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics and the National Council for Teacher Quality. The list included a variety of public and private colleges from across the country.
Left to right: Therese Gardner, John Gardner and President Chenoweth
Gardner Field Dedicated
In March, a celebration was held for the naming of the softball facility to the Therese & John Gardner Field. The Gardners, pictured with President Chenoweth, are long-time supporters of the college, and John serves on Bethel’s Board of Trustees. “Bethel College is so very grateful to John and Therese Gardner for their many years of generous support of the college’s mission,” said Steve Matteson, Ph.D., former interim vice president for institutional advancement. “They were instrumental in transforming the college’s main entrance on the west side of campus, and now we celebrate their contribution in transforming the entrance on the east side, which includes the softball stadium. We are honored by their investment in our students and in the beauty of our grounds.”
Bethel College Ranked No. 2, No. 44 on Washington Monthly Lists
Washington Monthly has ranked Bethel College No. 2 of 364 colleges in the Midwest on its 2017 list of the “Best Bang for the Buck Colleges.” Bethel was also ranked No. 44 of 632 national colleges and universities on Washington Monthly’s 2017 list of “Top Master’s Universities.” The guide ranks schools based on what they are doing for the country, not just on measures of money and prestige. The “Best Bang for the Buck” list rates colleges that are doing the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. Schools on the “Top Master’s Universities” list are chosen for their contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility, research and service.
Freshman Service Day 2017
New Bethel Students Serve the Community
About 300 Bethel freshmen and transfer students served the community as part of their First Year Experience (FYE) orientation by helping the Mishawaka Parks and Recreation Department clean portions of the Mishawaka Riverwalk. This is a tradition for new students, emphasizing Bethel’s mission to “equip the whole person for lifelong service,” and is part of the more than 22,000 hours of community service that Bethel students volunteer through Michiana each year. Bethel’s annual all-college service day was Oct. 3.
Bethel Launches New Chapel Podcast
This fall, Bethel launched a new Chapel Podcast, enabling more accessibility for alumni and friends of the college to listen to chapel services. Visit Chapel.BethelCollege.edu to listen to the live chapel stream or past messages, download messages for later playback, subscribe to the archive as a podcast and view the current semester’s chapel schedule. You can also download the podcast on iTunes; search “Bethel College Chapel Podcast.”
Pastors pray over campus
Pastors Pray Over Campus
On Aug. 25, several groups of pastors gathered around campus to pray over students, faculty and staff as they began a new academic year. The groups walked and prayed over campus, concluding at the Everest-Rohrer Auditorium, where many stayed for the first chapel service of the semester.
To stay up-to-date on campus news, visit our website at BethelCollege.edu/News.
