Students Experience Physical Disability Through Class
Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology Steve Govorko wanted the future P.E. teachers in his P.E. Methods for Elementary Students class to understand how to include children with disabilities in class activities. So he partnered with Alick’s Home Medical, who provided wheelchairs for his class, and students had to use the chairs to get around campus for an afternoon. They also took part in activities designed to show what life would be like if they were blind, lost their sense of touch, or lost the use of their hands. Govorko hopes this will help these future teachers recognize not just the challenges of being disabled, but also the unique abilities and opportunities for these students to participate with their classmates.

Worship Arts Releases Heartcry Album
“Heartcry,” the latest album from Bethel Worship Arts was released in August, with an official launch party on campus in September. It featured a mix of cover and original songs written and performed by Bethel students. It was recorded in Bethel’s on-campus recording studio as well as OmniSound Studios and Dark Horse Recording Studios in Nashville, Tenn. More details are on HCMRecords.org.

School of Nursing Hosts Regional Simulation Conference
In August, the School of Nursing partnered with CAE Healthcare to present the Human Patient Simulation Network (HPSN) South Bend Regional SimDay, attended by nurses and EMTs from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana. The event provided interactive workshops, hands-on simulation training and techniques, and networking opportunities for experts and innovators from the expanding world of health care simulation. Deb Tauber, MSN, RN, Founder and CEO of Innovative Sim Solutions, was the keynote speaker, and breakout sessions were taught by Ron Perkins, RN, CAE health care nurse educator; Lori Pajakowski, Ph.D., RN, simulation specialist; and Aleksandra “Ola” Wojtowicz, moulage specialist from Rush University.

Paqui and Brian Kelly Auditorium Dedicated
Bethel College and the Kelly Cares Foundation dedicated the Paqui and Brian Kelly Auditorium on June 21. Renovations to the auditorium, Bethel’s largest lecture hall, were made possible by a gift from the Kelly Cares Foundation. This renovated space, formerly referred to as the Octorium, is located next to Bethel’s School of Nursing in the Middleton Hall of Science. It celebrates the Kelly’s commitment to strengthening communities and inspiring hope by investing resources to improve health and education through their foundation. The remodeled space, which was built in 1963, is now ADA compliant and features new seating, lighting, paint, a remodeled stage, new flooring and a larger backstage and storage area. It will be used primarily as a classroom space, specifically for large nursing and science lectures, and secondarily for theatre and music productions. The space will also serve as an overflow for Bethel’s chapel and vespers services.

Bethel College and the Missionary Church USA Announce New Partnership
Bethel College and the Missionary Church USA announce the creation of a living endowment to fund a professor in the denomination’s name at Bethel College. The Missionary Church Endowed Professor of Biblical Theology was created to address the critical importance of comprehensive and Biblically faithful theological academic training for future pastors and church leaders. The position is funded through Missionary Church-related individuals and Missionary Church Foundations to cover wages and ministry support for 10 years. As a living endowment, the intention is to perpetually renew the commitment and funding for the position. Meet the first Endowed Professor, David McCabe, Ph.D., here.

First Annual Give Back Gala Raises $290,000 to Support Students
As part of the Bethel College Day of Giving, Bethel hosted a Give Back Gala May 12 in the Wiekamp Athletic Center on campus. Keynote speaker Lee Strobel, New York Times best-selling author of “The Case for Christ,” shared a message on the importance of Christian higher education. The event raised $290,000 for Bethel’s General Scholarship Fund, supporting student scholarships and areas of greatest need.

Editor of Christianity Today Speaks at 71st Commencement Ceremony
More than 425 students participated in Bethel College’s two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 5, in the Wiekamp Athletic Center on campus. The first was for adult programs, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion and graduate programs, while the second was for all traditional undergraduate programs, Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Graduation activities included a party at the ponds on the evening of May 4 for graduates and families, nurse pinning, and a 50-year reunion for the class of 1968, who led this year’s graduates on the traditional commencement processional. The speaker for both ceremonies was Katelyn Beaty, an editor-at-large with Christianity Today. Beaty previously served as the magazine’s youngest and first woman managing editor. She is a published book author and a graduate of Calvin College.

Students Draw Portraits for Hannah’s House
Bethel art students drew portraits for two former residents of Hannah’s House, in South Bend. The organization was celebrating its 25th anniversary with the art project. Hannah’s House serves single mom’s facing homelessness. One portrait recipient was keeping it to share with her son for posterity. The other saw the portrait as a symbol of the hope she gained at Hannah’s House. The portraits were presented in the spring.

National Recognition for Bethel College
Bethel was recognized by U.S. News as a Top Tier College for the 15th consecutive year. The college earned the 29th spot among the Midwest’s Best Regional Universities in the 2019 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, improving nine spots over last year. Bethel was also ranked No. 16 by U.S. News on the list of “Best Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Universities Midwest.”
For the third year in a row, Washington Monthly has ranked Bethel College in the top 10 in the Midwest on its annual list of the “Best Bang for the Buck Colleges,” coming in at No. 7 for 2018. Bethel is also one of only four Indiana schools to appear on the guide’s “Top Master’s Universities” list, which ranked Bethel No. 66 in the nation. The Washington Monthly guide rates colleges that are doing the best job of helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Bethel is one of 10 Indiana colleges to be recognized as a 2018 College of Distinction, and one of 72 schools in the nation to be named a Christian College of Distinction. This honor is given to colleges and universities that excel in the Four Distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities and successful outcomes. Additionally, Bethel received program-specific recognition in business, education and nursing.

Bethel has been named to Money Magazine’s “Best Colleges for Your Money 2018” list. Money analyzed graduation rates, tuition charges, family borrowing and alumni earnings – plus 22 other data points – to find the country’s top values. These rankings compare colleges using indicators of alumni financial success, along with an in-depth analysis of how much value a college adds when compared to other schools that take in similar students. This “value add” includes performance on important measures such as graduation rates, student loan repayment and default rates, and post-graduation earnings.