Calvin Board Wraps Spring Meetings

May 25, 2005 == MEDIA ADVISORY

The 31-member Calvin College Board of Trustees concluded its spring meetings
May 21 on the school's campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The spring meeting is
one of three annual sessions for the Calvin Board. The Board also meets
annually in October and February. The May meeting coincides each year with
Calvin's Commencement ceremonies.

Commencement at Calvin this year was a momentous event for both the faculty
and students and the Calvin Board. Many of the Board members were seated in
the Calvin Fieldhouse for the 85th annual conferring of four-year degrees
(Calvin was founded in 1876 but granted its first four-year degrees in 1921), a
ceremony that was highlighted by a 15-minute Commencement address by U.S.
President George W. Bush.

For more on that address, including the text, see
http://www.calvin.edu/news/releases/2004_05/commencement-concludes.htm

Calvin Board member Cindi Veenstra, the Board secretary, thought the
President's address struck just the right chord for Calvin.

"It was indeed an honor for Calvin to be able to host the President," she
says. "Having that opportunity is another indicator of the respect and
influence of Calvin as a center for Christian academics and leadership. The
President expressed his support for institutions, like Calvin, that also help
students grow in character and in making responsible and just choices. It also
seemed that the President understands and supports our goal for the renewal all
of creation. He encouraged our graduates to get involved and make a difference
in our world, a refrain that these students have heard throughout their
education."

In academic business prior to Commencement the Board ratified a new chair for
Calvin - the Brummel Chair in Organic Chemistry - and a new Institute - the
Institute for the Study of World Christianity. The Board also ratified a
number of faculty reappointments and appointments as well as administrative
appointments to James Bratt (to continue as director of the Calvin Center for
Christian Scholarship), Harry Plantinga (to continue as director of the
Christian Classics Ethereal Library) and John Witvliet (to continue as director
of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship).

The Board endorsed professor of English Karen Saupe as co-director of the
Writing Program at Calvin, provost Joel Carpenter as director of the Institute
for the Study of World Christianity (beginning in January 2006, while he
finishes his term as provost), professor of philosophy lee Hardy as coordinator
of the Developing A Christian Mind program and Dirk Pruis as vice president for
advancement (effective August 1, 2005). Pruis is a Board member who resigned
that post to accept the new VP duties at Calvin.

The Board also celebrated the careers of Calvin retirees and of this year's
Distinguished Alumni award winners at a special dinner and conferred emeritus
titles upon three professors: professor of art Carl Huisman, professor of music
Derald DeYoung and director of student academic services James MacKenzie.
Receiving the Distinguished Alumni Awards were Edwin Bos and his wife Carol
Yonkers Bos, and Richard Katte.

The Board heard about and endorsed 18 Calvin Research Fellowship Summer
Awards, including such projects as English professor Roy Anker's work on
spirituality and film, communication professor Mark Fackler's work on media in
Kenya and computer science professor Keith VanderLinden's work on computer
equipment and literacy outreach.

The Board bid farewell to some of its own members who have completed their
terms of service and also elected its officers for 2005-2006. The Board chair
next year will be Bastian Knoppers, a vice president with Illinois-based
Metavante Corporation (he replaces retiring Board member Milt Kuyers as chair),
while the new vice chair will be Jack Harkema, a professor at Michigan State
University. Veenstra, a Kalamazoo realtor, will remain as secretary.

In addition to Pruis, ending their terms of service to the Board with the May
2005 meeting are: Carol Bremer-Bennett of Gallup, N.M (served six years as a
regional trustee); Robert Koole of Abbotsford, B.C. (served six years as a
regional trustee); Connie Brummel of Holland (served six years as an alumni
trustee) and Kuyers of Brookfield, Wis., who served nine years on the Board and
faithfully toiled for six years as the Board chair.

NOTE: A separate release will be sent this summer highlighting the new members
of the Calvin Board of Trustees.

-end-
Received on Wed May 25 15:00:03 2005