Calvin BOT Wraps February Meetings

February 9, 2007 == MEDIA ADVISORY

The 31-member Calvin College Board of Trustees concluded its winter meetings this weekend on the school's campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The winter meeting is one of three annual sessions for the Calvin Board. The Board also meets annually in October and May.

Tenure interviews are always a highlight at the February Board meeting. This year's meeting was no exception.

The Board interviewed and granted tenure to: Eric Arnoys (chemistry), Brian Bolt (physical education), Arlene Hoogewerf (biology), Stacy Jackson (business), Joel Navarro (music), Michael Page (communication arts and sciences), Dwight TenHuisen (Spanish) and Amber Warners (physical education).

"The tenure interviews are a very affirming process for the Board," says Board secretary Cindi Veenstra. "Several Board members again commented that the interviews were for them the highlight of the meetings. To hear about how faculty integrate faith and learning and to hear about their mentoring of students is very inspiring."

Veenstra cited just one such example from the February 2007 meetings, noting a professor's anecdote about a student who commented: "Math is like faith. Both use trial and error."

"Those sorts of moments are very enriching for our faculty," says Veenstra, "but also very gratifying for the Board."

Besides the tenure interviews the Board also approved for reappointment an additional 20 faculty members.

The Board also attended a special Faculty/Board dinner where Calvin's 15th annual Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching was given to professor of philosophy Lee Hardy. The award includes a one-of-a-kind medallion and provides the winner with a significant financial stipend thanks to the George B. and Margaret K. Tinholt Endowment fund, set up at Calvin by a donor in honor of George Tinholt, a former member of the Calvin Board of Trustees.

The Board also heard a special presentation about the state of the Christian Reformed Church from new executive director Jerry Dykstra, a presentation that spoke about possibilities for more partnerships within the denomination, including Calvin College. And the executive committee of the Board met for lunch with the 2006-2007 Calvin Student Senate team.

Another important item for the Board of Trustees was approval of the 2007-2008 budget, including new rates for tuition, fees and room & board. The overall Calvin budget for 2007-2008 is $90.2 million, 86 percent of which is received from tuition, fees and room & board.

Tuition and fees for 2007-2008 will be $21,460, while room & board will be $7,460. With additional required fees of $225 the total costs for 2007-2008 will be $29,145. This represents an overall increase of six percent.

Calvin vice president Tom McWhertor says Calvin is a top-rated school by a number of different measures, adding that national college guides consistently praise Calvin for delivering a superior education at a reasonable price.

"Calvin's tuition and room and board charges continue to be well below the national average for four-year private colleges," he adds. "Even more so when you look at schools that are more comparable to Calvin academically."

In fact, he says, Calvin works to maintain tuition well below the average for private colleges and universities nationally.

Calvin's commitment to remaining affordable is evidenced by maintaining a strong financial aid program. In fact, funding for scholarships and financial aid will also increase by six percent in 2007-2008, and over 90 percent of the Calvin student body will receive some form of financial aid, making the actual cost to attend Calvin far less, in most cases, than the $29,145 figure.

Calvin president Gaylen Byker says this commitment is aided by the generosity of alumni and friends whose financial support helps keep tuition affordable.

"The 2007-2008 budget and cost increases it contains were carefully considered and discussed," he says. "Our Board respects how these cost increases affect our students and parents, but also s standard of academic excellence."

Calvin vice president Henry DeVries says salaries and benefits constitute about 65% of Calvin’s budget, a larger percentage than in many industries. Because of this, he says, service-providing organizations such as Calvin must factor a cost-of-living adjustment higher than the generally perceived cost-of-living.

"Rising health care expenses and a faculty salary schedule which strengthens Calvin's ability to attract and retain outstanding professors are prime contributors to the increase," he says.

McWhertor notes that Calvin also has an ambitious and growing program of sabbaticals and research fellowships for its faculty.

"Such efforts cost money," he says, "but they both benefit our faculty and enhance and expand the education available to students. Students directly benefit from what professors are learning, and they often are involved in research projects and fellowships as student researchers."

In fact, at its recent meeting Calvin's Board approved 14 sabbatical requests, 13 Diekema Fellowships (named for former President Anthony Diekema and awarded to younger faculty) and 22 Calvin Research Fellowships.

Among the sabbaticals are Amy Patterson's work on Protestant churches and the politics of AIDS and Janice Koop's research on professional development in mathematics for K-5 teachers. Research Fellowships will be in such areas as supercomputers, religion and the movies, medieval sculpture of the Netherlands and asteroids.

-end-
Received on Fri Feb 9 18:33:30 2007