Calvin Board Wraps February Meetings

February 9, 2008 == 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: Bruce Berglund (history), Keith Grasman (biology), Loren Haarsma (physics and astronomy), Stephen Matheson (biology), Diane Obenchain (religion), Bert Polman (music), Donald Reynolds (business and accounting), Thomas Scofield (mathematics and statistics), Cynthia Slagter (Spanish), James Turner (mathematics and statistics) and Jo-Ann Van Reeuwyk (art).

"The tenure interviews are an opportunity for the Board to learn about how faculty integrate faith and learning," says Board secretary Cindi Veenstra. "They also help ensure academic quality. We have an amazing faculty at Calvin. The interviews we do are very inspiring."

Besides the tenure interviews the Board also approved for reappointment an additional 19 faculty members.

The Board also attended a special Faculty/Board dinner where Calvin's 16th annual Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching was given to professor of speech pathology Judith Vander Woude. 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.

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 2008-2009 is $98.7 million, almost 90 percent of which is received from tuition, fees and room & board.

Tuition and fees for 2008-2009 will be $22,940, while room & board will be $7,970. With additional required fees of $225 the total costs for 2008-2009 will be $31,135. This represents an overall increase of 6.9 percent.

Calvin vice president of enrollment and external programs Tom McWhertor notes that Calvin continues to be below its peers for both tuition and room and board.

"Calvin is considerably lower than the national average for four-year private colleges," he says, "and even more so when you look at colleges and universities that are comparable to Calvin academically."

Calvin's commitment to remaining affordable, he says, is evidenced by maintaining a strong financial aid program. In fact, 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 $31,135 figure.

McWhertor says that each year Calvin's increase takes into account the rise in the service cost of living -- 4.1 percent this year -- but adds anywhere from two to three percent more as the college attempts to raise faculty salaries and increase research opportunities for faculty and students.

"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 18 sabbatical requests, 13 Diekema Fellowships (named for former President Anthony Diekema and awarded to younger faculty) and 23 Calvin Research Fellowships.

Among the sabbatical projects are a history of Christianity in China by Dan Bays, a biography of the brothers Grimm by Don Hettinga and work on sacred space and fiber art by Jo-Ann Van Reeuwyk. Research Fellowships will be in such areas as the forgotten woman's Bible, hearing Canada in the music of John Beckwith, the genetics of diabetes and Lake Michigan sand dunes.

Other activities of the Board at the recent meetings included a lunch meeting with Student Senate, an update on the Campaign for Calvin College, an approval of the new Calvin Strategic Plan and an approval of the mandate and committee membership for the new Reformed Identity Task Force.

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Received on Sat Feb 9 18:34:37 2008