BethelParent A newsletter for parents of Bethel University students
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Issue 55/Fall 2012
1st Annual Grandparents Day: April 5 On Friday, April 5, 2013, we will host a day just for Bethel students and their grandparents to connect on campus. Grandparents will attend chapel with their grandchild and enjoy a luncheon with President Jay Barnes. Parents: please help us gather grandparents’ addresses so we can mail them an invitation in December. Visit bethel.edu/parents for more information. n
Welcome Week 2012: Vi-tal-ize: To Give Life To The Bethel University community welcomed more than 800 new students into the College of Arts & Sciences, bringing the total of undergraduate students to nearly 2,800. During Bethel’s Welcome Week 2012, families moved in their children and became a part of our Bethel family. True to tradition, President Jay Barnes and his wife, Barb, greeted new students and their families as they drove onto campus. One grateful parent remarked, “Well, the two times I cried were when we pulled up and 25 kids mobbed our van and unloaded it, and made our daughter feel welcome! Then, the other great moments were at the last service on Saturday morning: a special time for parents, complete with the BU Kleenex (nice touch!). We love that our girls are at BU! It is a special place! Of course I already knew that because I was in the class of ’84!” Bethel alumni and their children who are current students made memories by posing for a “Legacy Photo” after the Saturday morning commitment service. n
Homecoming 2012: Re-vi-tal-ize Homecoming is always a highlight at Bethel—for both alumni and current students. The theme for Homecoming 2012 is “Revitalize,” following on the Welcome Week theme, “Vitalize.” This year, we partnered with campus ministries, athletics, and student life to provide an integrated Homecoming experience for our students and our alumni. The students’ experience begins on Monday of Homecoming week—as we honor our athletes in chapel—followed by a whole host of activities. Then, we welcome back to campus our alumni during the weekend of October 5-7. For generations, Bethel has been a place of formation and a source of spiritual, academic, and personal growth. Thousands of Bethel alumni have seen their faith come alive and have been energized to lead and impact the world. This year, we celebrate our Alumnus of the Year, Paul Healy, founder of Children’s Shelter of Cebu in the Philippines. n
Family Weekend 2012 Join us October 26-28 for a weekend for students and their families to experience campus life together. We will host parent sessions—including StrengthsFinder™ for parents—and a prayer breakfast, and will offer great deals on BU gear in the Campus Store. The highlight of the weekend is often the time families get to spend with their students. Last year, one parent remarked, “[The highlight] was the whole weekend collectively, being with our child in his campus environment—sharing meals, chapel, a football game, and Sunday church.” We hope to see you at the end of October! n
The Pride of Being a Royal Your son or daughter isn’t just a student at Bethel; they are a Royal for life. Students on campus today continue to write the story that was started decades ago by alumni. Someday soon, your son or daughter will pass their authorship to a new class. Together, alumni and students shape and define what Bethel is. Our hope is that they take up this mantle with pride— along with all of the tradition, significance, and responsibilities that come with it. The message for your student is: “Have pride in yourself, in your school, in your story. You are a Royal.” n
Career Development and Calling The Office of Career Services has changed its name to the Office of Career Development and Calling. This change is the result of a careful process of assessing the strengths of our career services program and the strategies we can implement to broaden the scope and depth of our services. The mission of the Office of Career Development and Calling is to educate students to lead purposeful lives. Its team of career development professionals is available and prepared to help students: • Answer questions such as “Who am I?” and “What is my purpose?” • Establish sincere relationships with others who are knowledge able and connected in the career areas students are exploring. • Participate in a wide variety of experiences to develop and affirm a sense of calling. • Identify and build upon students’ skills and strengths. • Approach job search processes effectively. n Dave Broza is the new director of Career Development and Calling. Feel free to contact him at d-broza@bethel.edu.
Thank You, Parents More than 200 of you helped serve at the Spring Banquet in May 2012. Thank you for making the dinner by candlelight possible.
Mark Your Calendar Homecoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 5-7 Fall Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 12 Family Weekend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October 26-28 (for parents and extended family of students) Thanksgiving Break . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November 21-23 Festival of Christmas . . . . . . . . . November 29, 30, & December 1 Final Exams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 10-14 (Please don’t schedule family vacations on these days) Mid-Year Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December 14* *The Mid-Year Commencement Luncheon is December 14, 2012, for December graduates and their parents. More details to come in commencement communications.
It’s in the Mail Students love to receive care packages and letters! Please address your mail in this format: Student Name MSC _____ (enter the student’s Bethel box number after MSC*) Bethel University 3900 Bethel Dr. St. Paul, MN 55112-6999
“Receiving a package from my parents completely made my day! It’s always a pleasant surprise to find something fun in my mail box, and it was almost like they sent me a piece of home.” —Shelby, Class of 2014
Chapel on the Go Experience chapel as your children do; listen to chapel services on iTunes! Visit cas.bethel.edu/campus-ministries for a link to iTunes and a list of chapel speakers, topics, and schedules. n
Want News? Get regular updates on Bethel news and events via email! Visit bethel.edu/news/e-news to subscribe to eNews. n
* Please don’t use “PO BOX” or “PO #” in your address. Visit bethel.edu/parents/parentresourcepage for care package ideas. n
Keep Us Updated
Have you moved recently, or maybe added a new cell phone number? You’re a vital part of your student’s educational team, and we want to stay in touch with you with parent newsletters and news about campus happenings, events, and volunteer opportunities. Visit bethel.edu/parents/contact/update to revise your information online. n
What’s FERPA? FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. As amended, it’s a federal law establishing procedures for disclosing student records and protecting the privacy of these records. Student records are private information that is not shared without the student’s consent. At Bethel University, student records are protected as private information starting on the first day of class and ending at death. Bethel University abides by the law, and as such, we cannot release information to parents without written approval from the student. Visit bethel.edu/registrar/ferpa to learn more.
Treats for Students Surprise your student with a sweet treat. Visit bethel.edu/parents/ treats to order a special baked item from Sodexo, our Dining Services partner. n
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