Spring 2015 | www.bethel.edu
BETHEL PARENT A newsletter for parents of Bethel University students
Parents: Volunteer for Spring Banquet
Wellness Center Construction Update
One of Bethel’s enduring traditions is the Spring Banquet. This year’s banquet is Saturday, May 16, before final exams. Students dress up and enjoy a meal and program together. Parents play a significant role, and we need your help! Parent volunteers help with set-up, serving, and clean-up, all while enjoying the company of other parents and socializing with the students who are celebrating a successful year. Afterwards, you’re invited to enjoy dinner as our guest. Register and learn more. n
Contractors are making progress on the construction of the new Wellness Center between the Robertson and Hagstrom Centers—it actually looks like a building! The Wellness Center is on schedule and is expected to open in fall 2015. Highlights:
22,500 square feet on 3 levels 5,500 square feet of biokinetics testing and lab space 6,000 square-feet weight facility 45 cardio machines 30 yards of indoor turf
Bethel’s New Vision and Direction American higher education is undergoing dramatic change, and recent Bethel publications have documented the challenges and opportunities Bethel faces. Last spring, Bethel’s Board of Trustees launched the Strategic Coalition, a set of working teams within the university tasked with charting a path to the future. In February, the board adopted a bold new vision statement: “Bethel will be the Christ-centered university of choice for this century.” The board also approved 15 recommendations presented by the Strategic Coalition to advance Bethel’s mission to its 150th year and beyond. Learn more about how this will impact Bethel. n
Estate Gift Means New Scholarships Bethel University recently received its largest single estate gift, a $3 million gift from the estate of Eunice Singfeldt, who directed the majority of her gift to an endowed scholarship to benefit “worthy and needy students” in the College of Arts & Sciences. Call the financial aid office or visit their website. n
Thanks to Your Valentine’s Gifts, Grants Enrich Classroom Experience Thanks to the hundreds of parents who ordered Valentine’s gifts for your sons and daughters, the Faculty Grant program raised more than $4,250 to help provide grants to faculty members so they can stay on the cutting edge of their professions and enrich academic instruction in the classroom. Grants are used for projects, conferences, equipment, and technology. Plus, students appreciated being remembered by all of you! Last year, your generosity helped 10 faculty members travel, attend conferences and training, do research, and purchase classroom equipment. n
Reminders Is your student graduating this spring? Congratulations! Bethel has several meaningful events planned for graduating seniors and their families over commencement weekend, including a Senior/Parent Banquet, the Baccalaureate Service, and more. Learn what’s planned for commencement weekend.
HEAD’S UP: Construction Alert In April, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) plans to demolish the bridge on Country Road E over Snelling Avenue near Bethel’s campus. Check out the latest information before you visit campus. n
New Undergrad Programs • Computer Science Software Project Management Major • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Minor
Wanted: Your Updated Information Parents: We hope to distribute the Bethel Parent by email next fall, so make sure we have your current contact information, including email address. Submit updates now. n
Help Your Student with Career Preparation It may not be too late for your son or daughter to land a summer job or internship. If options are approached strategically, your child can maximize summer opportunities to build skills, explore career fields, and build connections (i.e., networking) that can lead to career opportunities. A college degree is important, but employers also value an applicant’s experiences and skills. In a competitive economy, summer jobs and internships provide necessary experiences. Challenge your student to seek a summer position that will help him or her prepare for their career. Encourage your student to meet one on one with a career specialist in the Office of Career Development and Calling. Meeting with a career specialist in
person is a great way for students to get the customized help they need with career counseling, résumé writing, networking and job search skills, mock interviews, and more! Students can call 651.638.6460 to schedule an appointment. Parents: learn more about how you can support your child in this process. n
Young Alums Report Satisfaction with Bethel Preparation Each year, Bethel surveys traditional undergrad alumni who graduated one year prior, five years prior, and ten years prior. Questions cover graduates’ experiences at Bethel as well as their personal, spiritual, and working lives since graduation. The results? Recent Bethel alumni are experiencing low unemployment and high job satisfaction. They also reported being satisfied with how Bethel prepared them for their jobs as well as with their overall educational experience at Bethel. Read more. n
Coming Home for Summer
If your student is planning to be home for the summer, here are some tips that may help their re-entry into the family system. Before your child comes home, discuss plans for the first few days. Give them space to transition from college life to home life again. Students are often exhausted after the end of the semester. It’s normal for them to need to catch up on sleep. • Rather than set curfews or try to regulate your child’s sleep, it may be more useful to allow your child to set his or her own hours with the stipulation that the house is quiet and the car is in the garage between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Blessings on this transition! (Excerpted from http://www1.umn.edu/ parent/advice-involvement/holiday-suggestions/index.html) n
Nonprofit Organization US Postage PAID Twin Cities MN Permit No 899
Office of Alumni and Parent Relations 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55112-6999
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Dates to Remember World Changers Series Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 16 Grandparents Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 17 Hymn Sing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 19 Spring Play: Hedda! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 23-26,29,30 Philharmonic Orchestra Spring Concert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April 28 Jazz in the Great Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1 Classics in the Great Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 8 Last Day of Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 15 Spring Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 16 Final Exams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 18,19, 21, 22 (Please don’t schedule family vacations on these days.) Study Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 20
CAS Nurses Pinning Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 22 Senior/Parent Commencement Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 22 CAS Baccalaureate Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 22 CAS Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 23 1st Session of Summer Classes Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 1 Bethel Golf Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June 15 Visit bethel.edu/events/calendar for more information about events. Office of Alumni and Parent Relations 651.638.6462 (800.255.8706, ext. 6462) parents@bethel.edu | bethel.edu/parents