Bethel Parent: Spring 2014

Bethel Purchases Pine Tree Property in Arden Hills In mid-December, a generous donor helped Bethel University purchase a 200,000-square-foot building at 2 Pine Tree Drive in Arden Hills, Minn., a little more than one mile from Bethel’s main campus. The purchase addresses many of the needs identified in Bethel’s Campus Master Plan at a dramatically lower cost than new construction. The additional space will help Bethel better meet the needs of students and growing programs, and support the launch of strategic new programs. Visit bethel.edu/news/articles/2014/february/pine-tree to read the full story. n

Campus Master Plan 2.0 In 2011 and 2012, Bethel spent several months developing a Campus Master Plan. Since then, much has changed. The primary purpose of the Campus Master Plan 2.0 project is to re-imagine how to meet our space needs as Bethel moves into the future, particularly in light of the Pine Tree property. A steering committee representing all areas of the uni-versity—including parents—is preparing several scenarios for how the space could be used at the college complex, the seminary complex, and the Pine Tree building. The group will present the scenarios to the Bethel community for feedback before providing recommendations to the Bethel University Board of Trustees at their meeting in May. Look for updates this summer. n

Disability Services The Office of Disability Resources and Services supports the ongoing development of an accessible university that embraces and celebrates diversity. It ensures that those with disability—including students—have equal access and opportunity to the university and its programs.Visit bethel.edu/offices/disability to check out their redesigned website. n

Study Abroad 75% of Bethel students study abroad during their college years; many of them do so in spring of their sophomore year. It’s never too early to think about this great opportunity that is a hallmark of a Bethel education. Bethel offers more than 30 semester, summer, and interim study abroad and off-cam-pus program opportunities for undergrads. It’s a way that stu-dents can engage with the world face-to-face, whether they travel halfway around the globe or stay right here in the Twin Cities commu-nity. Visit cas.bethel.edu/academics/study-abroad to learn more. n

Spring 2014 | www.bethel.edu

BETHELPARENTA newsletter for parents of Bethel University students

Bethel Student Satisfaction Ranks High Last fall, Bethel undergrad students participated in the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, which measures students’ satisfaction and what they deem important. The survey compares Bethel’s results with those from national four-year colleges, as well as schools in the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) that participated.

HIGHLIGHTS: • Comparedtostudentsinthenationalfour-yearprivate college pool, Bethel students were significantly more satisfied in 73 of the 79 areas surveyed. •Bethelstudentsatisfactionratingswerealsosignificantly

higher on 40 of the 79 areas compared to the CCCU composite. The CCCU group is typically a rigorous comparison group on satisfaction ratings. •Mostofthehighestimportanceandsatisfactionratingsfor

Bethel students were related to faculty and academics.• ComparedtoCCCUstudents,Bethelstudentswere significantly more satisfied with many aspects of student

life (e.g., residence halls, Welcome Week, athletic programs, etc.), food services, and safety and security. • Comparedto2011,thereweresignificantincreasesin satisfaction with the institution’s commitment to students with disabilities and safety and security. • Financial aid and academic reputation were the two highest rated reasons for enrolling at Bethel. n

Parent Volunteers Wanted for Spring Banquet One of Bethel’s enduring traditions is the Spring Banquet, which takes place right before final exams. Students dress up and enjoy a meal and program together. Parents play a significant role, and we need your help! This year’s banquet will be held on Saturday, May 17. We ask parent volunteers to help with set-up, serving, and clean-up, all while enjoying the company of other par-ents and socializing with the students who are celebrating a successful year. Once the students are served, we invite you to sit down and enjoy dinner as our guests. Interested in vol-unteering at the Spring Banquet? Visit bethel.edu/parents/events/spring-banquet to register and learn more. n

New Programs!Undergrad•GenderStudiesMinor•GraphicDesignMajor/Minor

NonprofitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDTwin Cities MNPermit No 899

Parent Volunteers Needed

for Spring Banquet

–Details Inside

Dates to RememberJazzintheGreatHall............................May2

ClassicsintheGreatHall.........................May9

Last Day of Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 16

Spring Banquet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 17

FinalExams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .May19,20,22,23(Please don’t schedule family vacations on these days.)

Study Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 21

CAS Nurses Pinning Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 23

Senior/ParentCommencementBanquet.........May23

CAS Baccalaureate Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 23

CAS Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 24

1st Session of Summer Classes Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . June 2

BethelGolfClassic.............................June23

Visit bethel.edu/events/calendar for more information about events.

Office of Alumni and Parent Services651.638.6462 (800.255.8706, ext. 6462)

[email protected]/parents

OFFICE OF ALUMNI ANDPARENT SERVICES3900 Bethel Drive

St. Paul, MN 55112-6999

Address Service Requested

Help Your Student Prepare for Their Career Want to help your child prepare well for a future career? A summer job or internship can be more than a paycheck. If these 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 prepare for his or her career.

STEPS TO GETTING STARTED•Start early. A résumé full of relevant experiences during

freshman and sophomore year is helpful as your son or daughter looks toward a summer internship after junior year.

•Encourage your student to carefully consider what he or she wants to do after graduation and develop a realistic plan to achieve those goals. Is your child heading to medical school? They should consider volunteering or shadowing in the healthcare field.

•Build relationships. Informational interviews are easy and an excellent way for your student to learn and get advice from professionals.

•Meet one on one with a career specialist in the Office of Career Development and Calling. They believe that meeting with a career specialist in person is the best 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:

visit bethel.edu/offices/career-development/parents to learn more about how you can support your child in

this process. n

Thanks to Your Valentine’s Gifts, Grants Enrich Classroom Experience Thanks to the 500+ parents who ordered Valentine’s giftsfortheirsonsanddaughters,theFacultyGrantprogramraised more than $3,400 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.Grantsareusedforprojects,conferences,equipment, and technology. In addition, students appreciated being remembered by their parents! One faculty member who was blessed by your generous gifts is Megan Flynn, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychol-ogy. She used the grant funds to compensate families (youth and their primary caregiver) for participating in an intensive assessment. The benefits of the study were many. Perhaps most important-ly, the grant benefited her students: being able to work closely with the data collections for this study gave them hands-on exposure to a large-scale research study. n

Students Love Bethel’s Food Service!Bethel’s food service provider, Sodexo, ranked among the top 25 sites across the company’s campus services division in a satisfaction survey taken by students last fall.