GRACE COLLEGE BUSINESS DEPARTMENT EARNS ACCREDITATION

The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) has awarded Grace College’s Department of Business the maximum seven-year accreditation. The accreditation is for all undergraduate degree programs in business.

Grace College is one of only six IACBE-accredited colleges and universities in Indiana. IACBE accreditation involves a self-evaluation process, with results reviewed by IACBE, and an on-site visit by a team of evaluators.

“The accreditation process is rigorous,” said Roger Stichter, MBA, chair of the Department of Business at Grace. “We are measured on achieving the outcomes we establish for our students, such as their level of knowledge, academic achievement, spiritual maturity, and business skills. Accreditation holds us accountable to achieve what we are committed to achieve by forcing us to look at ourselves and evaluate our quality.”

Stichter added the quality and depth of education for business majors at Grace is enhanced by the experience they gain in local industries, which provide internships that enable students to work in actual business environments.

The Department of Business is Grace’s largest department, with 210 majors. Starting this year, the department has added faculty and plans to add at least one more faculty member next year. In addition, the Sport Management major and the Information Systems major were transferred to the department at the beginning of the 2008–2009 academic year. Placing these programs in the Department of Business allows students to learn broad business principles as they strengthen their knowledge of the specialized skills taught in the major.

“We emphasize both practical business knowledge and academic learning to help students prepare for successful careers,” Stichter explained. The business faculty members average nearly 10 years of experience in operating and managing businesses before joining the faculty.

STUDENTS, PROFS TAKE PART IN FAITH AND HISTORY CONFERENCE

Grace College Professors Mark Norris, Ph.D. and Jared S. Burkholder, Ph.D., along with seven Grace College students, took part in the 2008 biennial meeting of the Conference on Faith and History (CFH), September 17–20 at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio.

CFH is a professional organization with hundreds of members from across the country who are intentional about how Christian faith informs their work as historians, educators, and scholars. The organization also reaches out to both undergraduate and graduate students. Grace College students participating this year were Lauren Cartwright, Jason Conrad, Anna Klatt, Alex Lepley, Chelsea Noble, Mat Swartz, and Charles Ulm.

In addition to providing leadership for the student sessions, Dr. Norris and Dr. Burkholder both presented research papers in the professional portion of the meeting.

Dr. Norris’ presentation, entitled, “Ma Sunday, CEO: Beginnings,” is part of a complete biography of Billy Sunday's wife, Helen ("Ma Sunday"), which Dr. Norris is writing. His work fills a significant history gap regarding the Sundays. Since Ma Sunday's life was overshadowed by her husband, most historians have ignored her. But, unknown to most people, Ma Sunday was the driving force behind Billy Sunday's crusades, and she became an accomplished evangelist herself.

Dr. Burkholder presented his paper, “Winona Lake, Pennsylvania Mennonites, and the Long Arm of Popular Evangelicalism.” In the presentation, he argues that Bible Conferences like those at Winona Lake were a significant part of evangelical and fundamentalist influence among Mennonites of eastern Pennsylvania between 1935 and 1955. Networks of popular evangelical activity, he said, included radio broadcasts, correspondence Bible courses, printed material, and prophecy conferences. Many Mennonites felt restricted by the tradition culture within their conservative congregations, and evangelicalism was an attractive alternative. In his paper, he points out that ultimately, a number of Mennonites dissented from their congregations and became part of the evangelical movement.

GRACE SETS NEW ENROLLMENT RECORD

Grace College and Seminary recorded its third consecutive record enrollment as 1,508 students enrolled for the 2008-09 academic year. The record includes a school-best 281 freshmen and 84 percent retention rate for returning students.

The combination of new students and the retention of upper classmen are two reasons why U.S. News and World Report named Grace College to the top tier of its “Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest.” Grace’s previous best enrollment was the 1,438 students in 2007.

According to Mark D. Weinstein, Dean of Enrollment and Marketing, Grace is attracting the record number of students because of new academic programs, the development of scholar and leadership programs, and the College’s continued commitment to Christian values. In recent years, the College developed academic majors in public relations and intercultural studies and next year will offer a degree in environmental biology.

At the Seminary level, the master’s degree programs in Local Church Studies and Intercultural Studies are offered through an online and on campus blended format. In January 2009, a Bachelor of Science degree in Management through the newly formed degree completion undergraduate program called GOAL (Grace Opportunities for Adult Learners) will begin.

“It is encouraging to see our students respond to our innovative scholar and leadership programs, such as the Millennial Scholars Academy, Orthopaedic Scholar Institute, and Presidential Scholarship Competition,” Weinstein said. “In addition, when visiting the Grace campus, parents and future students often comment on the engaging atmosphere and the commitment of our students, faculty, and staff to both academic achievement and the Christian faith.

The record enrollment and new academic offerings, including the GOAL degree completion program, are reasons for optimism for continued growth, he added.

“There is a measure of excitement with the further growth of programs and student enrollment,” said Weinstein. “As we provide the programs that students desire and stay true to our mission, I see Grace continuing to grow and being a leader in Christian higher education."

GRACE RECEIVES GRANT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER

U.S. Rep. Mark Souder and Sen. Evan Bayh have announced the awarding of a $1.07 million grant from the Department of Justice to Grace College for the development of an Integrated Community Emergency Response Training Center (ICERT).

Bill Darr, a registered/certified emergency medical technician and Director of Library Services at Grace, will head the ICERT Center. Darr will work in partnership with Ed Rock, Executive Director of the Kosciusko County Office of Emergency Management.

“Community Emergency Response Teams can be a huge asset in the event of a major disaster, such as a flood,” Rock explained. “Having organized and educated groups of residents who can assist professional responders can go a long way to mitigating significant risks to affected victims in a disaster. The Kosciusko County Emergency Management Agency is very pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice has the vision to award Grace College the funds necessary to make this a reality.”

The grant will allow both emergency first responders and local community members to respond to sudden disasters and emergencies by endowing community outreach, disaster simulations and drills, and local workshops. It will also permit Kosciusko County to recruit and train CERT trainers through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security.

The training center, to be located in the Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College, will provide for the training of emergency personnel and volunteers to assist local authorities in response to natural disasters throughout Kosciusko County.

Darr has been a registered/certified emergency medical technician for 34 years and an advanced EMT for 27 years. He has been honored two times as “Advanced EMT of the Year” in Kosciusko County and has completed more than 1,500 hours of additional EMT training in the last 27 years.
Rep. Souder, who sponsored the legislation resulting in the grant, explained that the grant is from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Discretionary Grant Fund.
“I am pleased that Grace College will receive $1,073,218 to assist residents of Kosciusko County,” Rep. Souder said. “In the unfortunate event of a natural disaster, such as a flood or a severe snow storm, CERT will help protect our community. In a crisis, preparedness programs and response resources are crucial to help guard against additional harm.”
“These funds will help ensure that our first responders are well equipped to proactively prepare for the unexpected,” Sen. Bayh commented. “The Community Emergency Response Team will be essential in keeping Hoosiers safe in the event of an emergency or local disaster.”

Grace President Ronald E. Manahan, Th.D., expressed the institution’s appreciation for these resources to enable Grace to achieve a long-term objective in community involvement and assistance. “On behalf of Grace College and the Kosciusko County community,” Dr. Manahan said, “I express our sincere appreciation for the strong support and committed efforts given by Congressman Souder and Senators Lugar and Bayh to help our community train and equip citizens to respond to various natural disasters and emergencies.”

DR. TIBERIUS RATA'S ARTICLE PUBLISHED

Dr. Tiberius Rata, Professor of Old Testament Studies, recently published an article in Scripture and Interpretation, the journal of the Torch Trinity Center for Biblical Research in Seoul, South Korea. The article is “The History of the Text of Jeremiah.” Tiberius Rata, Scripture and Interpretation. 11/1 (2008): 39-51.