Bethel College (Kansas)

Infobox_University


name = Bethel College
motto = Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (I Cor. 3:11)
established = 1887
type = Private Liberal Arts
president=Barry C. Bartel
city = North Newton
state = Kansas
country = United States
undergrad = 541
postgrad =
campus = 90 acres
staff= 66
mascot =
nickname = Threshers
free_label =
free =
website= http://www.bethelks.edu/

Bethel College is a private college affiliated with Mennonite Church USA. The college is located on the edge of the Flint Hills and vast wheat fields of south central Kansas in the town of North Newton. Enrollment at the college hovers around 600 students earning 27 different degrees in the fine arts and sciences.

Founded in 1887 and conferring its first four-year degrees in 1912, Bethel is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Starting in 1874, thousands of Russian Mennonites began arriving in Kansas. Having a century of experience running their own schools, by 1882 they opened Emmental, a training school for teachers north of Newton, Kansas. The school was moved to Halstead, Kansas in 1883. A better site was found in North Newton, Kansas, and the cornerstone of the main building was laid on 1888-10-12. [The corner stone was laid by Andrew B. Shelly (1834–1913), then president of the General Conference Mennonite Church. (Kaufman, p. 73.)] This structure, the current Administration Building, is on the National Register of Historic Places. [The Administration Building has been on the Historic Register since 1972-03-16. See the [http://www.bethelks.edu/map/ad.php Administration Building page] of the Bethel College website.] The Halstead school was closed for the 1892–1893 school year while it was relocated to the new site and reopened as Bethel College in 1893. Bethel College became the second institution of higher learning associated with the General Conference Mennonite Church, replacing Wadsworth Institute which had closed in 1878.

The programs at Bethel College are mostly made up of four core values, that contribute to everyday there as a student as well as a teacher. These values are shown and portrayed in a daily routine at this institution these values include; first, an ethic of discipleship, one that notices Jesus Christ is the Messiah and is also the model for the Christian life and if is followed will depict a high level of commitment and conviction that is free, next is an ethic of scholarship, one that believes in academics and the achievement that comes with it, as well as a logical out-come of intellectuality, presenting discipline and creativity, third, an ethic of service, one that shows concern for the powerless and is essential to the Christian ways and shows the importance of peacemaking and volunteering of services, finally an ethic of integrity, one that celebrates and rejoices in the connections between spirit and mind, faith and learning, individual and community, and fosters personal development through participation in all sorts of different activities.

Bethel College’s curriculum is founded on a very general type of education program within the liberal arts and sciences and is mostly focused on students with a higher academic ability. Certain elements include the requirements in the study of religion and a cross-cultural experience. There are many majors offered within the traditional standards, including liberal arts disciplines and selected career areas and also accredited professional programs in nursing, social work, and teaching education. There are many academic services, which can help in development that are offered for students and can provide needed skills to enhance student’s studies. As always, Bethel College’s students profile’s reflects its church and their affiliation. At the same time the college values in diversity and different cultural backgrounds within it’s student population, Bethel searches for students to enroll with varieties of different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds with individuals desiring high-quality education for individuals [ [http://www.bethelks.edu/bc/index.php/ Official Bethel Website] ] .

Bethel College at a glance

*Bethel is the only Kansas college named in the top thirty midwestern Comprehensive Colleges by "U.S. News & World Report" (1998-2007)
*Bethel is a Templeton Character Building College
*Four year Liberal Arts College.
*The symbol of a cross, anchor, and heart symbolize values of faith hope and charity on the Bethel College Seal.
*This institution is located in a Christian community.
*Student-faculty ratio at Bethel College is 9:1. Average class size: 14.
*81% of Bethel graduates complete their degrees in four years.
*75% of Bethel's traditional age students live on campus.
*Job placement rate for teacher education graduates in 2004: 88%.
*Teacher education graduates who passed licensing exam in 2004: 100%.
*Nursing graduates who had jobs upon graduation in 2005:100%.
*Social work graduates who passed licensing exam in 2004: 100%; 10-year average: 100%.
*Bethel has qualified for the American Forensics Association's National Individual Events Tournament each year since its beginning in 1978.
*Biology and natural science graduates who successfully pursued PhD and/or M.D. degrees (over past 15 years): approx. 50%
*Bethel football was the 2006 and 2007 KCAC Co-champion.
*Bethel's president, Barry C. Bartel, is a former attorney who represented detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

History

The Bethel College campus is 90 acres. During the 1880s, Kansas cities and towns competed with one another to create, build, and construct many institutions and buildings including colleges. On May 11, 1887 representatives of the Newton community and the Kansas Conference of Mennonites signed a charter for Bethel College to be built on a plot of about 120 acres. Some time over a year later on October 12, 1888, around 2,500 people gathered on the property to lay the cornerstone of what is today the Administration Building of Bethel College. The dedication sermon was based on the Corinthians motto, which was placed on the seal, which now stands for Bethel College and its values. The building project took around five years to fully complete. The fund-raising to create the institution was slow, but on September 20, 1893 there was a service of dedication held for the building to be opened and classes began.

Early on in the life of Bethel College, Cornelius H. Wedel, a young teacher, was made Bethel College’s first president. There were 98 students, 77 men and 21 women ages 13 to mid-30s living on the west end of the main floor of the Administration Building which was also the ground floor. Wedel and his family lived on the east end of the Administration Building’s main floor. The classrooms were located on the second floor and there was a chapel and library of 600 volumes. In these earlier days the students were up by five in the morning and in bed by ten at night. Each student worked two hours a day at a campus job. Student conduct was very strict around campus and was monitored very closely. Men and women were not allowed to be in the library during the same evenings; they alternated each evening. Five men, including the president, made up the first faculty and staff. They taught classes in the Bible, church history, German, English, math, science, and music. Bethel College was known as a bilingual college until early 1918, when the U.S. entered World War I and German was removed from the curriculum. As of 2008, Bethel is the only Mennonite college to offer German as a major.

The Administration Building was the main campus structure until 1925 when the Science Hall was completed. The cornerstone for Memorial Hall was laid in 1938, and the building was completed in 1942. The Art Center is another building that has been present for many years. In 1952 the Mennonite Library and Archives was built. In 1979, the current student center/cafeteria was built. The newest building today is the Thresher Stadium in the Thresher Sports Complex to accompany sports. Another newly-constructed academic building is the Krehbiel Science Center, completed in 2002.

There are three student residence halls located on campus. They are Haury Hall (completed in 1958 and expanded in 1963), Warkentin Court (completed in 1966), and the newer Voth Hall (completed in 2000) [ [http://www.bethelks.edu/bc/aboutbc/history.php?urlid=312/ History of Bethel College] ] .

Academics

Bethel Christian School's academic program exposes students to three educational traditions: liberal arts, the church, and career preparation. General education courses give basic academic skills, providing a broad understanding of the social and natural world from the perspective of the liberal arts and sciences. Required Bible and religion classes give basic knowledge and enhance the values expressed by Bethel College. Required classes cover topics of peace, justice, conflict studies and cross-cultural learning. [ [http://www.bethelks.edu/academics/index.php/ Academics Of Bethel College] ]

Athletics

There are also many sports that can be participated in at Bethel College. There is basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, football, tennis, track, and volleyball. In the 2006-07 season three of Bethel's coaches were named conference Coach of the Year. At Bethel College the athletes are very highly ranked as well; 89 student athletes have been named American Scholar Athletes. The Threshers have won more than 55 conference titles. During 1998-99 alone, six of the ten Thresher teams won conference championships (Sports). Bethel College Athletic Director Diane Flickner said, “Intercollegiate athletics is an integral part of life at Bethel College. Thresher intercollegiate teams strive toward excellence in all of their goals. Success is not defined simply by a winning record but also by community involvement, the joy of playing, cooperation, friendships, skill improvement and the pride of representing Bethel College. Student-athletes develop life long skills of teamwork, self-discipline and leadership in an environment committed to Christian higher education (Sports)” [ [http://athletics.bethelks.edu/ Athletics of Bethel College] ] .

Bethel is a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference which is part of the NAIA.

Notes

References

*Kaufman, Edmund G. (1973), "General Conference Mennonite Pioneers", Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas.
*Pannabecker, Samuel Floyd (1975), "Open Doors: A History of the General Conference Mennonite Church", Faith and Life Press. ISBN 0-87303-636-0

External links

* [http://www.bethelks.edu/ Official web site]
* [http://www.bethelks.edu/mla Mennonite Library and Archives]
* [http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/B48605.html Bethel College] in "Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online"
* [http://www.citytowninfo.com/school-profiles/bethel-college-north-newton/ City Town Info on Bethel College]