Grace Blog

Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., has again been named one of the “Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest” according to U.S. News and World Report. Grace ranked 35th out of the schools listed.

Colleges are ranked according to several criteria, including academic reputation, retention rates, graduation rates, faculty, admissions practices, financial resources, and alumni contributions.

For the past several years, the Princeton Review has also recognized Grace as one of the Midwest’s best colleges, citing academic excellence as well as high ratings in student opinion surveys.

“We’re excited to be acknowledged once again by U.S. News and World Report,” said Dr. Bill Katip, provost of Grace College. “The students, faculty, and staff at Grace College know what a fantastic school we have, and it’s gratifying to see that presented nationally, as well.”

Highlights of the college rankings will be published in the September issue of U.S. News and World Report, available on newsstands August 31. The 2011 Best Colleges guidebook will be on newsstands August 24.

Though Grace is a four-year liberal arts college, it now offers academically aggressive students an accelerated 3-year degree option that can reduce the cost of a college education by 50%, saving a year of tuition, room and board, and earning an extra year of income by graduating early. At the same time, a new curricular model provides more time for contextual experiences and applied learning, such as internships, study abroad, student teaching, research fellowships, and student leadership positions. These changes will help students engage more deeply and actively in their education. Students may choose to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in three years, a bachelor’s and master’s in four, or a bachelor’s in four.

Grace College is an evangelical Christian four-year liberal arts college that applies Biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service in each field of study.

Grace College and Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Ind., has been named as a Military Friendly School for 2011 by G.I. Jobs magazine. The list of named schools is a product of years of research across government agencies and private entities, as well as a survey administered by G.I. Jobs.

Schools are recognized based on criteria including a school’s financial and non-financial efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, a school’s success in that recruitment and retention, as well as other factors like academic accreditation.

The honor ranks Grace College among the top 15 percent of all colleges, universities, and trade schools nationwide according to G.I. Jobs. The list is designed to aid military members, veterans, and spouses in selecting an institution for associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees or for technical certification.

Grace will be included with a basic listing in the 2011 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, which will be published in September 2010, as well as a basic listing online at MilitaryFriendlySchools.com.

Grace College is an evangelical Christian four-year liberal arts college with a three-year accelerated degree option for academically aggressive students. Grace’s curricular model offers time for contextual experiences and applied learning that applies Biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service in each field of study.

As Grace College recognizes the need for a change in American higher education, it is working to “reimagine” the typical college experience and challenge the traditional assumptions about the way the nation does college.

In June, Grace announced an entire plan to meet the needs of what it sees as a changing generation and a changing educational environment. The president of Grace College, Dr. Ronald Manahan, said that the changes to take place are a response to people’s concerns and problems with higher education as a whole – problems such as high cost and outdated teaching methods.

The reimagined academic design, which Grace faculty and staff began working on last June, is centered around five essential pillars: academic innovation, accelerated degree options, affordability for families, applied learning emphasis, and adherence to the mission. As a result of the new design, students in each of Grace’s 50-plus areas of study will have the option to graduate in three years with a bachelor’s degree, four years with a bachelor’s and master’s degree, or four years with a bachelor’s degree.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who recently began calling for Indiana colleges to institute accelerated degree options, called the program “academically innovative” and noted Grace College as a leader in higher education.

Grace seeks to be on the forefront of academic innovation not only with the introduction of the three-year degree option, but with the entire classroom and learning experience. Manahan said the design will strengthen Grace’s competency-based curriculum with innovative environments, technologies and experiences.

“Students need to learn skills, know how to do research, and find answers to new problems and circumstances,” he said.

The reimagined curriculum has been designed with the goal of moving toward the future direction of education and appealing to the learning styles of a millennial generation.

According to Dr. Jim Swanson, Vice President of Student Affairs and Academic Services at Grace, Millennial students “are responsive to experiential pedagogy. They crave innovation in the classroom, connection with faculty and learning that echoes genuine reality.”

Grace College is an evangelical Christian community of higher education which applies biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service. The academic, residential, athletic, and social aspects of the college are designed to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth in a supportive campus community. The 165-acre campus is located in the historic resort town of Winona Lake, near Warsaw, Ind. It has historically been among the top schools of its size and listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges. The Princeton Review has regularly awarded it the title of a “Best Midwestern College.”

Starting fall 2011, Grace College will offer a three-year accelerated degree in each of its 50-plus major areas of study, enabling students to enter the workforce or pursue a graduate degree more quickly. With the accelerated degree option, students could graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in three years or with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in four.

Grace hopes the new program will help students not only earn a quality education in less time and for less money, but also gain more real-life experience with a focus on applied learning. The faculty and staff have spent the past year developing the program in response to student and family financial concerns.

“We have listened to people’s concerns about [the cost of] higher education and we are answering them,” said Grace President Dr. Ronald Manahan. “This is radical for us. There is risk, but the risk is far greater if we do not do [this].”

Grace College is among the first colleges in the nation to introduce an accelerated program that can be applied to all of its undergraduate degrees.

The idea of the accelerated degree began receiving national and political consideration last fall when Sen. (R-Tenn.) and former U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander publicly addressed the need for three-year options in higher education. Grace, which began developing its three-year accelerated degree in June 2009, has received support from Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who recently began pushing for more Indiana colleges and universities to offer accelerated degree options.

“Grace College is showing the academic innovation and leadership for which it is known,” said Daniels.  “This recent move is exactly the sort of new alternative I had hoped for in asking universities to create a three year option for students.”

Students who graduate in three years are able to not only save one year’s cost of tuition, but can also begin their career a year early, working and earning in their chosen field. Grace estimates that the money saved plus the money earned will reduce the cost of college by approximately 50 percent.

“I am sure that many students will take advantage of this opportunity to enter the workforce a year early and save up to 50% of the cost of their education,” said Daniels.

The new program is designed to help students achieve their degrees at a quicker pace without sacrificing academic rigor. Classes will be structured into two 8-week sessions per semester, focusing on two to three courses per session, in order to maximize efficiency in learning. Students who wish to complete their Bachelor’s degrees in three years will also take two online classes each summer, enabling them to live and work anywhere.

The new structure seeks to strengthen Grace’s competency-based curriculum and heavily emphasizes applied learning. Students will be required to participate in at least 12 credit hours of hands-on learning experiences; this could include, but is not limited to, opportunities such as study abroad, internships, collaborative research projects, and student teaching.

Grace College is an evangelical Christian community of higher education which applies biblical values in strengthening character, sharpening competence, and preparing for service. The academic, residential, athletic, and social aspects of the college are designed to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth in a supportive campus community. The 165-acre campus is located in the historic resort town of Winona Lake, near Warsaw, Ind. It has historically been among the top schools of its size and listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Colleges. The Princeton Review has regularly awarded it the title of a “Best Midwestern College.”

For more information, please visit www.grace.edu/reimagine.

The Grace Family and the public are invited to the

36th Annual Juried Student Art Exhibit
opening MONDAY at the Mount Memorial Art Gallery.

Join us for the Awards Ceremony at 4 pm when the top three pieces in each category and Best of Exhibit will be announced.
Come any time during the day and make your own predictions!

_________

Over 65 works are selected for the exhibition, which is open to all art majors, minors, and students taking an art class at Grace this year.
Categories include drawing, photography, printmaking, illustration, graphic design, watercolor painting, oil/acrylic painting, pottery, and open.
Awards are fully funded by alumni of the Art Department.

In conjunction with the Juried Exhibit, the 10th Annual Grace Art Club Exhibit will be hosted by the Warsaw Community Public Library.
Approximately 30 works will be exhibited in celebration of National Library Month.

Both shows close Friday, May 7.

Any member of the Grace family or the community is invited to a free lecture/demo from the Golden Artist Colors company (www.goldenpaints.com), sponsored by the Grace College Art Department on Friday or Saturday, Apr. 23 or 24. Taught by working artist Merle Rosen (www.merlerosen.com), this is a fun, informative lecture covering a technical review of acrylics and their varied application possibilities. Learn how acrylics can be used as grounds for other media, such as watercolor or colored pencil; get key information on color mixing, blending and controlling drying time; and see how gels can be used to modify paint properties or create unique textural surfaces. Artists of all levels will come away with fresh new insights to feed their creative expression. All participants will receive free product samples and a literature packet.

School of Music to be Closed, MasterWorks Will Continue

Effective in May, Grace College announced today that it will discontinue its School of Music, eliminating the music majors from the more than fifty degree programs the college offers. The fifteen current music students who have accumulated more than eighty-six credit hours as of December 2009 will be able to graduate as music majors, while the twenty-two other students of the program will be encouraged to change majors or transfer to other colleges. Grace administrators are currently working with several other Christian colleges, all accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, to facilitate seamless transitions for any student wishing to transfer. U.S. News and World Report as a top-tier college in the Midwest, Grace has sustained record enrollment in each of the past four years, expanding its course offerings with the addition of three new majors—political science, web design, and environmental biology—in the past eighteen months.

“As we continually seek ways to enhance the college’s effectiveness, we realize the need for renewed focus and efficiency. The decision to bring an end to Grace’s music program is a difficult one, but one we feel is best for the future of the college,” said Dr. Ronald Manahan, president of Grace College and Theological Seminary.

Five faculty members will not have contracts renewed in May as a result of the changes. Those affected by the staff reduction will qualify for a severance benefit, additionally receiving outplacement and counseling services for themselves and their families. A tuition benefit for employees and spouses who are currently in a degree program, as well as their dependent children, will continue through spring 2018.

Grace College will continue to be the site of the MasterWorks Festival, an intensive month-long experience for high school and college students of music and fine arts, through the summer of 2010. Manahan emphasized Grace is taking whatever steps it can to encourage the ongoing presence of MasterWorks in the community.

Manahan continued, “The college recognizes the community impact of MasterWorks, its economic contribution, and most importantly the advancement of the arts in our local culture.”

 Recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a top-tier college in the Midwest, Grace has sustained record enrollment in each of the past four years, expanding its course offerings with the addition of three new majors—political science, web design, and environmental biology—in the past eighteen months.

New members of the Lancer Athletic Hall of Fame are (front, left to right) Eve Dawes, Willa Henry, Cheryl Pulver, Gary Woolman, Tim Van Duyne, (back row, left to right) Rebecca Macy, Ron Henry, John Boal, Jim Woolman, and Darrell Johnson

Grace College inducted nine members into the Lancer Athletic Hall of Fame November 7. The inductees honored at the banquet in the Orthopaedic Capital Center include: Rebecca Macy (Wahlstrom), volleyball; John Boal, men’s basketball; Darrell Johnson, baseball and golf; Eve Dawes (Arthur), women’s soccer; Cheryl Pulver (Myers), women’s basketball; Tim VanDuyne, men’s soccer; Lloyd Woolman, athletic director and coach; and Ron and Willa Henry, for their meritorious service to Grace Athletics.

Macy was an NAIA All-American (‘95), MCC Player of the Year (‘95), and two-time NCCAA All-American (‘95, ‘96) for volleyball.

Boal was a two-time NAIA District 21 Player of the Year (‘83, ‘84), NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (‘84) and two-time NCCAA All-American (‘83, ‘84) for men’s basketball. During his speech, he spoke about his bond with fellow teammates and the lessons that 33-year veteran head coach Jim Kessler taught him.

Johnson was named MCC All-Conference  (’73) for baseball and MCC Golf Coach of the Year (’97). He also holds Grace College’s pitching records with wins in both career and season, as well as single season ERA. Johnson pitched in the very first game at Grace College’s Miller Field, and as a long-time faculty member, he has enjoyed seeing Lancer Athletics evolve over the years.

Dawes was an NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (’99), NCCAA All-American (’97, ’98, ’99) and MCC All-Conference (’96-’99) for women’s soccer. She also holds the individual records for goals and points in a career.

Pulver was a two-time NAIA District 21 All-American (’91, ’92), NCCAA All-American (’92) and two-time MCC All-Conference (’91, ‘92) for women’s basketball; and Van Duyne was an NAIA All-American (’76), NAIA All-American Honorable Mention (’78) and MCC All-Conference (’76-’79) for men’s soccer.

The late Lloyd Woolman was also honored. Woolman won four MCC track and field championships, and an MCC soccer title as a coach.  Woolman also served as athletic director and he helped institute Grace’s track and field, cross country, baseball, tennis, golf and soccer programs. Woolman’s two sons were in attendance to accept the award.

Ron and Willa Henry were also honored for their meritorious service to Grace Athletics. Ron has been a faculty member for over 50 years, and he was the public address announcer at Lancer games and Warsaw High School games for a number of years. Willa has also been named Warsaw teacher of the year.

“We want to thank those individuals who have brought much distinction and honor to Grace College and have established a tradition of Christian excellence which is incomparable,” said Grace Athletic Director Chad Briscoe. “These achievements have touched everyone associated with Grace College both in and out of the arena of athletics.”

Grace College’s Indiana Gamma Chapter of Alpha Chi, national college honor society, inducted 27 students at a ceremony November 8. Alpha Chi is a coeduational society whose purpose is to promote academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and to honor those achieving such distinction.

New members are Elizabeth Balasa, elementary education and Spanish education; Jennifer Benner, English and history; Lauren Cartwright, social studies; Megan Crawford, physical education; Jaime DeWeerd, art education; Corey Grandstaff, social studies; Bethany Henderson, psychology and sociology; David Henry, biology; Rebekah Kesler, business administration; Brooke Kovac, criminal justice and psychology; John Leichty, accounting; Darci Long, marketing; Linda Molyneux, psychology; Cassie Patterson, criminal justice and counseling; Sheila Remington, sociology and counseling; Sarah Rice, history; Samuel Roth, mathematics; Caleb Roth, business administration; Emily Rush, biology; Tommi Sauder, graphic design and drawing and painting; Julie Shearer, counseling and sociology; Nathan Short, biblical studies; Daniel Smith, accounting and information systems; Heather Speckman, counseling; Kori Sutterfield, business administration; Rachael Warrington, elementary education; and Melissa Witwer, biology.