October 07 Presidential Update

Pat and I returned to campus last evening from 12 days in eastern Virginia (two days of Virginia private college presidents meetings), four days in Kansas, three in Colorado and three in Pennsylvania. Our time in Kansas and Colorado included donor meetings and alumni/friends receptions, and a day on the campus of Hesston College. I preached three sermons at South Hutchinson Mennonite on September 30. This past Sunday I was privileged to preach the installation sermon at Blooming Glen Mennonite for Firman Gingerich, high school classmate at Iowa Mennonite.

The first meeting of the Provost Search Committee was held on September 24. For confidentially reasons the committee will not publish our minutes, but we will regularly communicate updates to the campus community. Committee members are Lonnie Yoder, Spencer Cowles, Marti Eads, David King, Marcy Engle and me. I am chairing the committee and Ronda Rittenhouse of the Human Resources office is serving as committee recorder. Our current plan is to meet most Monday afternoons during the fall term.

On September 24-25 architects were on campus to continue planning for a new Science Center addition (primarily laboratories and offices) and the renovation of the current Suter Science Center. In the meantime Kirk Shisler and I, along with development staff, continue to invite major lead gifts for that project. We are very grateful for the significant efforts of the faculty to develop comprehensive program plans that drive the facility planning process. The architects have been very complimentary of their collaborative spirit.

A number of EMU folks visited the "green" Environmental Studies building at Oberlin College on September 21. The building includes a "Living Machine" which treats all of the waste from the building. At certain times the facility also creates electricity which is sold back to the electric company. Dr. David Orr, visionary behind the building's design, will speak in a convocation service here Friday, November 9. While their building does not contain any science laboratories, we learned a number of things that will be helpful in the design of future facilities.

It was great to see so many EMU people at the events related to the visit of Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the campus of James Madison University several weeks ago. Board members and staff of the JMU Gandhi Center for Global Nonviolence were very gracious to include us in several special venues during the visit.

As a result of having signed a statement last year on climate change, I was invited to participate in a dinner meeting this Thursday evening in Washington D.C. where the guest speaker is the General Secretary of the United Nations. The event is sponsored by the National Association of Evangelicals, bringing together leaders from the global north and south to address major issues confronting the world such as poverty, global warming, HIV-AIDS, violence, etc. Unfortunately, because of our Homecoming events I will not be able to participate in the entire conference which includes lobbying of political leaders.

I encourage faculty, staff, and students to participate in the Homecoming/Family Weekend events starting Friday. A special feature concert, 90 Years of Music at EMU, will be directed by Dr. Ken J. Nafziger on Friday and Saturday evening.

Numerous EMU folks traveled to Lancaster Mennonite High School (PA) on September 22 to watch our soccer teams compete against Goshen College. Last year, Goshen College president James Brenneman led a prayer before the EMU men defeated Goshen 1-0 on our field. This year Jim suggested I lead the prayer and our men then lost 4-1. Neither of us was ready to pray before the women's game, and it ended in a double overtime 0-0 tie. So much for the power of presidential prayers!

Books I'm reading: The Transparent Leader by Herb Baum; Earth in Mind by David Orr; Great Possessions by David Kline.

Loren

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