February 2012

Dear Biola Community,

Welcome to 2012, Biola's 104th year. As we begin this year, I have every reason to believe that great days are before us.

Certainly the challenges are many, but the mission of Biola makes approaching these challenges well worth the investment.

The last few weeks have been a bit quiet as we've all returned from our Christmas break and taken stock of what new things will accompany us into 2012. I have a list of areas I am resolving to strengthen in my own life. Some of them I can measure. Others are more the way I need to be as a follower of Jesus.

The month began with a healthy few days of talking with the President's Administrative Council (PAC) about how we are doing mid-way through the school year. We invited some other members of the Biola community, including the executive committee chairs of the Advisers to the PAC (APAC) – Deborah Taylor, dean of university effectiveness, and Andre Stephens, senior director of undergraduate admissions – and a group of faculty members who have been thinking about the future with us. These were deeply inspiring discussions for us.  

The board of trustees also met during the last few days to talk about our founding documents as an institution and how the vision of our forebears must help us think about our future. A principal question we asked ourselves as a board is whether Biola’s development into the university we are today is aligned with our founders’ vision. I know of many schools that can’t answer this question in the affirmative, and most of them don’t care. I care. We all care. 

What ensued during our three days together was one of the most invigorating and important conversations I believe our board has had in many years. The result was that the board unanimously approved a revised Articles of Incorporation for the first time since the 1930s. The board unanimously approved a new set of bylaws, for the first time since the 1970s. The board unanimously approved the seven aspirations and four dimensions of the University Plan. And the board unanimously approved our launching a comprehensive, five-year fundraising campaign.

It has also been exciting to see the ramping up of the Biola University Center for Christian Thought, now that funding has been secured through the generosity of the John Templeton Foundation. You'll want to attend the dedication ceremony on Feb. 6.

Finally, we welcomed our new students arriving for the spring semester, 485 in all.  Our spring Convocation on Jan. 30, featuring an address by our provost, Dr. David Nystrom, was a charge to invigorate us for the months to come.

On a personal note, this year I’ve resolved to more intentionally enrich my soul through engagement with the arts. Since this is my year of turning 50, I have invited some from the Biola community to contribute suggestions for a year-long project, Fifty@50. This month, in recognition of movie award season, here is the first installment: 50 films this Christian college president should see to be culturally relevant. These are mostly films from the past few years that the contributors assume I have not had time to see.

Again, a blessed new year to each of you as we wait to see the good our God will do in and through this university, in and through you.

Warmly,

Barry H. Corey, President